Materials and preparation

Different informational texts (2 for yourself and 1 per pair of students)
Chart paper with examples of text features written on it
Scavenger hunt sheet for each student
Bingo cards
Bingo chips

Related books and/or media

Additional resource Nonfiction Text Features: Wild, Wild Weather
Find interactive books for each child’s level.

Key terms

text features

Do you need extra help for EL students? Try the Text Features and Their Purposes pre-lesson.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to identify informational text features and explain how the features contribute to a better understanding of the text.

The adjustment to the whole group lesson is a modification to differentiate for children who are English learners.

EL adjustments On Off

Introduction

(10 minutes)

Walk students through one of your informational texts.
Ask students to describe what makes this book different than an ordinary fiction picture book. (It is expected that students will point out charts, graphs, and other examples of text features.)
Review with students the purpose of text features. Text features add important details and information to the story. Authors use text structures to further explain their topic. Good readers use text structures to deepen their understanding.
Give some examples of text features: graph, diagram, map, index, glossary, chart, table, and picture.

Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling

(15 minutes)

Make sure to review each type of text feature and its purpose with the book you used during the introduction.
Bring out your chart paper and display it.
Emphasize that the purpose of text features is to deepen the readers’ understanding of the text. As you model analyzing each feature, explain how it helps you better understand the text.

Guided Practice

(15 minutes)

Explain to students that today they will be going on a scavenger hunt to look for different examples of text features.
They will need to find all of the text features on their list and record page numbers next to each text feature.
Students may work with a partner to find the text features. Provide each pair of students with an informational text.
Early finishers may repeat the scavenger hunt with a second book.

Independent working time

(15 minutes)

Briefly go over the text features students found in their books.
Have students label a blank bingo card with text features of their choice.
Read aloud your second informational text. Students will play bingo while looking for text features as you read.

Differentiation

Enrichment: Challenge advanced students to find text features in their independent reading. You may also have them look for text features in a local newspaper.
Support: Have students in need of additional support focus on finding only one or two text structures at a time. For example, you may have each of them look through several books to find all the informational graphs.

Assessment

(10 minutes)

Walk around the room during Guided Practice. Focus on asking students what the author is trying to explain with each text feature.
Ask students how particular text features enhance their understanding.
Collect the scavenger hunts and review them later to assess student comprehension.

Review and closing

(10 minutes)

Review with students the importance of text features.
Ask students to describe examples of text features.
Remind students that whenever they read informational texts, they should take time to examine the features on the pages.

Guided Lesson: Informational Text 1

Guided Lessons are a sequence of interactive digital games, worksheets, and other activities that guide learners through different concepts and skills. They keep track of your progress and help you study smarter, step by step.

Guided Lessons are digital games and exercises that keep track of your progress and help you study smarter, step by step.

Now that reading skills are more developed, second graders will move on to comprehension of informational text. This guided lesson supports this through an exploration of the main idea of a text, as well as the other text features, such as: captions, phtoographs, maps headings, subheadings, glossary, index, icons and graphs. Kids will look at two texts that cover the same topic, but in different ways.

Now that reading skills are more developed, second graders will move on to comprehension of informational text.

This lesson includes printable activities: Download all (5)

Story: Symbiotic Relationships

Game: Symbiotic Relationships Reading Comprehension

Game: Symbiotic Relationships: Vocabulary Quiz

Game: Identify the Text Features

Story: Flightless Birds

Game: Flightless Birds Reading Comprehension

Start Guided Lesson

Lesson plan

Searching for Text Features

Learning Objectives

Introduction

Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling

Guided Practice

Independent working time

Differentiation

Assessment

Review and closing

Guided Lesson: Informational Text 1

Related learning resources

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