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Defining Identity: Dyamonde Daniel and My Name is María Isabel
Students explore the concept of identity and what makes a person who they are by reading the core texts Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel and My Name is María Isabel.
ELA
Unit 1
3rd Grade
Unit Summary
In this unit, students explore the concept of identity and what makes a person who they are. By reading the texts Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel by Nikki Grimes and My Name is María Isabel by Alma Flor Ada, students explore some of the different aspects of a person's identity and how they should treat people who have different identities. In Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel, students see the importance of getting to know a person and not making judgments about a person based on aspects of their identity or their actions. In My Name is María Isabel, students learn about the importance of respecting and valuing people's names. Throughout the unit, students also have multiple opportunities to reflect on their own identities and learn about their classmates' identities. Based on Social Justice Standards: The Learning for Justice Anti-bias Framework (Learning for Justice), the unit strives to help students develop a positive self-identity while also affirming the dignity of other people to set the foundation for further units that explore diversity, justice, and action.
This unit sets a strong foundation for reading, writing, and academic discourse. Through daily reading, discourse, and writing, students dive deep into characters and study how authors develop characters. Students learn that characters are nuanced and that character traits, feelings, and motivations directly influence a character's actions. Students also learn how to prepare for class discussions, determining which evidence best supports a particular idea and how to elaborate on that evidence. By writing daily in response to the Target Task question, students begin to build their writing fluency, seeing the power of writing as a tool for understanding what they are reading. Using both core texts as a guide, students end this unit with a narrative writing project, writing about an experience that shaped who they were.
Please Note: In February 2025, this unit and its lesson plans received a round of enhancements. The narrative writing projects in this unit have been updated. This unit will remain 28 instructional days. Teachers should pay close attention as they intellectually prepare to account for the updated pacing, sequencing, and content.
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Texts and Materials
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Core Materials
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Book: My Name Is María Isabel by Alma Flor Ada (Atheneum Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition, 1995) — 860L
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Book: Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel by Nikki Grimes (Puffin Books; Illustrated edition, 2010) — 590-630L
Supporting Materials
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Rubric: Narrative Writing Rubric (G3)
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Rubric: Editing Checklist 1 (G3, U1)
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Rubric: Editing Checklist 2 (G3, U1)
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Resource: Revision Sentences (G3, U1, L22)
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Markers or crayons
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Blank paper or cardstock
- Resource: Recommended Texts for Independent Reading
Assessment
The following assessments accompany Unit 1.
Content Assessment
The Content Assessment pushes students to synthesize unit content knowledge or unit essential questions in writing. The Content Assessment should be used as the primary assessment because it shows mastery of unit content knowledge and standards.
Cold Read Assessment
The Cold Read Assessment tests students' ability to comprehend a "cold" or unfamiliar passage and answer standards-based questions. The Cold Read Assessment can be given in addition to the Content Assessment as a pulse point for what students can read and analyze independently, a skill often required for standardized testing.
Fluency Assessment
The Fluency Assessment allows teachers to monitor students' oral reading fluency progress with a reading passage drawn from one of the unit's core texts. Find guidance for using this assessment and supporting reading fluency in Teacher Tools.
Unit Prep
Intellectual Prep
Essential Questions
- What makes me who I am?
- How should we treat people who are different from us?
- Why are our names important?
Reading Focus Areas
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Character traits describe what a character is like. Readers determine a character’s traits by noticing what they say, think and do.
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Character feelings help a reader understand why a character does or says something in a particular moment.
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Character motivation is what the character wants and why. Character motivation is often connected to character feelings and traits.
Writing Focus Areas
Narrative Writing
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Brainstorm a logical sequence of events that follow the narrative arc.
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Write events that unfold in a logical way and include an exposition, rising actions, climax, falling action, and resolution.
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Introduce characters and setting.
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Include specific details to describe events, including using dialogue to show the response of characters to solutions.
Speaking and Listening Focus Areas
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Prepare for discussion.
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Elaborate to support ideas. Provide evidence or examples to justify and defend a point clearly.
