Lesson Plan – Elements of Nonfiction Lesson Map (Reader Strategies Series)
In this lesson plan, students will examine some of our Readers to identify features of nonfiction texts (e.g. table of contents, maps, glossaries, boldfaced words, etc.). Together with your students, you will create an anchor chart of these elements of nonfiction.
We have provided a supply list that we’ve designed to be as simple as possible, step-by-step instructions, extension and next steps activities, and standards alignments.
This lesson plan is the second in a series of teaching strategies for using Natural Inquirer Readers in the classroom. (See the first lesson plan in the series in the related content tab below.)
This series was introduced in a series of blog posts on our educator blog. Check out the blog for step-by-step instructions for implementing this lesson plan and for other lesson plans that can be used in connection with this one.
Standards addressed in this Lesson Plan:
Common Core Standards
- Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
- With prompting and support, read informational texts appropriately complex for grade 1.
- Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
- Describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.
- Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text.
- 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.
- Distinguish between information provided by pictures or other illustrations and information provided by the words in a text.
- Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas.
- By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 2–3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
- Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.
- Know and use various text features (e.g., captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently.
- Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.
- Explain how specific images (e.g., a diagram showing how a machine works) contribute to and clarify a text.
- With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
- Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding.
- With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
- With prompting and support, describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.
- With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.
- Identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book.
- With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear (e.g., what person, place, thing, or idea in the text an illustration depicts).