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NonfictionReading
Readin Mini-Lesson
Nonfiction
Mini- Lesson
Nonfiction Mini-Lesson

by Deanna Farber

Rationale To have the students choose a side of the argument by evaluating the text.
Standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.8
Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the
reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.
Objective- To have the students understand the key points of the article and develop their
own opinions based on what they discuss with their classmates and what they believe from
the article
Procedures
First I will ask the class what they know about video games and building them. I will
have them write down what the know about games and what we can determine as a
class together prior to reading the article.
Then I will hand out the article. I will tell them to read carefully and hand out
highlighters to each student so they can highlight parts that they find meaningful or
important.
I will tell them to turn their seats to the classmates around them and have them take
turns reading in small groups. This way they are able to read parts of it aloud but also
listen to someone else read and not feel pressured to read in front of the class.

 When they are done reading I will talk to them about what they read.
What did you think was important from this article?
What are some things you highlighted?
What did you agree with? Why?
What did you disagree with? Why?
How do you feel about this topic?
I will then have them write down at least three things they learned from the article
that they didnt know before, next to what they did know or believe, prior to reading
the text.
Finally, on a separate sheet, I will have them write down three statements.
This article made me think about

differently

I think that video games effect students in ________ ways.

My position towards this article and the topic it presents is___________

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I will collect what they have written down and go over it. I will then be able to
provide feedback for them when they begin their writing lesson with this article.
Materials
The article Hitting Restart: Learning and Gaming in an Australian Classroom by
Gerard J. Altura & Jen Scott Curwood from The Journal of Adolescent & Adult
Literacy
Highlighters

 Assessment- From the way the answer the three statements I will be able to access their
understanding of the article. I will use that to determine what stages they are in when I move
on to the writing lesson the next day. I can also use class discussion as a form of assessment.
For those who talk during class I can see what their understanding of the article was and what
I need to go over the next day that the students are having trouble with or didnt quite grasp
from the article.
Differentiation- The highlighters help with differentiation because it allows students who
need a visual representation to find parts that are important to them. I also have them read out
loud so that the audio learners feel more confident with the text. Class discussion helps with
students who need to hear others thoughts on the topic and then I have them reflect
individually.
Future Application- In the future my students will be able to develop ideas based on what
they know and what they have read in a text of whether and argument is something they
support or do not agree with.

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Works Cited
Altura, Gerard J., and Jen Scott Curwood. "Hitting Restart." Journal of Adolescent & Adult

Literacy 59.1 (2015): 25-27. Print.