Common Core Standards
Grade 3
Writing W.3.3.B
Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations.
The Common Core folks want your students to dive into empathy. Yes, dialogue is important, but when you get down to it, writing about a character's actions, thoughts, and feelings taps into their emotions and motivations. Make sure your students are writing about round, realistic, emotional characters. That's exactly what this standard is asking for.