Kentucky Reading and Writing C.3.2.d

ELA3rd GradeComposition

The Standard

C.3.2: Compose informative and/or explanatory texts, using writing and digital resources, to examine a topic and provide information.

Use grade-appropriate conjunctions to develop text structure within sentences.

Kentucky Academic Standards for Reading and Writing (2025) · Text Types and Purpose

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students join ideas in one sentence using words such as and, but, because, so, and when. They choose a word that makes the relationship between the ideas clear.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student writes 'We went inside because it rained' to give a reason and 'It rained, so we went inside' to show a result. They choose but for 'I wanted to stay outside, ___ it rained' and explain why.
Common Misconceptions: Students often use and to join every pair of ideas, even when they mean but or because. Some write 'It rained because we played inside,' reversing the cause, or stop at 'When the bell rang' without finishing the thought.
How to Assess It: On an exit ticket, give students 'It rained. We played inside.' Ask them to combine the ideas with a conjunction that shows the result, then explain their choice.

Lesson moves

Give students strips reading 'The bell rang,' 'We lined up,' and 'so,' then have them arrange and read the sentence aloud.
Ask students, 'Why does but fit better than and in I wanted to play, ___ it started raining?'
Play a match game with cards reading because, but, or so and sentence pairs such as 'The milk spilled. I wiped it up.'
Post the school lunch menu, then have students write a sentence explaining a food choice with because.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to C.3.2.d, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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