EngageNY
Getting Ready to Learn About Human Rights: Close Reading of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
Introduce young readers to informational texts with a well-designed, ready-to-use, and Common Core-aligned unit. Young readers learn a variety of skills while studying the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). As the first...
Read Works
Signal Words in Expository Text
Signal words are one way that authors make the relationships between their ideas clear. Allow your learners the chance to investigate cause and effect in texts by identifying signal words. They locate and analyze cause-and-effect...
Mr. Nussbaum
French and Indian War
Scholars read a short information text about the French and Indian War, then answer 10 multiple-choice questions. A score sheet appears when all the questions have been answered.
Curriculum Corner
Nonfiction Organizer
Have your learners take some notes on any nonfiction book with this straightforward worksheet. Kids note down the title, author, topic, and a few facts they learned along with a personal opinion of the text.
Curated OER
Using a Title to Determine Main Idea (Nonfiction)
Young readers explore a nonfiction text for its main idea. They will listen to the book Animal Sight by Kirsten Hall, and then observe as the teacher models a main idea think-aloud. Later, for independent practice, they listen to the...
Curated OER
Identifying Features of Nonfiction Text
Learners explore nonfiction text. They identify the cover, title page, and table of contents of a nonfiction book. Pupils work in groups to create a chapter for a nonfiction class book about heroes.
Curated OER
Cattle Drive
Students explore cattle drives. In this United States history and letter writing lesson, students write a letter to their family predicting possible problems that were encountered by participants in cattle drives. Students design brands,...
Learning Station
Scan It
In this reading strategies worksheet, students will learn how to scan for information. Then students will scan a non-fiction passage about weather and complete 4 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Organizing Information into an Outline
Students explore outlines. In this nonfiction comprehension and study skills lesson, students complete a traditional outline for the book Animal Homes by Ann O. Squire following guided instruction as the teacher models gathering...
Curated OER
Note-Taking and Organizational Strategies
Students explore note taking. For this study skills and nonfiction comprehension lesson, students complete a two column main idea chart while reading a nonfiction passage.
Curated OER
The Traditions of Christmas
For this holiday reading comprehension worksheet, students learn about 3 common Christmas traditions: wreaths, stockings, and decorated trees. Students read facts about each and answer questions.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Blending Fiction and Nonfiction
Contains plans for four class periods that ask students to blend narrative and expository writing after reading fiction and nonfiction selections. In addition to student objectives and standards, these instructional plans contains links...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Using Thieves to Preview Nonfiction Texts
Contains plans for three lessons that introduce a nonfiction prereading strategy with the acronym THIEVES, which stands for Title, Headings, Introduction, Every first sentence, Visuals and vocabulary, End Questions, and Summary. In...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: History/social Studies: Adapting and Modifying Sources
This interactive demonstrates how a piece of primary source text can be adapted or modified for readers at different levels of proficiency in order to ensure their understanding.
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Stem Literacy
Learn about how to strengthen literacy, inquiry, and problem-solving skills, and how to connect kids with high-quality nonfiction and informational books. Provides videos, articles for parents and for teachers, webcasts for teachers, and...
TESL Journal
The Internet Tesl Journal: Reading Nonfiction Texts Fast
Article lists a series of steps and tasks to make reading texts more efficient and clear. Written primarily for teachers of ESL students but tasks work for all students.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: I Can Locate and Classify Information [Pdf]
A blank T-Chart is provided for students to use as they sort facts into two categories. Students will classify science information with this aid.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
Depaul University: Center for Urban Education: Interpreta La Historia [Pdf]
Students will read about a historical event and then illustrate their interpretations. Questions are included to extend the students' comprehension of the events. This activity is written in Spanish.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
Depaul University: Center for Urban Education: Interpet History [Pdf]
Students will read about a historical event and then illustrate their interpretations. Questions are included to extend the students' comprehension of the events.
Other
Seeing the World in Print Through Nonfiction
Unit plan containing five lessons designed for tenth graders. They center around reading and writing nonfiction, and they teach skills such as identifying the features of nonfiction and writing expository texts. All are aligned to...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Comprehending Nonfiction Text on the Web
Contains plans for three lessons designed to improve comprehension of nonfiction, especially nonfiction texts on the web. It focuses on identifying text features, locating specific information, and generalizing that information. In...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Identify, Compare, Write Nonfiction
Lesson that introduces the concepts of nonfiction to elementary students. Through reading and interactive lessons, students engage the genre of nonfiction and begin to write their own examples.
Hopelink
Hopelink: Reading Lesson Idea: Real Life Reading Materials
The purpose of this reading instructional activity is to offer a reading and comprehension instructional activity based on real-life reading materials. This gives students the opportunity to gain reading comprehension skills from...
US Department of Education
U.s. Dept. Of Education: Teaching Approaches: Text Comprehension Instruction
What is text comprehension? How does comprehension improve our reading ability? Check out this site to learn more about reading comprehension instruction. There are some wonderful suggestions for teachers to implement in their classrooms.