EL Support Lesson
Sorting & Describing Books
Objectives
Academic
Students will be able to describe the subjects of books.
Language
Students will be able to categorize texts with two categories (nonfiction/fiction and photograph/drawing) using peer support.
Introduction
(10 minutes)
- Activate background knowledge by having students name picture books they have read.
- Show students a picture book. Go through a picture walk of the book, stopping to look at each picture and thinking aloud about what you see. After modeling how to do a picture walk of the first few pages, ask students to share what they see in the pictures. Ask them what they think the book is about.
- Have students share what they think the book is about.
Building academic language
Word
(5 minutes)- Explain that there are two common types of books: fiction and nonfiction. Fiction books tell made-up stories. Nonfiction books tell true information.
- Show an example of a nonfiction book and an example of a fiction book.
- Explain that fiction books often have drawings. Drawings may look like real life, but they are not an actual picture of something in the world.
- Show students a drawing in the fiction book.
- Explain that nonfiction books often have photographs. Photographs are pictures of something in real life. They are taken with a camera.
- Show student a photograph in the nonfiction book.
Sentence
(5 minutes)- Go back the the book you read in the introduction portion of the lesson.
- Have students turn and talk to a partner about whether the book was fiction or nonfiction. Have students use the following sentence frame: "I think this book is fiction/nonfiction because ____."
- Ask students to share their ideas with the class.
- Now have students turn and talk to the same partner about whether the book has photographs or drawings. Have students use the following sentence frame: "The book has photographs/drawings. I know this because ____."
- Have students share their responses with the class.
Discourse
(10 minutes)- Pass out the Bubble Map graphic organizer and a pile of books to each pair of students.
- Model how to write "Books" in the middle of the organizer. Explain that In the outside circles, students should draw pictures of the books they examine. Under the circles they can write "fiction" or "nonfiction." Model how to complete a drawing in one of the circles.
Additional EL adaptations
BEGINNING
- Give students pre-written stickers that say "fiction" and "nonfiction" for them to stick under their drawings.
ADVANCED
- Have students write the topics of the books they examine, including a short description if appropriate.
Formative Assessment of Academic Language
(5 minutes)- Assess how students are using vocabulary to categorize books (fiction/nonfiction, photograph/drawing).
- Listen to student conversations to observe how they are using the sentence frames.
- Observe how students are talking to each other about the books they examine. Are they using vocabulary and sentence frames independently?
- Assess students' drawings and descriptions of the books they examine.
Review and closing
(5 minutes)- Have students present about a book they examined. Students should use sentence frames to describe whether the book is fiction or nonfiction and whether it has photographs or drawings.
Related learning resources
Glossary: Sorting & Describing Books
Worksheet
Glossary: Sorting & Describing Books
Use this glossary with the EL Support Lesson: Sorting & Describing Books.
1st grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Vocabulary Cards: Sorting & Describing Books
Worksheet
Vocabulary Cards: Sorting & Describing Books
Use these vocabulary cards with the EL Support Lesson: Sorting & Describing Books.
1st grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Sorting & Describing Books
Lesson plan
Sorting & Describing Books
...Explain that there are two common types of books: fiction and nonfiction. Fiction books tell made-up stories. Nonfiction books tell true information....
1st grade
Reading & Writing
Lesson plan
Main Topic
Lesson plan
Main Topic
It's time to dig into some nonfiction books! In this lesson, students will practice identifying the main topic of nonfiction texts.
1st grade
Reading & Writing
Lesson plan
