Writing prompt Grade 3 Social Studies & Civics
Fix the Pipes or Build a Splash Pad? A Grade 3 Opinion Prompt
A grade 3 opinion writing prompt where students take a side on whether the town of Ashby should fix its leaky water pipes or build a new splash pad.
Objectives
- Students will state a clear opinion on how the town of Ashby should spend its money.
- Students will support their opinion with at least two reasons from the background.
- Students will end their piece with a clear closing sentence.
Vocabulary
Key words: opinion, reason
Teacher overview
This prompt gives grade 3 students a realistic town choice to argue about, where both sides have a fair point. Ashby can spend its money this year on fixing leaky water pipes or on building a fun splash pad, but not both. Students weigh the benefits and costs, take a side, and support it with reasons from the background. The task pairs opinion writing with a simple economics choice about how a town uses limited money.
Prompt
Background: Ashby is a small, made-up town. Its water runs through old pipes under the streets. Many of the pipes leak. The town loses a lot of clean water before it reaches homes. The leaks also make some streets wet and cost money to patch.
This year the town has enough money for just one big project. It cannot do both. The town council must choose.
Choice one is to fix the old, leaky pipes. This would save clean water and stop the wet streets. But new pipes are underground, so people cannot see them or play on them.
Choice two is to build a new splash pad in the park. Children could play in it on hot days. It would be a fun place for families in the summer. But it would not fix the leaks, and it would use water too.
Writing task: The council wants to hear from students. Write an opinion piece. Tell whether Ashby should fix the leaky pipes or build the splash pad this year. Give at least two reasons. Use facts from the background to support your reasons. End with a clear closing sentence.
Planning Organizer
Fill in each row before you write.
| Part of my piece | My notes |
|---|---|
| My opinion (which choice should Ashby make?) | |
| Reason 1 and a fact from the background | |
| Reason 2 and a fact from the background | |
| My closing sentence |
From Water for Schools (waterforschools.org). This material is in the public domain (CC0) and may be copied, edited, and shared freely.
Exemplar & Rubric
Exemplar response:
I think Ashby should fix the leaky pipes this year. My first reason is that the town is losing a lot of clean water. The background says many pipes leak, so water is lost before it even reaches homes. Clean water is too important to waste. My second reason is that the leaks make the streets wet and cost money to patch. If the town fixes the pipes now, it can stop paying to patch wet streets again and again. A splash pad would be fun, but it would use water and would not fix the leaks. The pipes give the whole town its water every single day. For these reasons, I think Ashby should fix its pipes first and build the splash pad in a later year.
Rubric:
| Criterion | Emerging | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opinion | No clear side is stated | A side is stated but is unclear or changes | States one clear opinion about Ashby's choice | States a clear opinion and keeps it from start to finish |
| Reasons and evidence | No reasons given | One reason, with no fact from the background | Two reasons, at least one backed by a background fact | Two strong reasons, each backed by a background fact |
| Organization | Ideas are out of order | Some order, but no closing | Clear order with a closing sentence | Clear order, linking words, and a strong closing sentence |
| Conventions | Many errors make it hard to read | Some errors, but the meaning is clear | Few errors in spelling and punctuation | Very few errors, with neat, complete sentences |
Differentiation
Support
Give these students sentence starters for each organizer row, such as "I think Ashby should ___ because ___." Let them dictate their reasons to a partner or an adult before writing, and accept one strong reason instead of two.
Extension
Ask students to add a short paragraph that names one thing the town could do next year for the choice they did not pick, showing they understand both sides of the trade-off.
ELL supports
Pre-teach opinion, reason, and leak with simple pictures and a model sentence. Allow students to fill the Planning Organizer with short phrases or small drawings before they write full sentences.