Curated OER
Cooperative Classroom Text Features Activities
Fifth graders examine text features and create a PowerPoint presentation. In this text features lesson, 5th graders go over Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures and text features before they choose one to include in a book and...
Curated OER
Lesson 4: Text Features
The ability to use text features effectively can translate to many texts and purposes. Show your class these tools while working with the biography Lost Star: The Story of Amelia Earhart. Explore the different text features within the...
Curated OER
Using Text Features
Fourth graders read a nonfiction story that is presented to them with graphic features, and presented to them with only the text. In this text features lesson, 4th graders decide what the benefits of text organizers are and create...
Curated OER
Welcome to Our Classroom
Students create a brochure for new students. In this writing process lesson, students brainstorm, create and edit ideas for making a brochure for new students. Students use a word processor to make the brochure and edit, copy,...
Scholastic
Mixed Bags: Fiction and Nonfiction
Using a bag with one fiction and non-fiction book of similar topics, partners work together to find the differences and similarities of each story. They record their obervances in a T-chart.
Curated OER
Listen to Poems and Rhyme
Learners create rhymes. In this rhyming lesson students supply rhymes for Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain. The learners group words according to rhyming patterns.
Curated OER
Reader's Theater
Students perform a reader's theater. In this analyzing text lesson students perform Master Man: A Tall Tale of Nigeria, a play by Aaron Shepard. The students are assessed on their performance.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Promote Deep Thinking! How to Choose a Complex Text
This is a strategy guide to determine if reading material is complex and therefore, worth a close reading. It offers a list of quantitative, qualitative, reader characteristics/task consideration measures of text complexity.
Utah Education Network
Uen: Cloud, Rain, and Fog
During these three days of lessons, 2nd graders will learn about weather from the nonfiction text by asking questions, and focusing on the text features of the book.
Education Development Center
Tv411: Reading: Parts of a Newspaper: Activity 3 of 3
This newspaper activity is to look at the pictures provided, read what the stories are about, and select captions that would fit both the stories and the pictures.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Understand Information From Introductory Material, Headings, Etc.
In this lesson students learn how to develop an overview of the material using information gained from text organization to help predict content and make connections. They also to gather information from reading the introduction,...
City University of New York
Cuny: E Resource Center: Course Tutorials: Reading Your Textbook
A tutorial consisting of seven exercises showing different text structures used in textbooks. Learn how they organize information to help students locate specific details and how to take notes based on information within a textbook.
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Quick or Slow? I've Got to Know!
Earth changes can happen quickly or slowly. The students will work in teams to stake a claim about these changes and then use texts to find evidence to prove their claims. Included in this lesson are video clips of the class, a list of...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Visual Representations in Informational Text
Students will look at examples of illustrations and diagrams in informational texts and discuss how each one helps enhance the text. Students gain the knowledge that sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words because a complex idea...
Utah Education Network
Uen: Cool Tools for Finding Information (Grade 3 4)
Identify text structures in various informational sources.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Molly of Denali: Fish Camp Game
Use this Molly of Denali digital game to extend and expand students' use of informational text as well as their knowledge of Alaska Native culture.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Using Features of Literary & Informational Text to Guide Reading
A learning module that teaches students about using text features to guide reading in three mini lessons: Engaging with Text, Literary Think-Aloud, and Informational Think-Aloud. Download a PDF with lesson plans and printable handouts...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Molly of Denali: Sled Dog Dash Game
Use this Molly of Denali digital game to extend and expand children's use of informational text, as well as their knowledge of Alaska Native culture. Molly and her friend Tooey use a fictional app to access information that will help...
Scholastic
Scholastic: Lesson Plan for Nonfiction Comprehension: Skimming Text
Build comprehension by developing reading strategies for use with nonfiction text. This lesson focuses on teaching students to recognize text elements as clues to help them quickly locate key information in text.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Read to Learn, Share What You Learn [Pdf]
Several tips for reading to learn are provided on this page. Students will explore the BIG idea presented in a nonfiction piece.
InterLink Language Centers
Interlink Language Centers: Reading Exercises Science
An interactive exercise for students to use while developing an understanding of how to read scientific informational texts. The text is presented one paragraph at a time and difficult vocabulary words are defined as footnotes. Then...
Grammarly
Grammarly Handbook: Headings
This page focuses on the use of headings in a paper. The layout of the headings and subheadings should be determined before beginning the paper to make it easier to read and more attractive. Most important is to be consistent with...
Read Works
Read Works: Using Headings to Determine the Main Idea: The Shark: Silent Hunter
[Free Registration/Login Required] Reading comprehension strategies are the focus of this ReadWorks lesson. Students will pay attention to headings, subheadings, and other text features to help them comprehend nonfiction text. Renee Le's...
TES Global
Tes: Non Fiction Unit 4 Formal/impersonal Writing: Tourists
[Free Registration/Login Required] Young scholars will analyze tourism brochures to determine features related to nonfiction writing in this unit. Tourism websites may be used in lieu of the brochures. Cotswold and the North Leigh Roman...