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Using Text Features to Understand the Meaning of Informational Text

Description:

During this 10-day introductory unit, students will learn about text features and how readers use them to further their understanding of information presented in informational text. They will learn about different text features in print and electronic form--what they are and how they are used in both formats--through online activities, a scavenger hunt and collage creation.

Students will then use text features to find pertinent information to answer specific comprehension questions in guided reading. The targeted focus of guided practice will be on recognizing how frequently readers use text features to seek information. [Skimming and scanning skills can also be taught, depending upon students’ abilities.] This will be followed by finding the main idea and supporting details within informational text and how text features help a reader identify these components of the text.

Students will share their learning with one another through online applications as they identify text features of a selected text and how they used the features to find pertinent information.

Learning Targets:

Define and identify the purpose of different organizational and graphic text features within various electronic and print texts.

Demonstrate using text features to help make meaning of information provided in a nonfiction text.

Demonstrate using text features to identify the main idea and supporting details within an informational text or section of a text.

Attachment	Size
Using Text Features to Understand the Meaning of Informational Text.docx	32.76 KB
Using Text Features to Understand the Meaning of Informational Text.pdf	112.87 KB

Author:

Stephanie Kahl-...

Content Area:

Language:

Resource Type:

Licensing:

Grade:

Common Core Language Arts

Common Core Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.5

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.7

Tags:

text features

ELA third grade

graphic features

organizational features

using text features to understand nonfiction

How are the standards/objectives assessed?

A number of face-to-face and online formative assessment tools are used throughout this unit, including the items below.

partner and small-group collaborative activities, such as a text-feature scavenger hunt and collage creation
exit tickets at the end of each daily lesson/activity
Kahoot whole-class and individual trivia quizzes on defining and identifying text features
Teacher feedback and student check-ins on how well they feel they are meeting the learning targets
Seesaw uploads of students identifying text features and how they used them to understand the meaning of text
Seesaw teacher and peer feedback on uploads
Worksheets that include comprehension questions that require the use of text features to answer

Summative assessment tools are as follow.

A final Seesaw upload identifying text features and how they were used to answer targeted comprehension questions
A Kahoot trivia game that requires students to identify text features and how they used them to answer comprehension questions

Student prerequisite skills and knowledge

Students must know the definition of nonfiction text (versus fictional or literary text). They must first have a strong understanding of the purpose for and definitions of various text features in nonfiction text in order to utilize these features as a comprehension strategy. This unit includes scaffolding to help students achieve an understanding of text features.

How is the concept or procedure explained or demonstrated?

Interactive modeling ("I do, we do, you do") is used throughout this unit, including the following.

The teacher uses anchor charts to explain different text features--both the definition and purpose
The teacher models how to identify different text features using a scavenger hunt list and creating a collage, followed by student-teacher modeling, then students practice on their own or with a partner for each activity
During guided reading groups, the teacher models using several text features to answer comprehension questions (e.g., reads comprehension question out loud and thinks aloud what the questions is asking--such as looking for the definition of a word or asking about a specific topic within the text--then thinks aloud about what the best way might be to answer a specific question, looks at front and back covers of book, peruses table of contents or index or glossary, then walks through how to use text features to answer the question--such as turning to the page where the answer is found, using bold print or headings or text boxes, etc. The teacher and a student then model before students practice independently.

What concepts or procedures are being explained or demonstrated in this lesson object?

Identifying text features in print and electronic media
Using text features to answer comprehension questions to further understand the meaning of the text

What was your experience, both successes and challenges, using this lesson object with your students?

I found that most students had at least a basic understanding of text features; however, they didn't know how to use the features to help them find specific information and/or understand the text. Many didn't realize that they already regularly use text features, whether in print or electronic format, to quickly get to specific information they are looking for when reading with a specific purpose. The guided reading practice was the pivotal component of this unit. It enabled me to slow down students in the reading process to guide them, step by step, on how they actually use text features to help seek targeted information. For example, many would only think of the final text feature that enabled them to answer a question, such as bold or italicized print or a heading. I was able to show them, through a think aloud, of how I first read the book title and front/back covers, then I wondered what a given question was really asking (e.g., definition of a word that I could easily find in the glossary, list of characteristics that I may find in a text box or bulleted list, a sub-heading that I could find in the table of contents, person's or object's name that I might find in the index, etc.).

Guided groups also allowed me to differentiate at each reading level. I was able to teach some students who were reading above grade level how and when to skim and scan to find information in longer texts as well as teach students reading below grade level how and when to use basic text features to help make meaning of a text.

The students loved the hands-on activities, such as the scavenger hunt and collage making. The Kahoot trivia games were not only a fun way to engage students but also allowed me to identify and re-teach misconceptions immediately. Students also enjoyed uploading Seesaw videos explaining how they used text features as well as providing thoughtful feedback for peers.

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