Cluster 2: Craft and StructureArchived

In this lesson, students are engaged in a science project where the local library is hosting a book writing contest. Students will brainstorm ideas, work in rotating center stations, complete checklists and create a nonfiction book about how plant and animals are alike and different featuring what they learned about plants and animals during the lesson.

Type: Lesson Plan

As part of learning about Concepts of Print, students will explore how some books do not have words and you need to "read" the pictures to understand what is happening. The book, Chalk by Bill Thomson will be used to inspire the students to add writing to his book as they dream what they would draw if they knew their chalk drawings would come to life.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this science-integrated reading lesson, kindergarten students will learn about physical changes to matter. Students will then create an informational text recording their observation of changing the physical properties of an object of their own choosing.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will use a graphic organizer to record their observations on sorting matter from the read aloud book Sorting by Lynn Peppas.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this multi-day lesson, students will learn about American holidays as they analyze grade-appropriate informational text. Students will learn to identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book and their text features. They will also learn how to use the text features (title, headings, and illustrations) to predict the topic of the book. As the teacher reads the book, students will confirm the topic and identify important details, recording them on a graphic organizer. Finally, students will use details from the graphic organizer to draw, dictate, and/or write an expository piece about the topic of the text. 

Type: Lesson Plan

In this multi-day lesson, students will learn about American symbols as they analyze grade-appropriate informational text. Students will learn to identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book and their text features. They will also learn how to use the text features (title, headings, and illustrations) to predict the topic of the book. As the teacher reads the book, students will confirm the topic and identify important details, recording them on a graphic organizer. Finally, students will use details from the graphic organizer to draw, dictate, and/or write an expository piece about the topic of the text.

Type: Lesson Plan

Identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book and examine each part's features in this interactive tutorial. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Use titles and headings to predict and confirm the topics of texts in this interactive tutorial. Join Jose' as he reviews the parts of a book and explores the text features of informational text in his search for new books on a variety of topics.

This is part 1 of a 2-part series. Click HERE to open What's the Topic? Part 2: Illustrations and Photographs.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Help a wizard name the author and illustrator of a storybook or informational book with this interactive tutorial. You’ll also learn the jobs of the author and illustrator in telling the story and presenting ideas or information in a text.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

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 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