Skip to content
Start My 3 Free Days $0 today · cancel anytime

3rd Grade Essays Resources

40 3rd grade essays resources: 24 activities, 9 worksheets, 4 Common Core Lessons and more. How teachers use these

3rd Grade Essays Resources

40 3rd grade essays resources: 24 activities, 9 worksheets, 4 Common Core Lessons and more. How teachers use these

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeCiting Evidence from the Text Worksheet

This third grade Citing Evidence from the Text Worksheet guides students to state an opinion about a book or article and support it with evidence from the text. A no-prep opinion-writing organizer for reading and writing time.

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeUsing Digital Resources Assessment Worksheet

This using digital resources assessment worksheet asks 3rd graders to choose the right online tool for each job and solve writing problems with computer skills. An answer key is included.

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeCreating a Powerpoint Worksheet

The Creating a Powerpoint Worksheet walks 3rd graders through ordering the steps, deciding what belongs on a slide, and planning their own opening slide. Answer key included, so presentation practice takes no prep at all.

Workbook
Workbook3rd GradeSmarter Balanced (CAASPP / SBAC) 3rd Grade ELA Practice Test Workbook

A Smarter Balanced (CAASPP / SBAC) 3rd grade ELA practice test workbook for teachers, with a pretest, skill practice for all 24 standards, mixed review and 2 full-length practice tests. Answer key included, so test prep is ready to go.

Activity
Activity3rd GradeLet's Publish My Writing Activity

Let's Publish My Writing Activity helps 2nd to 4th Grade writers pick a prompt card, plan, and type one full page on the computer, then check their work with a publishing checklist.

Workbook
Workbook3rd GradeNew Jersey NJSLA-A 3rd Grade ELA Practice Test Workbook

A NJSLA-A 3rd grade ELA practice test workbook for teachers, with a pretest, skill practice for all 19 standards, mixed review and 2 full-length practice tests. Answer key included, so test prep is ready to go.

Activity
Activity3rd GradeWriting Tweets Activity

This writing tweets activity has kids read a bird feeder how-to text and answer fun prompt cards. Made for 3rd to 5th grade, with an answer key included for the practice page.

Activity
Activity3rd GradeTake Note Writing Activity

This take note writing activity has 3rd to 5th grade students sort print and digital sources, research a state with question cards, and take notes in their own words. Answer key included.

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeCommand of the Conventions Writing Checklist Worksheet

Students use a four-rule conventions checklist, then proofread and rewrite four sentences that each hide two mistakes. This 3rd grade command of the conventions writing checklist worksheet includes an answer key for confident, independent editing practice.

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeSupporting an Opinion Worksheet

This supporting an opinion worksheet helps 3rd graders find the opinion, reasons, example and conclusion in a model paragraph, then plan their own. An answer key is included.

Activity
Activity3rd GradeBack to School Adjective Writing Activity

This back to school adjective writing activity helps 1st to 3rd grade students plan a first-day story and add describing words. An answer key is included for the practice page.

Activity
Activity3rd GradeThe Best Season Is Writing Activity

The best season is writing activity guides 1st-3rd Grade writers to plan and publish an opinion piece about their favorite season, with a model, practice and answer key included.

Activity
Activity3rd GradeDigital Dilemma Research Activity

Students hunt for U.S. government facts with this digital dilemma research activity for 3rd to 5th grade, checking each answer in a website and a book. An answer key is included.

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeWork in Progress Peer Review Worksheet

This work in progress peer review worksheet lets 3rd grade students draft a report, then trade papers so a partner can check it and share praise and one clear idea for revising.

Activity
Activity3rd GradeHelp From Other Author's Activity

Using this Help From Other Author's Activity helps, students collect story elements from literary or informational texts to write their own story.

Activity
Activity3rd GradeWrite All About It Newspaper Writing Activity

This write all about it newspaper writing activity turns 3rd to 5th grade students into reporters with topic cards, a planner, and a front page template. Answer key included.

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeInforming and Explaining a Topic Worksheet

This informing and explaining a topic worksheet lets 3rd graders sort model sentences by their job and then write their own short informative paragraph. An answer key is included to make checking quick and easy.

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeHow to Make a Gingerbread House Worksheet

This how to make a gingerbread house worksheet has 3rd graders number six mixed-up steps in order, then plan their own how-to with sequencing words. An answer key is included.

Activity
Activity3rd GradeWrite about Bugs Activity

Using Write about Bugs Activity, studentswrite informative texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.

Activity
Activity3rd GradeExplain It All Informative Explanatory Writing Activity

Use this explain it all informative explanatory writing activity to help 3rd to 5th grade students plan and write clear fact-based pieces. Answer key included for easy checking.

From our teachers' playbook

From one paragraph to a whole essay

What do 3rd graders learn about writing essays?

Third grade is when writing grows from a few sentences into organized pieces with a beginning, middle and end. Students write opinion pieces that state a claim and give reasons, informative pieces that introduce a topic and group facts together, and short narratives. They use linking words like because, also and for example, and end with a conclusion. They plan before writing, revise with a partner and publish. The click is when a student sees that every paragraph has a job.

Our favorite ways to teach essay writing

Strong essays come from planning, modeling and honest feedback. Here's how we teach all three.

Claim, reasons, proof

Write an opinion piece together on a fun topic, like "Recess should be longer." State the claim, give two reasons and back each one up. Color-code each part so kids can see the structure, then they try their own.

Why it works: showing first, practicing together, then letting kids try alone is the "gradual release" model teachers have relied on for decades (Pearson and Gallagher, 1983).

Supporting an Opinion WorksheetTry it withSupporting an Opinion WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →

Plan before you write

Every essay starts with a plan: topic sentence, three supporting ideas, conclusion. Kids fill in a simple planner and get a thumbs up before drafting. Five minutes of planning saves twenty minutes of wandering.

Why it works: kids understand an idea best when they touch it, then draw it, then write it, the order the U.S. Department of Education recommends for elementary math.

Get Ready to Write ActivityTry it withGet Ready to Write ActivityActivitiesOpen it →

Revise with a buddy

Partners swap drafts and use a checklist: Is there a clear opinion? Two reasons? A conclusion? They give one star and one wish. Peer feedback teaches kids to read their own writing like a reader.

Why it works: mixing different kinds of problems in one practice set helped students do far better on a later test (Rohrer and Taylor, 2007).

Work in Progress Peer Review WorksheetTry it withWork in Progress Peer Review WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →

Questions parents and teachers ask

What kind of essays do 3rd graders write?

Mostly opinion pieces, informative or explanatory pieces and narratives. Each has a clear beginning, supporting middle and ending.

How long should a 3rd grade essay be?

Usually one to three paragraphs. The goal is clear organization and good reasons or facts, not length.

How do I teach a 3rd grader to write a paragraph?

Teach the hamburger model: topic sentence on top, details in the middle, conclusion on the bottom. Practice with topics kids care about.

How can I help my child with writing homework?

Talk about the topic first, help make a quick plan and let them write. When they finish, ask questions instead of fixing everything: "Can you add a reason here?"