Checking My Work and Learning From It
Students learn to use work samples to identify specific evidence of progress toward a goal, use feedback to identify one change to make and explain why they chose it, and choose a learning strategy that directly addresses the specific gap they found. These three moves make reflection concrete and actionable at Grade 3.
Lesson Overview
What students will be able to do after this lesson: Students will be able to point to specific evidence in their work that shows progress toward a goal, use feedback to make one targeted change and explain why they chose it, and pick a learning strategy that directly addresses the gap their evidence revealed.
Skill segments at a glance:
| Segment | Segment name | Primary standards |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reading My Evidence | SA-REF-3-2 |
| 2 | Using Feedback to Make a Real Change | SA-REF-3-3 |
| 3 | Choosing the Right Tool for the Gap | SA-REF-3-5 |
Supporting standards reinforced:
| Code | Why it connects |
|---|---|
| SM-FOC-3-1 | Checking progress mid-task requires the same evidence-reading attention this lesson builds — both involve looking at your work with a specific question in mind rather than just continuing automatically |
| SM-ADP-3-2 | Diagnosing what is not working and choosing a different approach is the exact move Segment 3 requires — identifying a gap and picking a strategy that targets it |
Key Vocabulary
- evidence — a specific part of your work you can point to and show someone else; not a feeling about your work, but something you can actually see
- criterion — what done well looks like for your goal; the test you use to check whether you’ve met it
- feedback — information from a teacher or classmate about what is working in your work and what could be stronger
- gap — the specific thing your evidence shows is still missing or not yet complete
- strategy — a tool, person, place, or time you use to help you improve a specific thing
Materials
- Whiteboard or chart paper + markers
- A piece of the teacher’s own work (a short piece of writing, a math page, or a drawing) to use in Segment 1 I Do modeling — ideally something with a stated goal written at the top
- Before the week begins: Post your unit anchor chart and I Can Statement where students can see them — you’ll reference both throughout the week.
How this lesson is structured: Each skill segment below has an I Do (teacher models the skill with a realistic scenario) and a We Do (class practices together with your guidance). Independent practice — the You Do — lives in the practice resources that go alongside this lesson.
What Students Need Before This Lesson
- What’s inside
- What students should already be able to do
- Helpful to have in place
- 3 quick set-ups before the I DoEvidence vs. feelings about your work · Real change vs. cosmetic change — and knowing why · Strategy that targets the gap vs. strategy you prefer
- Rescue planIf students are significantly behind
This section opens when Grade 3 launches.
Introducing the Skill
- What’s inside
- Opening hook
- What we’re learning
- Why it matters
- Core sentence frameThe frame students use all week
This section opens when Grade 3 launches.
Reading My Evidence
- What’s inside
- I do: 4 teacher modelsTextbook: reading evidence clearly and completely · Wrong version → fix: feelings instead of evidence · Named character: evidence-reading at its best, including a gap · Non-conflict: evidence shows the goal is fully met
- We do: 5 guided scenariosWith sentence frames, pacing notes and what to watch for
- Coaching in the momentWhat to say when students get stuck
This section opens when Grade 3 launches.
Using Feedback to Make a Real Change
- What’s inside
- I do: 4 teacher modelsTextbook: real change with a clear reason · Wrong version → fix: cosmetic change · Wrong version → fix: change without a reason · Named character: clean, full execution
- We do: 4 guided scenariosWith sentence frames, pacing notes and what to watch for
- Coaching in the momentWhat to say when students get stuck
This section opens when Grade 3 launches.
Choosing the Right Tool for the Gap
- What’s inside
- I do: 4 teacher modelsTextbook: gap clearly named, strategy clearly matched · Wrong version → fix: preferred strategy, wrong fit · Named character: full gap-to-strategy match · Non-conflict: strategy for going further, not just catching up
- We do: 4 guided scenariosWith sentence frames, pacing notes and what to watch for
- Coaching in the momentWhat to say when students get stuck
This section opens when Grade 3 launches.
Closing the Week
- What’s inside
- 3 partner-share roundsOne for each segment, with the frame students say together
- Closing prompt
- Round 1 — Segment 1
- Round 2 — Segment 2
- Round 3 — Segment 3
This section opens when Grade 3 launches.
Practice for every skill segment
Each lesson comes with independent practice — the “you do” — for each of its 3 skill segments, in print and digital.
Printable practice
Ready-to-copy practice pages for each segment.
- View and print in your browser
- Answer keys for quick checking
Digital activities
Share one link — students open it on any device, and you see their answers.
- Works on Chromebooks, tablets and phones
- Students just type their name to start
While you wait: from the SEL Resource Library
Self-Management resources for Grade 3, ready to use today.
