Lesson Plan 1/30/20

Class: ​4th grade

Unit: ​Informational Text

Objectives​: Students will practice finding and highlighting key details in an informational text. Teacher
will review the purpose of captions in an informational text and then have students create their own
illustration with a caption.

Purpose:
1. Students will be able to refer to details and examples in the​ informational text when explaining what
the text says explicitly
2. Students will be able to interpret information presented visually in an informational text and explain
how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears

ELA Standards:
● RI.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when
drawing inferences from the text.
● RI.4.7 Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs,
diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the
information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.

Materials​:
1. “The Moray Eel” article
2. Paper, pencils, and/or highlighter

Duration​: 30-45 mins

Assessment:
Informal Formative Assessment
Teacher will review and model the process of highlighting/underlining important details in an informational
text. Students will get the opportunity to independently practice highlighting important details in the article
and then will be asked to share those details with the class. Student responses will demonstrate their ability
to find important details in the text.
Teacher will review the purpose of captions in an informational text and then have students create their
own illustration with a caption. Students’ ability to create an illustration and caption using details from the
text shows understanding of the purpose of these nonfiction text features.

Anticipatory Set (5 mins)

Project the “The Moray Eel” article and review it with class. Give students a minute to look over the
article and then ask students to share some of the key details they remember from the article. Ask
students why it’s important to highlight only key details in an informational text. Ask students how
the highlighted sections helped them to quickly read the article.
Instructional Sequence (Include time allotted for each):

Input
Key Terms: nonfiction text feature terms like illustrations/photographs/pictures, captions
Teacher will activate background knowledge by reviewing the Moray Eels article with students. During a
previous lesson, students practiced highlighting important information in an informational text so students
will review that process.

Modeling​ (20 mins)

Remind students that it is important to only highlight/underline important details of a text so that they
can easily find that information later.

Read Paragraph 5 out loud to the class. In the first sentence, model how to find and highlight key
details by thinking out loud. Read the second sentence out loud to the class. Ask students to
independently highlight or underline important information. Have students turn to a partner at their
table and share what they’ve highlighted. Ask students to share and highlight important details on
teacher’s copy as they are shared. Ask students to independently read the rest of the paragraph and
highlight or underline important information. Ask students to share and highlight important details on
teacher’s copy as they are shared

Read aloud Paragraph 6 and the last sentence. Ask students to independently highlight or underline
important information in the last section of the article. Have students turn to their table and share the
details they’ve highlighted. Ask students to share with the class the important details.

Checking for Understanding

Teacher will review and model the process of highlighting/underlining important details in an informational
text. Students will get the opportunity to independently practice highlighting important details in the article
and then will be asked to share those details with the class. Student responses will demonstrate their ability
to find important details in the text.
Teacher will review the purpose of captions in an informational text and then have students create their
own illustration with a caption. Students’ ability to create an illustration and caption using details from the
text shows understanding of the purpose of these nonfiction text features.

Questioning Strategies
When students are sharing the important details they highlighted, ask why they picked that detail or why they
think they detail might be important. After a student shares, ask the rest of the class if they also chose the
same details or if they agree/disagree with a nonverbal check in (thumbs up/down).
To activate background knowledge, ask students about the names and purpose of nonfiction text features.
As students create their own illustrations and captions, circulate the room and ask them which details they
used from the text.

Closure​ ​(20 mins)

Point out the pictures on the article and ask students about the purpose of pictures or photographs in an
article. Ask students if they can think of another text feature that is usually next to or underneath a picture in
an informational text (captions). Then ask students about the purpose of a caption. Tell students that captions
help to describe what’s happening in the picture.
Tell students that they will get the chance to use important details from the text to make their own illustration
of a moray eel and include a caption that describes their illustration. Show an example of an illustration for
Paragraph 3 and compare the illustration to the important details we highlighted together as a class. Then
model how to use those details to write a caption for the illustration. Tell students that they will be
illustrating a detail from Paragraph 6 and writing a caption with the important details they highlighted.

Next Steps:
As students read more informational texts throughout this unit, remind them of text features and how they are
used to help the reader understand the text better. Additionally, remind them that it is important to only
highlight/underline important details of a text so that they can easily find that information later.

Accommodations​:
1 on 1 check in with students to clarify instructions
Partner or group share before whole class discussion
Give extra time as needed
Non verbal check ins (thumbs up/down)