1. Investigating Strategies to Uncover Meaning
Feature Article

2. Investigating Strategies to Uncover Meaning
Big Understanding: Students will use and combine comprehension strategies to make generalizations, draw conclusions, and determine what is important in a selection.

3. KBAD think about our stamina and how we can push ourselves to read more.
Day 1

4. Stamina It is important to notice how much we are reading everyday
Good readers push themselves to read more and more each day
Having good stamina means that you can sit in one place and read without getting tired or distracted

5. Turn and Talk
What can you do to push yourself as a reader today?

6. KBAD tackle unfamiliar domain specific words.
Day 2

7. Domain Specific Words
When you read a nonfiction passage there will often be words that you do not know.
These domain specific words will be words that have to do with a special topic. They will not be words that you use everyday.

8. Last year, Ariel, one of the young lions at the shelter owned by Raquel Borges in Maringá, Brazil, started to limp. Within days, Ariel could no longer move his hind legs at all, preventing him from walking.

9. Turn and Talk
What kind of words will you come across when you read a nonfiction passage?

10. KBAD build prior knowledge.
Day 3

11. Building Prior Knowledge
We build our prior knowledge in many ways.
This can happen from watching the news or the Discovery Channel, reading a newspaper or book, or asking questions about something new.

12. Turn and Talk
How can you build your prior knowledge?

13. KBAD obtain background information.
Day 4

14. Obtain Background Information
When you want to write about a new topic it's important that you learn a lot about it.
You can get background information be doing research, reading, watching movies about a topic.

15. Turn and Talk
What can you do to obtain background information?

16. KBAD formulate questions to set a purpose for reading.
Day 5

17. Set a Purpose for Reading
Before you start reading it's important to set a purpose.
Ask yourself, "Why am I reading this text?"
Ask yourself, "What do I want to learn?"

18. Turn and Talk
Why is it important to set a purpose for reading?

19. KBAD notice point of view and a writer's bias.
Day 6

20. Point of View and Bias
When you read it is important to notice the writer's point of view.
Everyone has an opinion and an author often gives clues to what they think, feel, and believe.

21. George Atkinson has just climbed to the top of a very special list: He has reached the top of the highest mountain on each of the seven continents! He is one of only 275 people to have done this. At age 16, this student from the United Kingdom is also the youngest.

22. Turn and Talk
What kind of clues tell you about an author's opinion?

23. KBAD make connections to the theme.
Day 7

24. Connect to the Theme
We know that our chapter books always have a theme.
Feature articles can also have a theme or message that they are trying to share with their reader.

25. Identify Different Themes
Conservation/ preservation (Selective Logging)
Restoration (Water Quality)
Survival
Man v. wild
Activism
Being a change agent
Types of energy
Toxins/chemicals
Air Quality
Water Quality
Recycling
Hazardous Waste
Good v. Evil
History of Law
Friendships with animals
Cooperation
Seeing other’s point of view
Tragedy/ Overcoming devastation
Rebuilding
Hope
Commitment
Going against the norm

26. Turn and Talk
What themes could be in a feature article?

27. KBAD explore and identify themes to build angles.
Day 8

28. Build Angles Off of the Theme
Once you have identified the theme of a feature article you can think about the angle that the writer uses.
Ask yourself, "What is the author trying to make me think, feel or believe?"

29. Turn and Talk
What is the difference between the theme and the angle of a feature article?

30. KBAD understand a variety of text features.
Day 9

31. Text Features
A feature article will have very different text features than a text book.
What text features do you notice in a feature article?

32. Turn and Talk
How are the text features of a feature article different than the text features of a chapter book?

33. KBAD think about why the author chose to use certain text features.
Day 10

34. Choosing Text Features
Even though feature articles have lots of things in common they aren't all the same.
Some include charts or graphs, others have maps, and many have photographs.

