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Collaborative Project

Nonfiction Text Features

Grade 3

Student Learner Expectations:

TECH.2.3.1 - Accept responsibility for one’s own work.

TECH.1.3.6 - Use developmentally appropriate multimedia resources to support learning.

OV.3.3.1 - Gather and use information from various types of media.

IR.12.3.3 - Use text features of nonfiction (e.g. heading, subheading, boldprint, italics, etc.) to locate information.

IR.12.3.5 - Consult multiple resources including print (e.g. Dictionaries Encyclopedia, Atlas, reference books, Thesauri, etc.), technology and experts to address questions.

Materials:

  • Variety of Big Books and nonfiction books with examples of nonfiction text features including: heading, subheading, boldprint, italics, captions, timeline, label, graphic organizer, font, diagram, map, etc.) These should be made available to the classroom teacher for classroom instruction. (See attached Bibliography.)
  • Finding “Bone-a Fide” Text Features(See attachment.)
  • Website Black History Page
  • WebsitePride and the Journey
  • Website Yahooligans
  • Variety of African-American biographies on various levels of reading difficulty (LMS should check out these books to the classroom teacher.)
  • World Book online or print encyclopedia
  • Timeliner or free website these can be printed for students to complete without a computer. (See attached Bessie Coleman Timeline and Graphic Organizer.)
  • Kidspiration or free website these can be printed for students to complete without a computer. (See attached Biography Graphic Organizer.)

Directions:

  1. Collaborate with teachers to plan the instructional sequence of this unit. This project will take several sessions.

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Collaborative Project

Nonfiction Text Features

Grade 3

  1. Provide classroom material for teachers to familiarize students with nonfiction text features and develop strategies for reading nonfiction.
  1. Students will synthesize the knowledge of nonfiction text features by selecting resources to help them design a poster to share information highlighting significant contributions of an African-American individual. Students will use biographies from the LMC as well as electronic resources available in the LMC. The LMS will provide instruction or review on using these resources which may include EBSCO, Encarta Africana, book marked websites, print and electronic encyclopedias, etc. The poster will include a title, an illustration with caption (i.e. a photograph or drawing of the individual), a graphic organizer and a timeline.
  1. During the period of information gathering in the classroom and the LMC, students will read to:
  2. Identify 4-6 important events in their subject’s life and the dates they occurred. (This should be recorded on a printed planning timeline sheet and edited to use when they create the final timeline for their poster using Timeliner.)
  3. Identify 4-6 important contribution or facts about their famous person. (This should be recorded on a printed graphic organizer and edited to use when they create the final graphic organizer for their poster using Kidspiration.) The graphic organizer should also contain a summary statement pertaining to the life of the individual. Teaching students to summarize significantly enhances student comprehension.
  4. Locate a photograph or illustration of the individual.
  1. If resources are available in the LMC or computer lab, the LMS can instruct and assist students as they create a timeline using Timeliner or the free website, and while they create a graphic organizer using Kidspiration or the free website.
  1. Students will draw an illustration of their individual and write a caption for the illustration. (This can be done in the classroom or in the LMC.)
  1. Students will assemble their posters to share information about their individual and convey their understanding of nonfiction text features.

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Collaborative Project

Nonfiction Text Features

Grade 3

Assessment:

  • Teacher/LMS created rubric for student poster. A proficient poster will include:
  1. Title (example of font)
  2. Graphic organizer including summary statement
  3. Timeline
  4. Illustration and caption
  • Observe students using nonfiction text features to increase comprehension of nonfiction text

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Bibliography of Big Books

for Nonfiction Text Features

Comparison

Hungry, hungry Sharks by Joanna Cole

Book of Animal Recordsby David Drew

Animal Acrobats by David Drew

Long and Short of It. Cheryl Nathan

Is a Blue Whale the Biggest Thing There Is? Robert E. Wells

Graph It! Jennifer Osborne

Life of a Butterfly David Drew

Font

Cities Around the World by Kathleen Leslie (BOLD)

Body Maps by David Drew (BOLD, italics)

At the Market Nadine Golden (Bold)

Captions

Cities Around the World by Kathleen Leslie

Building a Space Station Joe Ramsey

Label

Body Maps by David Drew

Cut Away

Body Maps by David Drew. (BOLD, italics)

Diagram/Map

Map It. Leacock

Susan Butcher: Racing in the North. Linda Johns

Glossary

At the Market Nadine Golden

Building a Space Station Joe Ramsey

Index

Your Amazing Body. Webber McEwen

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Reading Nonfiction to Gather Information

Event or Important Fact / Date of Event

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