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3rd Grade Explanatory Writing
Third Quarter
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a
topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2a Introduce a topic and group related
information together; include illustrations when useful to aiding comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2b Develop the topic with facts, definitions,
and details.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2c Use linking words and phrases (e.g., also,
another, and, more, but) to connect ideas within categories of information.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2d Provide a concluding statement or section.
DIRECTIONS: Many people like to eat food considered “junk food.” After reading “Junk
Food Battles” and “Junk Food Ad Attack!”, explain why we should make healthier food
choices.
Junk Food Battles
Are potato chips, soft drinks, and cookies part of your diet? If you are like many kids, the
answer is yes. Health experts say that Americans are eating too much junk food. It makes
up almost one-quarter of the American diet!
The U.S. government is helping people change their eating habits. More than half of
Americans are overweight. Being overweight can lead to health problems.
In a recent report, the government said people should eat foods that are higher in nutrients
and lower in fat. Nutrients give you energy and help your body stay healthy. Some foods
that are good sources of nutrients are fruits, vegetables, and whole grains such as brown
rice and whole-wheat bread.
A healthful diet is not the only way people can keep their bodies fit. The new guidelines say
kids should exercise for at least one hour a day.
Fantastic Foods
If you think eating healthful foods is boring, think again! Nutritious foods can be fun and
tasty. Just ask the kids at Meadowbrook Elementary School in Fort Worth, Texas. They
recently taste-tested foods, such as sweet potato pancakes and blueberry burgers.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture held the taste test. That group wants to help schools
find ways to serve healthful foods and meet the new dietary guidelines.
“These new dietary guidelines represent our best…advice to help Americans live healthier
and longer lives,” said one government official.
Hidden Sugar
Experts say that kids are eating too much sugar. If you look at a food label, you might have
trouble spotting the sugar. That’s because sugar can have many different names. Here are
some of them:
Corn sweetener
Fructose
Lactose
Corn syrup
Glucose
Maltose
Sucrose
Molasses
Junk Food Ad Attack!
You turn on the TV and see your favorite cartoon character. But wait a minute – that’s not a
show; it is a commercial for junk food!
That’s wrong, says the Institute of Medicine, which advises the nation on health issues. The
group says that kid friendly characters should promote only foods that are good for you.
The group recently reported that food ads on TV have a strong influence on what kids
under the age of 12 eat. “Our eating habits and preferences form early in our lives,” the
group’s spokesperson, Christine Stencel, told Weekly Reader. “Advertising influences these
preferences.”
Fighting Obesity
Advertisers know kids have spending power. “American kids spend about $200 billion each
year. Foods high in sugar and fat are among the top ten items,” says Stencel. “Kids also
influence what their parents buy.”
Junk foods such as candy bars, sugared cereals, and potato chips are high in calories and
low in nutrition.
A calorie is a measure of the amount of energy a food can provide. The body needs food as
fuel. However, people gain weight when they take in more calories than they use up
through activity.
Millions of people in the United States are obese, or severely overweight. Being overweight
can lead to serious health problems.
“The committee thinks it is time people should take steps to reduce the problem of
obesity,” says Stencel. “That includes making changes in what foods are marketed to kids
and how they are promoted.”
Chew On This!
Foods that are high in nutrition help people stay healthy. Good choices:
 Foods with whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread and pastas
 A variety of fruits and vegetables in a rainbow of colors
 Calcium-rich, nonfat or low-fat foods, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt