CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3b
The Standard
Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
What This Standard Means
Students need to make a story feel alive by adding what characters say, do, think, and feel. They should use dialogue to show conversation, actions to move the event along, and thoughts or feelings to show how a character reacts.
Mastery looks like a clear scene where the reader can picture what happened and understand the character’s response. Students often get stuck writing only a list of events, using dialogue that does not add meaning, or naming feelings without showing them through words or actions.
Ways to Teach It
- Give students a plain sentence strip story, then have them add one line of dialogue, one action, and one thought for the character.
- Prompt students: Write about a time someone surprised you, and show your reaction through words, actions, and thoughts.
- Use an exit ticket with one event sentence, and ask students to revise it by adding dialogue or a character feeling.
- Read a short comic strip, then have students turn one panel into a story scene with dialogue and actions.
Plan a Lesson for CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3b
Generate a complete lesson plan aligned to this standard, with objectives, activities, and materials. Free, no account needed.
What This Unlocks
Mastery here sets students up for these next.
Related Standards
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3b
Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.3b
Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3b
Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.