In the next couple of weeks, we are going to be focusing on reading comprehension again. But even more importantly, we aren’t going to stick with fiction or poetry this time. We are going to be taking a look at non-fiction texts. Why, you might ask?
Well, according to this research, “Nonfiction helps children develop critical thinking, and analytical skills, as well as the ability to read and understand complex texts. More so, nonfiction can help students develop knowledge of their environment and society – crucial in later grades as students begin reading more content-specific textbooks.”
So, this week, we will be utilizing non-fiction excerpts to help students to unpack and summarize some more difficult texts, which focus on a topic that they may not have learned a lot about. And what could be more impactful than keeping Native American History month as our focal point. Learning about new cultures, new experiences, and new knowledge is always so incredibly important, and it helps to make every lesson even more critical.
Check out the syllabus below for what we’ll be doing:
Reading Lab #4: Comprehension
November 14, 2022
Class Syllabus – Grades 3-5
Objective: Students will be able to effectively summarize a non-fiction text by distinguishing between main ideas and details.
Essential Questions:
- What is a text structure and why is that important when reading nonfiction?
- What is a main idea?
- What are supporting details?
- How do I put all these bits of information together in order to form an effective summary.
Enduring Understandings:
- Common text structures include description, sequence, compare and contrast, cause and effect, and problem and solution. Determining what the text structure is can help you to identify the author’s purpose.
- The main idea is the central message that the author wants to get across about a particular topic.
- Supporting details are facts or examples that tell the reader more information about the main idea.
- Using the IVTB strategy can help you to identify all of the critical parts in a nonfiction text, and can help you to explain the main idea.
Standards:
| Grade 3 | Grade 4 | Grade 5 |
| RI.3.2. Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea RI.3.3. Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect. | RI.4.2. Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text. RI.4.3. Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text. | RI.5.2. Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text. RI.5.3. Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text. |
Materials:
- Please read and print the document below:
- Pen or pencil
- Paper