35. Turn and Talk
Why would an author include a map in their feature article?

36. KBAD pick out important information noticing facts and opinions.
Day 11

37. Facts and Opinions Fact: something true that can be proven
Houston is a city in the state of Texas.
Opinion: something that you think, feel, or believe
Houston has the best barbecue chicken in Texas.

38. Turn and Talk
Why is it important to tell the difference between facts and opinions?

39. KBAD locate information quickly by skimming.
Day 12

40. Skimming
Sometimes when you read you are looking for a specific fact or detail.
You can save time and energy by skimming over a text.
When you skim you don't read every word you just look for a keyword.

41. George Atkinson has just climbed to the top of a very special list: He has reached the top of the highest mountain on each of the seven continents! He is one of only 275 people to have done this. At age 16, this student from the United Kingdom is also the youngest.

42. Turn and Talk
When is it useful to skim a text?

43. KBAD evaluate an author's purpose to examine bias.
Day 13

44. Author's Bias
When we read it's important to think about the author's purpose.
Sometimes an author writes a feature article because they want you to believe what they believe.
If they write about saving lions it's probably because they think saving lions is important.

45. Last year, Ariel, one of the young lions at the shelter owned by Raquel Borges in Maringá, Brazil, started to limp. Within days, Ariel could no longer move his hind legs at all, preventing him from walking.

46. Turn and Talk
Why might someone write a feature article about deforestation?

47. KBAD stop, jot, and think while reading.
Day 14

48. Stop, Jot, and Think
When we read about a new topic it's important to record the new things that you've learned.
When you see a new piece of information stop, jot it down, and think about how this changes what you already knew about a topic.

49. Turn and Talk
Why is it important to stop, jot and think when you are reading?

50. KBAD ask questions before, during, and after reading.
Day 15

51. Ask Questions Before During After
What is this book about? What do I think I will learn?
During
What is happening? What new words have I come across?
After
What did I learn? What am I still wondering about?

52. Turn and Talk
What kind of questions do you ask during reading?

53. KBAD adjust reading speed for different purposes.
Day 16

54. Reading Speed
Reading a nonfiction book is very different than reading a fiction book.
There are times you will have to slow down and reread a section because it uses new words or is giving new information.

55. Turn and Talk
Why will your reading speed change when you read a nonfiction book?

56. KBAD notice how one question leads to another.
Day 17

57. Asking Questions
Asking questions is an important way to learn something new.
Sometimes one question can lead to another. This isn't a good thing, it's a GREAT thing.

58. Turn and Talk
Why is it important to ask a lot of questions?

59. KBAD take notes with a graphic organizer.
Day 18

60. Use a Graphic Organizer
Graphic organizers help us outline what we have learned.
They can be: a KWL chart, Venn diagram, T chart, web

61. Turn and Talk
Why is a graphic organizer a good way to keep track of what we've learned?

62. KBAD notice attention grabbing language.
Day 19

63. Attention Grabbing Language
An author wants to make sure that you are reading their article.
They will grab your attention with language that is exciting and interesting.

64. Ouch. A swarm of jellyfish recently invaded Cocoa Beach in Florida
Ouch! A swarm of jellyfish recently invaded Cocoa Beach in Florida. Beachgoers there suffered a painful Memorial Day weekend before the blob-like intruders left a few days later.

65. Turn and Talk
Why does an author include attention grabbing language?

66. KBAD use context clues to examine figurative language.
Day 20

67. Figurative Language Context Clues
When an author is telling a story in a feature article sometimes their figurative language uses words that are specific to the topic.
We want to notice the figurative language, keeping our eye out for new words.

68. Still, many people couldn’t resist the tempting surf and sand
Still, many people couldn’t resist the tempting surf and sand. They braved the Jell-O-like land mines and tried to enjoy their sunny holiday. Some escaped without getting stung, but others were not so lucky. The jellyfish stung more than 1,800 visitors to the beach.

69. Turn and Talk
How do authors use figurative language in their feature articles?