ENG. 9 UNIT 6: READING NON-FICTION (3 weeks—8 lessons) RAPERT

Unit Goal Students will analyze use of structural elements and text features to determine how these choices can be connected. Unit Guiding Questions How can identifying structures help in reading nonfiction text? How do the text features of nonfiction texts help the reader understand the author’s purpose. How do good readers draw inferences from nonfiction texts.

Teaching Points 1. Readers acknowledge who they are as informational text readers and as part of a reading community. 2. Informational text readers know informational texts span a range of genres and have multiple purposes (i.e., to inform, to inform and entertain, to offer help or advice, to persuade, to involve, to entertain). This knowledge enables them to identify and summarize the central idea. 3. Nonfiction readers analyze the structure of a text to better understand the central idea and purpose. 4. Informational text readers notice, analyze, and interpret text features to clarify the author's central idea. 5. Informational text readers make inferences to clarify the central idea of a nonfiction text. 6. Informational text readers connect the structural elements and text features in articles to clarify and evaluate the author's central idea.

Session 1: Creating a Community of Informational Text Readers (1 day) Goal: Readers acknowledge who they are as readers of informational texts. Materials: Student Informational Text Reading Survey /Zite app—all kids get it (narrows down articles for interest specific) To Do: 1. Teacher models/shares survey and experiences as a nonfiction reader (likes/experiences w/tough reading) 2. Fill out survey 3. Share out results 4. Students use Zite app. /find 4 articles

Session 2: Understanding the Multiple Purposes of Informational Texts (1-2 days) Goal: Informational texts span a range of genres and have multiple purposes. How do the text features of informational texts help the reader understand the author’s purpose? Materials: Understanding Purposes of Nonfiction To Do 1. Model with 2 different articles how to fill out the form Understanding the Multiple Purposes of Nonfiction (projector) 2. Model an article and model searching for author purpose: Drug Dependency Not Chemical: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/the-real-cause- of-addicti_b_6506936.html

Session 2 contd. 3. Students read 2 articles and complete the Understanding the Multiple Purposes of Nonfiction Chart Classify each article by genre and purpose. Summarize the central idea. Assignment: Find and analyze 2 articles for genre, author purpose, strategy, and summary

Session 3: Understanding the Structure of Nonfiction (2 days) Goal: Be able to analyze the structure of a text to better understand the central idea and purpose. How do good readers approach informational texts? How can identifying text structures help in reading informational texts? Materials: Understanding the Structure of Nonfiction/TEXT STRUCTURES CHART (copy for all students-keep on hand)

Session 3: Text Structure contd. To Do 1. Distribute and explain Text Structure Chart Structures and categories in detail 2. Model paragraph structure analysis (cause-effect example) Students answer: 1. What is the purpose and central idea of the excerpt? How does structure convey the central idea? 3. Assignment: Using the handout Understanding Text Structures form, students analyze the structures of 5 given excerpts. Go over/grade as a class.

Session 4: Understanding Text Features (2 sessions) Goal: To notice, analyze, and interpret text features to clarify the author’s central idea. Materials: Understanding Text Features/ Two model articles to dissect using Text Features To Do: 1. Explain Text Feature elements using handout and provide examples 2. Model how to analyze and article based on the Text Features form using 2 example articles. COMPARE the two different styles and discuss why the authors used the different features to convey the main point.

Session 4: Understanding Text Features contd. 3. Using 4 to 5 articles, students analyze the effectiveness of text features- referring to the Understanding Text Features guide and a three column chart to track observations bout the text features. 4. Answer: How did the process of examining text features aid you in determining the central idea and purpose? Assignment: Students find another article to analyze the text features. TEST: Text Structures and Feature Application

Session 5: Making Inferences (2 days) Goal: Nonfiction readers make inferences to clarify the central idea of a nonfiction text. Materials: “The Case of the Bad Blood” article/Making Inferences Chart/ several nonfiction articles as models To Do: 1. Using “The Case of the Bad Blood” model how to make inferences using chart. 2. Assignment: Students use 2 provided articles and fill out the Making Inferences Chart independently. Compare w/group. 3.

Session 6: Connecting Structural Elements and Text Features (2 Days) Goal: Be able to connect the structural elements and text features in articles to clarify and evaluate the author’s central idea. Materials: Connecting Structural Elements and Text Features handout To Do: 1. Using the model article, model how to analyze the various structural elements and text features to evaluate the authors purpose and main idea. 2. Assignment: Using 2 provided articles on the same subject, students fill out the Connecting Structuring Elements and Text Features.

Mid-Unit Assessment Provided article Fill out the Connecting Structural Elements and Text Features

Session 7: Identifying Audience, Purpose, and Bias of a Publication (1-2 sessions) Goal: Identify the intended audience and purpose to understand the bias of a publication. Materials: Identifying Intended Audience, Purpose, and Bias of a Publication/3 different magazines geared to different demographics. Box of magazines needed To Do: 1. Model: Using the three magazines as examples, evaluate the purpose, demographic target, and subsequent biases in the publication. 2. Assignment: Analyze 2 different magazines using the Identifying Intended Audience, Purpose, and Bias of a Publication handout. Compare the two.

Session 8: Comparing and Contrasting One Topic from Different Sessions (1-2 sessions) Goal: Readers gather relevant information from multiple sources. They create a work cited page to provide proper documents. Goal: Nonfiction readers apply their knowledge of text structures, text features, genre and bias to examine how ideas and events can be conveyed differently by various authors and publications.

Session 8 contd. Materials: Easybib.com or Knightcite.com/ Work cited directions/ Two articles to use as models To Do: 1. Model how to search for information from various sources and establish credible sources 2. Model how to annotate two different articles. 3. Assessment: Students produce a power point presentation analyzing text structures, text features, genre, and bias. Two articles required. (partner)

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