Exploring Non-Fiction Texts

Curriculum Area: English Language Arts

Grade Level: 1st Grade

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Objective:

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to identify and describe key parts of a non-fiction text, including the title, heading, captions, photographs, and key words.

Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.5: Know and use various text features (e.g., headings, tables of contents, glossaries, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text.

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Materials:

• Large non-fiction book or large printed pages from a non-fiction text.
• Printed handouts with simple non-fiction text for each student.
• Colored markers or crayons.
• Chart paper titled "Parts of a Non-Fiction Text".
• Sticky notes.

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Lesson Outline:

Introduction (3 minutes)

1. Greeting and Engagement
   • Gather students on the reading carpet in a circle.
   • Hold up a large non-fiction book. Ask, "Can anyone tell me what kind of book this is?" Prompt them to share what they know about non-fiction books.
   • Explain that today, we're going to be “Non-Fiction Detectives” and find special parts in these books that help us learn new and real information.

Direct Instruction (5 minutes)

2. Explore a Non-Fiction Book

   • Open the large non-fiction book to a page with clear features like a heading, photograph with captions, and bolded key words.
   • Introduce each part:
     • Title: The name of the book; what we're going to learn.
     • Heading: Tells us what the section is about.
     • Photographs: Real-life pictures that provide information.
     • Captions: Words under pictures that explain what's happening.
     • Key Words: Important words that might be bold or colored.

3. Model Identification

   • Use a pointer or finger to point out each feature. Have students repeat the names of each part after you.
   • Ask questions like, "What do you think we'll learn about when we see this heading?"

Guided Practice (5 minutes)

4. Interactive Book Walk

   • Show a few pages to the whole class, encouraging them to shout out and point when they see a title, heading, or photograph.
   • Invite volunteers to place a sticky note next to these features on the large book, emphasizing the feature they identify.

5. Non-Fiction Detective Activity

   • Hand out printed non-fiction pages and crayons to the students.
   • Instruct students to circle the title in red, underline headings in blue, color the caption area in yellow, and circle key words in green.

Independent Practice (5 minutes)

6. Independent Exploration

   • Allow students a few minutes to work independently on identifying parts of the text.

7. Peer Sharing

   • Have students pair up and share one feature they found and what it told them about the text.

Conclusion and Review (2 minutes)

8. Class Discussion & Review
   • Gather students back to the carpet. Ask them to share one part of the non-fiction text they liked finding and why.
   • Review the chart paper listing all the parts of a non-fiction text.
   • Give students a “Non-Fiction Detective Badge” made from paper as a symbol of their hard work.

Assessment:

• Observe students as they work with their partners to ensure understanding of non-fiction text features.
• Collect the non-fiction page handouts to check for correct identification and understanding.

Extensions:

• Create a class non-fiction book where each student contributes one page with pictures and captions related to a common topic (e.g., animals, weather, plants).

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Reflection:

• Reflect on students’ engagement with identifying non-fiction features. Consider any additional resources or changes needed based on student response and understanding.