Cluster 2: Craft and StructureArchived

This story is an informational text that is sure to get the attention of any second grader. The author takes the reader around the world to examine different traditions children have when they lose a tooth. A series discussion questions are provided along with practice on text features and author's purpose. Also included is a culminating writing task along with a rubric for scoring.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will receive an introduction to nonfiction text features and their purpose. They will search for a variety of text features in nonfiction books and test their understanding with an assessment.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will work with teacher and peer support on an informational text about whales to study the text features and determine the central idea. Students will use information from the text to complete a brainstorming organizer to prepare to write an expository paragraph. In the end, through this scaffolded practice, students will become Ace High Flying Writers!

Type: Lesson Plan

This is a continuation of It's Raining Research (Lesson # 36797) and It's Raining Research Part 2 (Lesson #38864). This lesson demonstrates how students can use nonfiction text features to locate information relating to the different types of precipitation. The students will use nonfiction text features to gather information to describe when rain, snow, hail, and sleet occur. Students will share the information they have learned by creating a poster.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will learn all about the life cycle of plants. They will work in a whole group setting while completing a K-W-L graphic organizer with the teacher and building meaning for vocabulary words relevant to the understanding of the text. They will have an opportunity to work in small groups and share the information they have learned by writing an expository paragraph.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is a continuation of "It's Raining Research." Part 2 of this lesson demonstrates how students can use nonfiction text features to locate information relating to the different types of precipitation. The students will use nonfiction text features to gather information to describe the events that cause rain, snow, hail, and sleet to occur and then tell how they are similar and different.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will define wind as they read informational text about the wind. They will learn new vocabulary and identify the main idea, key details, and main topic of a text. Students will write an informational paragraph in which they define wind using details from the texts they have read.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will learn all about ants by reading National Geographic Kids: Ants. They will investigate the use of various text features in the book and describe how they help readers to understand a text. Students will use their new knowledge to compose an expository paragraph explaining how ants live and work together in their colony.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will use nonfiction texts to learn about how text features help readers. Groups will be assigned a text feature to become an expert on. They will create a poster about their text feature and teach the class about what they have learned. Students will be given a group presentation self-assessment to think about what the group did well together and what could be done differently the next time.

Type: Lesson Plan

Within this MEA, the main problem the students will solve is to determine which brand of soil the client will use in their new garden center. The student teams will take on the role of an Agricultural Review Board that is composed of top scientists who will help organizations and companies review information related to plant life. The MEA will explore students reviewing different brands of soil that have been submitted by the Franklin Farming Agency that plans to develop community garden centers within the state of Florida. The students will need to examine the data submitted by the agency and respond in a letter as to what brand of soil they think is best. The students will consider price, composition, and consumer commentary to determine a ranking system. The students may need to reconsider their thought process if they encounter a conflict with any of the data points submitted by the agency.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

The students will investigate the effect of applying various pushes and pulls on different objects.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson integrates science and reading utilizing authentic text to teach headings, comparing and contrasting basic needs of animals as well as observing needs of animals.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson demonstrates how students can use text features to learn information in nonfiction and informational text. The lesson provides the opportunity for students to apply reading concepts while encountering nonfiction text. This lesson provides students with the opportunity to read and discuss various nonfiction selections about body systems and includes games and activities to engage students during the lesson.

Type: Lesson Plan

This engaging lesson allows students to explore the importance of using text features to learn and locate information all while learning about the three forms of matter. Students enjoy using text features as clues to figure out the title of The Mystery Book.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson demonstrates how students can use nonfiction text features to locate information relating to the different types of precipitation. The students will use nonfiction text features to gather information to describe rain, snow, hail, and sleet. Students will use this information to describe the similarities and differences in the various types of precipitation.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson begins with a read aloud of The Gingerbread Man by Eric Kimmel. After that, students will learn how to read a gingerbread recipe. They will discuss author's purpose and the genre of the writing. Students will bake their own gingerbread cookies following the recipe. While the cookies are baking, they will be assessed on their ability to read and comprehend a recipe by doing a "cold read" of a different recipe and answering comprehension questions.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson students will read the informational text The Life Cycle of a Butterfly by Lisa Trumbauer. Students will use elements of nonfiction, such as photographs and diagrams, to aid in their understanding of the text. They will create a graphic organizer and use it to produce an expository piece of writing that explains the stages of a butterfly life cycle.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will gain practice on reading informational material and using text features to comprehend text on the water cycle.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will learn to identify information from a non-fiction text on weather by asking questions and focusing on the text features of the book.

Type: Lesson Plan

Let's learn about penguins! Students will explore text features and the author's purpose for writing National Geographic Kids: Penguins. Using new knowledge, students will write an expository paragraph on penguins, including what they look like, what they eat, and where they live.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is the first lesson in a series about ants. In this lesson, students will create a KWL chart. New learning will occur as the students read an informational text about ants and talk about how text features help readers while they highlight important details. Students will complete an exit ticket to show their knowledge at the end of this lesson.

Type: Lesson Plan

Now that your students have become interested in this amazing animal, it is time to learn more by starting a research project. Students will use multiple sources and a graphic organizer to record new facts about ants in preparation to complete an expository writing piece in the next lesson.

Type: Lesson Plan

Teach a repertoire of comprehension strategies to successfully process informational text for content knowledge. The students will be able to describe what clouds, rain, and fog are and how they are made.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this activity, students will brainstorm words related to a topic and use books and/or reference materials to answer questions about unknown words on a semantic map.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will describe a vocabulary word using a four square map.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will locate specific text features in an informational text.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will identify the author's purpose (persuade, inform, or entertain) by sorting passages.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will locate text features and explain how they help the reader understand the text.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will identify the author's purpose (persuade, inform, entertain, explain) by sorting passages.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will determine the meaning of words of interest in text.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will describe a target word using a graphic organizer.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will write simple definitions, sentences, and synonyms of targeted words found in content-area text.

Type: Student Center Activity