Lesson plan
Informational Text: Close Reading
Learning Objectives
- Students will be able to answer text-based questions about informational passages.
The adjustment to the whole group lesson is a modification to differentiate for children who are English learners.
Introduction
(10 minutes)
- Explain to students that being able to comprehend informational text is a very important skill not only in reading, but also in science, social studies, and maths.
- Display the Explore Tornadoes! worksheet and point out its specific text features (e.g., vocabulary words and definitions, bold words, headings, diagrams, text boxes, timelines, captions, etc.).
Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling
(10 minutes)- Hand out a copy of the Explore Tornadoes! worksheet to each student.
- Read the text aloud, pausing to talk about how certain text features help you comprehend the information in the passage.
- Ask for volunteers to answer the questions at the end of the text.
Guided practise
(10 minutes)- Hand out a copy of the Explore Hurricanes! worksheet to each student.
- Arrange the students into pairs, and have them take turns reading the text and answering the questions.
- Walk around the room to monitor students and help when needed.
Independent working time
(15 minutes)- Distribute a copy of the Explore Earthquakes! worksheet and have them complete the sheets independently.
- Review the answers to the worksheets as a class and correct any misconceptions.
Differentiation
Support:
- Pair students who need support with students who have a firm grasp on the lesson material.
Enrichment:
- Challenge advanced students to research different natural disasters and create documents similar to the worksheets.
Assessment
(5 minutes)- Assign students the Explore Tsunamis! worksheet to each student and have them complete it as an assessment.
- Collect students' worksheets after the exercise. Review them later to assess overall comprehension of the lesson content.
Review and closing
(5 minutes)- Ask students to share one aspect of informational texts that help them understand what they're reading.
- Remind students that reading informational text is a skill that they'll be using for a long time.
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