Informational Text: Close Reading

Beginning

• Front-load students with an understanding of key vocabulary in the first three paragraphs of the Explore Tornadoes! worksheet. Consider referring to a word wall for vocabulary words.
• Preview the comprehension questions, making sure that ELs understand what the question is asking.

Intermediate

• Have ELs discuss the vocabulary words and nonfiction text features in small groups, allowing them to converse in their home language if appropriate.

Beginning

• Reduce linguistic load by assigning the first, second, and fourth paragraphs and cross out the second reading comprehension question.
• Remind ELs to use their bilingual glossaries to look up unknown words.

Intermediate

• Group ELs meaningfully as a scaffold and have partners discuss the comprehension questions (with sentence starters if necessary) before writing their answers.

Beginning

• Reduce linguistic load by only assigning the Explore Earthquakes! worksheet.
• Provide a student-friendly glossary of words and phrases key to understanding the text.
• Give students sentence frames and a word bank to complete responses.

Intermediate

• Underline key details in the text, allowing ELs to focus on understanding the informative text.
• Have ELs write their answers on a separate sheet of paper, scaffolding each response with a sentence starter.