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Use specific vocabulary. Use vocabulary that is specific to the subject and task to clarify and share thoughts.
Vocabulary
Text-based
cherishdelighteddeterminedempatheticextraordinarygratefulidentityimpatientinsistirritatedlonelymisunderstandingobservantoddopen-mindedreassurereflectivescowlself-awarestubborn
Root/Affix
-fulim-mis-re-
To see all the vocabulary for Unit 1, view our 3rd Grade Vocabulary Glossary.
Supporting All Students
In order to ensure that all students are able to access the texts and tasks in this unit, it is incredibly important to intellectually prepare to teach the unit prior to launching the unit. Use the intellectual preparation protocol and the Unit Launch to determine which support students will need. To learn more, visit the Supporting All Students Teacher Tool.
Intellectual Prep
Please note: There are places to record and print your answers throughout the Unit Launch, or you can record your answers in the Unit Launch Note Taker (G3–5). Additionally, we recommend you have read all unit texts prior to beginning the Unit Launch.
Lesson Map
Write a story about what might happen if Free moved back to Detroit.
- Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel
- Move to Motor City Mentor Text (G3, U1, L11)
- Story Mountain Graphic Organizer (G3, U1)
- Narrative Writing Rubric (G3)
- Single Point Narrative Writing Rubric (G3, U1, L11)
- Editing Checklist 1 (G3, U1)
Brainstorm a story that includes the exposition, climax, and resolution.
- Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel
- Move to Motor City Mentor Text (G3, U1, L11)
- Story Mountain Graphic Organizer (G3, U1)
- Single Point Narrative Writing Rubric (G3, U1, L11)
- Completed Character Maps (G3, U1, L11)
Standards
W.3.2.cW.3.3.aW.3.3.bW.3.5
Draft a piece of realistic fiction that continues the story of Dyamonde and Free.
- Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel
- Completed Character Maps (G3, U1, L11)
- Story Mountain Graphic Organizer (G3, U1) — (Completed)
- Single Point Narrative Writing Rubric (G3, U1, L11)
Standards
W.3.3.aW.3.3.bW.3.5
Revise writing to add dialogue between characters.
- Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel
- Completed Story Drafts (G3, U1, L11)
- Single Point Narrative Writing Rubric (G3, U1, L11)
- Editing Checklist 1 (G3, U1)
Standards
W.3.2.cW.3.3.aW.3.3.bW.3.5
Write a personal narrative about an experience that has shaped who you are.
- My Name Is María Isabel
- Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel
- Story Mountain Graphic Organizer (G3, U1)
- Narrative Writing Rubric (G3)
- Single Point Narrative Writing Rubric (G3, U1, L22)
- Editing Checklist 2 (G3, U1)
- Revision Sentences (G3, U1, L22)
Brainstorm and plan a personal narrative that includes the exposition, rising actions, climax, falling action, and resolution.
- My Name Is María Isabel
- Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel
Standards
W.3.3W.3.3.a
Plan a personal narrative that includes the exposition, rising actions, climax, falling action, and resolution.
- My Name Is María Isabel
- Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel
- Story Mountain Graphic Organizer (G3, U1)
- Single Point Narrative Writing Rubric (G3, U1, L22)
Standards
W.3.3W.3.3.aW.3.3.d
Draft a personal narrative that includes all of the components of the narrative arc.
- My Name Is María Isabel
- Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel
- Story Mountain Graphic Organizer (G3, U1)
- Single Point Narrative Writing Rubric (G3, U1, L22)
Standards
W.3.3W.3.3.aW.3.3.d
Identify and remove unnecessary information from their personal narratives to make their stories clearer and more focused.
- My Name Is María Isabel
- Revision Sentences (G3, U1, L22)
- Editing Checklist 2 (G3, U1)
Standards
L.3.1.iL.3.2.fW.3.3W.3.3.aW.3.3.b
Publish a class anthology celebrating the stories of all the students in class.
- Single Point Narrative Writing Rubric (G3, U1, L22)
Standards
L.3.1.iL.3.2.fW.3.3W.3.3.aW.3.3.d
Common Core Standards
Core Standards
Supporting Standards
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