Exploring Non-Fiction

Lesson Overview

Grade: 5
Subject: English Language Arts
Duration: 30 minutes
CA Education Standards:

• Reading Informational Text: Grade 5, Key Ideas and Details (RI.5.1) - Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
• Craft and Structure (RI.5.5) - Compare and contrast the overall structure of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Use non-fiction text features to formulate questions and make predictions.
2. Restate their questions as answers after reading the text.
3. Support their answers with evidence from the text.

Materials

• A non-fiction text excerpt suitable for Grade 5 (provided in advance).
• Whiteboard and markers.
• Sticky notes.
• Chart paper.
• Pens or pencils.
• Highlighters.

Lesson Activities

Introduction (5 minutes)

1. Engagement:
   Begin with a brief discussion on what non-fiction means and how it differs from fiction. Ask students to mention some non-fiction books they've read or are aware of.

2. Purpose:
   Explain that today, they will use features of a non-fiction text to become detectives: asking questions, making predictions, and finding evidence to support their answers, just like scientists and historians!

Exploring Text Features (10 minutes)

1. Instruction:
   Introduce key non-fiction text features such as headings, subheadings, bolded words, captions, and diagrams. Briefly explain their purpose in helping readers understand and navigate the text.

2. Activity:

   • Distribute the non-fiction text excerpt.
   • Ask students to skim the text and use sticky notes to mark interesting text features.
   • Encourage them to write one question for each feature they mark, asking them to predict what information they think might be in those sections based on headings, captions, etc.

Reading and Questioning (10 minutes)

1. Group Reading:
   Students read a section of the text silently, focusing on the sections they previously marked and the questions they wrote.

2. Pair Share:
   In pairs, students share their questions and predictions. They then work together to read the assigned sections and restate their questions as answers after finding the relevant information in the text.

3. Identifying Evidence:
   Encourage students to use highlighters to mark the sections of the text that provide evidence to support their answers.

Conclusion and Reflection (5 minutes)

1. Class Discussion:
   Gather students to discuss the answers they found and the evidence they highlighted. Encourage a few students to share one question and answer, along with the evidence from the text.

2. Reflection:
   Ask students to reflect on how using text features helped them understand the text better and how they can use this strategy in future non-fiction reading.

3. Assessment:
   Collect their sticky notes and highlighted texts to assess their ability to form questions, make predictions, and find textual evidence.

Extensions

• Homework: Ask students to bring a non-fiction text from home in which they can identify text features and write down three predictions or questions for the next class.
• Project: Organize a "Non-Fiction Detective Day" where students present a non-fiction book of their choice, highlighting text features and sharing the questions and answers they found.

This lesson plan emphasizes engagement with non-fiction texts in a meaningful way, develops critical thinking skills, and aligns with the CA Education Standards, ensuring students build strong informational reading abilities.