EL Support Lesson
Text Features Evaluation
Objectives
Academic
Students will be able to compare and contrast two nonfiction references on the same topic by reviewing their text features.
Language
Students will be able to evaluate text features with new vocabulary using visuals and partnerships.
Introduction
(7 minutes)
- Distribute the pre-cut cards from the Text Features Sort worksheet to each group.
- Ask them to pair a text features image with their respective definitions. If they cannot pair them all, make sure to focus on those text features during the word level focus section of the lesson.
- Have one group evaluate another group’s pairings. Spend one to two minutes allowing group members to offer corrections to each other if necessary.
- Tell students that today they'll use their understanding of text features to evaluate the importance of text features in a nonfiction text.
Building academic language
Word
(5 minutes)- Define text features for students using the Vocabulary Cards, but spend extra time on the text features that students struggled to pair.
- Allow students to ask further questions about the text features and provide more examples of text features using an online article (see related media for a website resource: DOGO News).
- Distribute and display the Earthquakes: Text Features worksheet and have students label the text features in the worksheet while they're in groups. Then, have them sort their Text Features Sort cards into two groups: those that appear in the worksheet and those that do not.
- Tell group members that you’ll randomly choose someone from the class to share which text features do not appear in the article, so they should all know the answer. Encourage group members to help each other so that all members can give a response in their home language (L1) or their new language (L2).
- Choose a student to share the list of text features not found in the Earthquakes: Text Features worksheet and have groups correct the answer as necessary.
Sentence
(8 minutes)- Tell students they’ll now evaluate the text features in the Earthquakes: Text Features worksheet. Tell them text features are supposed to give additional information about a text and that they're supposed to help you understand the text.
- List the following sentence frames on the board:
- "The ____ (text feature) tells me about ____."
- "This information is helpful because ____."
- Provide an example of how to use the text features using an example from the Earthquakes: Text Features worksheet. Ask students to talk in partnerships about how text features in the Earthquakes: Text Features worksheet give them information.
- Listen to the discussion and choose two students to model using the sentence frames as a class.
Discourse
(8 minutes)- Read the text aloud to the students. Then, have them choral read the text. Choose one student to summarize the topic and main ideas about the text.
- Allow students to split into groups and act out the text (i.e., one person is a fault line, two other students are the plates, they all move like an earthquake, etc.).
- Read the questions and then have the students choral read them with you. Make sure students understand each question, then ask them to pair off to answer them aloud. Have them make sure they each can answer the questions because you'll call on students randomly to answer the question.
- Tell students they’ll now look at the Earthquakes: Text Features worksheet and answer questions two and three aloud with their partners. Ask them to use the sentence frames written on the board if necessary.
Additional EL adaptations
Beginning
- Pair students with sympathetic partners who will allow ELs to practice their explanations in partners before sharing aloud.
- Allow them to use their home language (L1) or their new language (L2) for all their discussions. Encourage them to use their Vocabulary Cards and Glossary if they need support when using their L2.
- Assign them questions two, four, and five from the worksheet during their formative assessment. Allow them to use their Vocabulary Cards if necessary.
- Read aloud the questions to the students and allow them to tell you their answers before writing them on their paper.
Advanced
- Allow students to create a different text feature for the Earthquakes: Text Features worksheet. They can use one of the text features from the Vocabulary Cards.
- Allow them to share their answers first as they model how to use the sentence frames in their explanations.
Formative Assessment of Academic Language
(7 minutes)- Ask students to write their answers to the questions in the Earthquakes: Text Features worksheet.
- Allow partners to share answers and adjust them if time allows.
Review and closing
(5 minutes)- Ask students to share their answers to questions four and five in the Earthquakes: Text Features worksheet. Tell them to ask their partners to share where they found the information.
- Tell students that when authors write a nonfiction text, they add text features to help readers understand the text and to give additional information.
- Conduct a poll. Ask students to hold up their finger(s) from either one to five, where one is disagree and five is strongly agree. Read the following sentence: “I think text features give important information about the article.” Use their answers to inform future lessons about text features.
Related learning resources
Text Features Evaluation
Lesson plan
Text Features Evaluation
Use this lesson to help your ELs evaluate the purpose of text features and justify their answers. It can be a stand-alone lesson or used as support for the lesson Comparing Nonfiction Text Features.
5th grade
Reading & Writing
Lesson plan
Earthquakes: Text Features
Worksheet
Earthquakes: Text Features
Help students appreciate the information they can get from text features!
4th grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Text Features Sort
Worksheet
Text Features Sort
Help students match information about text features together in this review worksheet!
4th grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Nonfiction Text Features Checklist
Worksheet
Nonfiction Text Features Checklist
Develop your students’ critical eye with this nonfiction text features checklist! This resource can be used with the Comparing Nonfiction Text Features lesson plan.
5th grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
