WORK TIME SMALL GROUP: Identify Text Features and Use Them to Build Comprehension You’ll need a set of text feature labels for each partnership, as well as a text for partnerships to read that includes multiple text features. Partnerships will need a text on their topic to read together. RALLY/TRY IT #1 Distribute a set of labels to each partnership containing academic terms for many text fea- tures, as well as an expository text that brims with text features. “When you talk about flowers, you use terms such as roots and stem . When you talk about nonfiction texts, you’ll also use what’s called academic language . Here are labels with the technical term for many text features. I’m also giving you and your partner a shared text. With your partner, match each label with its text feature. Get started!”
Coaching to Support Synthesizing Within the Text • “Talk about how the text features and the paragraphs fit together.” • “Study each of the text features. The author included each one for a reason.” • “What more are you learning in this part? How does it add to what you’ve already learned? Try saying, ‘I already learned… Now I am learning…’”
Afterwards, ask partners to talk about how each text feature adds to the meaning of the text. TRY IT #2 Direct partners to return to their text set, this time reading their texts with special awareness of the text features and ways they contribute to the meaning. “The whole point of text features is to read them and learn from them, not just to name them. Right now, try that out with your partner. Choose a text you’ll read together, and open to the first section you’ll read. Your goal will be to read this text by paying special attention to the text features. “As you read, study each text feature, and talk about how it fits with what the text is about. You might find captions, key words, glossaries, or more. Get started, and I’ll coach you as you work.” LINK Remind students to do this work whenever they read nonfiction. “Remember that whenever you read nonfiction, the text features are so important. They’re part of the text too. As you read, make sure you read the paragraphs of text and all the text features on the page. Think about how both parts of the text work together to help you learn as much as you can. Off you go!”
32
Bend I • Strengthen Nonfiction Research Skills: Researching Plants
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker