The past 2 weeks or so we have studying non-fiction text features in our classroom. I love doing this in my class! I usually start with a review of non-fiction and fiction. We talk about each genre and do a venn diagram as a class. Then we learn 1 or 2 new text features a day. I introduce the text feature and we take a look at many different examples in different kinds of non-fiction text (books, magazines, papers, etc.) I try to focus on the purpose of the particular text feature and how it will help them better understand the text they are reading. Then, I add it to our anchor chart and add my own example.
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| The beginning of my anchor chart. (Not the best camera phone pictures-sorry!) |
During independent reading, the kids read their non-fiction books and write down an example they found during their own reading in their Text Feature Chart. We share about the text features and how they helped us while reading during share chair.
In the past, I've subscribed to Scholastic News or Time for Kids, which really helps a lot in ensuring that all of my students have access to finding the features that we have discussed that day. This year, we didn't order them (no funding) and I really missed having that resource. (I actually ended up ordering Scholastic News for half off that I'll start getting in December because I just think they are a great resources.) After we've learned all the text features, the kids work with their partners and do a scavenger hunt using their Social Studies or Science books.
This year we made these FREEBIE flip books from Amy's Smart Designs and that is what they used to help them during their scavenger hunt and recorded where they found the text feature. They will keep these in their reading journals now to refer to for the remainder of the year.
When I taught third grade, I had my students do a Non-Fiction File Folder Project after we had finished all of study. (Click HERE to go to the post where I wrote about it on my other blog. There's also a freebie!) I loved doing these and I think the kids did too. I usually did it as a homework project. This could easily be tweaked to work in 2nd grade as well. I haven't decided yet if we are going to do this project this year. We just seem to have sooo much going on right now I'm just not sure we have the time. It may be something we revisit later this year.
Well, that's about it. ;) How do you all teach non-fiction text features?
Thank you, Kim! Your Thanksgiving pack is amazing!
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