Language Arts: Non-fiction Unit

Lesson: Introduction to Non-Fiction

Expectations:
Reading
 1.1 read a few different types of literary texts, graphic texts and
informational texts (simple nonfiction books, labels)

Lesson:
 Show students two books on the same topic (i.e. planes). One book should be
a fictional story about going on a plane and the other should be a non-fiction
text (find one with a table of contents, etc. to highlight key parts of an “all
about…” book).
 Ask students what they notice about the two books. Come to the conclusion
that they are both about planes. Tell students we are going to read the
first book and a page or two of the second book and their job is to try and
figure out what is different about the two.
 Read the first story, stopping throughout to ask questions about what is
being said, and get information from students about their personal
experiences.
 Next show students the non-fiction text. Ask what they think the book is
about by looking at the front page. Read the title. Note that one important
thing that all books have is a title. Then move to the contents page and
introduce its purpose (since information texts tend to have a lot of words,
you can use the contents page to find the answer to a specific question—i.e.
snakes: what do snakes eat? Find it in the contents and go directly to that
page)
 Lesson 2: Comparing fiction and nonfiction texts

Expectations:
Reading
 2.1 identify and describe the characteristics of a few simple text forms,
with a focus on literary texts such as a simple fictional story, graphic texts
such as a calendar, and informational texts such as an all about book

Lesson:
 Have a variety of fiction and non-fiction books spread out on the carpet.
Ask students to work together to sort the books, thinking back to the
previous lesson (not by topic but whether it’s an all about book or a story
book—may need to review the difference first). Once they have sorted
them ask them to report to the class how they sorted them, and define each
category.
 Next, introduce organization of nonfiction by revisiting fiction. Hold up
fiction book and ask children to list what they know about how fiction books
are organized. (Beginning, middle, end, characters, setting.)
 Ask students to select a non-fiction text and independently explore the
text. Discuss what they noticed about the books and how they are
organized. (Key point – they give us information on a topic, ex. Bugs)
 Model how you as a reader make predictions about a nonfiction text –ask
students what they think a text may be about by looking at the cover. How
did they guess that? Next, tell students they should do as readers before
reading books is tell themselves what they think they already know about
the topics—I think this book will be about ___ and what I think I know
about ____ is...-- (key difference in fiction you predict kinds of things that
will happen, in nonfiction text you predict kinds of things you will learn.)
Create a quick web (i.e. bats and everything I know about bats) Have
students practice stating their predictions and activating background
knowledge. Give them a minute to think, and then ask them to turn and tell
their partners what they think the book is about and what they think they
already know.
 Work through the book and begin to create a Venn diagram to
compare/contrast fiction and nonfiction.
 Create a class chart for future reference titled: All about books often
have... (I.e. an all about title, chapter/sections, table of contents, glossary,
labels, pictures etc.)
 Lesson 3: Learning about Nonfiction books

Expectations:
Reading
 2.1 identify and describe the characteristics of a few simple text forms,
with a focus on literary texts such as a simple fictional story, graphic texts
such as a calendar, and informational texts such as an all about book

Lesson:
 Review chart titled All about Books often have… with the students. Show
them a nonfiction book and ask them to find the items and talk about why
nonfiction books often have these.
 Read another information text with the class. Predict title. I think ___
because I see____. Next talk about what they think they already know
about the topic. Read table of contents and ask students to check if their
predictions are correct now that they have this new info.
 Read a subheading. Ask what they think will be talked about in this section
and then read that page.
 Look at the glossary and discuss why it’s there. Find a diagram or picture
that is labelled and discuss why it’s important
 Tell students that we have been looking at the parts of a nonfiction text
because they will be making an all about/nonfiction book themselves.
 Lesson 4: Writing a table of contents

Expectations:
Writing
 1.2 generate ideas about a potential topic, using a variety of strategies and
resources (ask questions to identify personal experiences, prior knowledge,
and information needs; brainstorm ideas with the class)

Lesson:
 Tell students that they will be writing books about families to get to know
each other better. Tell them that I will write about my family while they
watch and then they will write about their families (guided writing)
 Demonstrate how to think and talk about what my sections/chapters may be.
Chapters could be about people in my family, favourite foods, things you like
to do together, and celebrations. After naming a chapter, tell students a
few things I could write in that chapter.
 Have students turn and talk to their partners about what chapters they
might include in their all about my family books.
 Once students understand and can say what they would put in the different
chapters of their books, show them how to write these ideas on a table of
contents template by writing my chapter titles on a large table of contents
chart
 **may help to have students touch their fingers and list what they will write
about in their family book (about 4-5 chapters)
 Allow students time to write their table of contents
 Lesson 5: Planning each chapter

Expectations:
Writing
 1.4 sort ideas and information for their writing in a variety of ways with
support and direction (by using pictures, labels, key words, graphic
organizers)
 2.1 write short texts using a few simple forms (simple report, how to book)

Lesson:
 Model thinking of a how to page to include in the all about my family book.
It could be about a favourite family recipe or game. Ask students if they
would like to include a how to page in their book. (may label this page family
fun)
 Model how to write a page about something special about my family (i.e. a
celebration) and ask the class if they would like to include something similar
in their book. Have them refer to their table of contents
 Allow them time to begin writing the rest of their chapters.
 If students are struggling about what to write about, work to continue
writing own all about my family book and stop after each step to ask
students to check if they have done this step.
 Lesson 6: Making Labeled Diagrams for All About my family books

Expectations:
Writing
 1.4 sort ideas and information for their writing in a variety of ways with
support and direction (by using pictures, labels, key words, graphic
organizers)
 2.1 write short texts using a few simple forms (simple report, how to book)

Lesson:
 Tell students that today I will include another kind of writing in my al about
my family book and they can do the same kind of writing in theirs. Model
how to think and write a parts of a thing page to include (i.e. parts of a
family house/parts of my family
 Provide students with a parts of a thing template for them to work on
 Lesson 7: Finishing all about my family book

Expectations:
Writing
 2.6 identify elements of their writing that need improvement, including
content, organization, and style, using feedback from the teacher and peers
 2.7 make simple revisions to improve the content, clarity, and interest of
their written work, using a few simple strategies

Lesson:
 Time to fix up and fancy our books, because then we will start a new all
about book.
 Show students the all about books often have chart and check off whether
my book includes each of those things. Ask students to do the same with
their books. Students can work in partners. Partner will need to offer one
or two suggestions for the student to fix up their writing.
 Students will then need to put their book in order, make a title page and put
it all together. (checklist: when my book is finished I… have a table of
contents, put sections and chapters in order, make a cover)
 Lesson 8: Structuring New All about books

Expectations:
Writing
 2.1 write short texts using a few simple forms
 1.5 identify and order main ideas and supporting details, initially with
support and direction, using simple graphic organizers and simple
organizational patterns

Lesson
 Tell students that today they will begin another all about book to teach their
classmates about other things they know lots and lots about
 First they have to think about what they are experts on. Use self and
students for examples of what you mean. I.e. “I am an expert at ___, so I
could write a book teaching about ____.”
 Ask students to think of 3 things they are experts at and list them. They
will then choose one and begin to make a table of contents about the
sections they want to talk about (may want to provide them with a template
again)
 After table of contents they may begin their writing
 Students will work to create a diagram on their topic to label.
 Lesson 9: Making Texts that teach

Expectations:
Writing
 2.6 identify elements of their writing that need improvement, including
content, organization and style, using feedback from the teacher and peers

Lesson:
 Begin lesson by writing one factual statement and one feeling statement
under the same image (i.e. I love cats and Cats have fur) ask students which
one teaches, and circle it. You may wish to do this several times.
 Look through students work and determine if they need to change any of
their writing to factual statements from feelings statements. Review the
example on the board. Ask if their statements teach or are their feelings.
(Next, lesson 13 p 25)
 Lesson 10: Making a question and answer chapter

Expectations:
Writing
 1.2 generate ideas about potential topic using a variety of strategies and
resources
 2.1 write short texts using a few simple forms

Lesson:
 Tell students we are going to discuss one more thing all about writers do
that they can then try in their books
 Read a section of an all about book that is in a question and answer format
(why is…; ___is ___ because…)
 Explain that informational text writers think of questions readers might
have about their topics, write the questions, then write answers to the
questions
 Have students work with partners to think of one question their readers
might have about their al about topics
 Show students how to write a question and an answer and include a picture
to go with the answer on the question and answer paper template. Include a
good copy of this page in their book.
 Lesson 11: writing, editing, revising

Expectations:
Writing
 2.6 identify elements of their writing that need improvement, including
content organization and style using feedback from the teacher and peers
 2.7 make simple revisions to improve the content, clarity and interest of
their written work using a few simple strategies
 2.8 produce revised draft pieces of writing to meet criteria identified by
the teacher based on the expectations

Lesson:
 Students will work to finish up their writing, edit, and then revise into a
good copy.
 If they added additional pages (i.e. the Q&A page) students will need to
reorganize their table of contents to include that chapter (revising
informational texts)
 Provide students with a blank, new table of contents paper templates to sort
and categorize their writing pieces. Their first tables of contents helped
them think of subheadings or chapters, but now they probably have more
and/or different chapters than they initially planned.
 Give students their table of contents template. Tell them that the first
thing authors usually include is the what is ___ page. Students should also
include this as their first page. They can write this title on their new table
of contents
 Next ask students to look for their parts of something chapters which will
be good as a second chapter because they help describe the topic (i.e. parts
of an ant), and include on the new table of contents.
 Continue this for all of their chapters until a new table of contents has been
created and their pages are in order.
 (If there are a larger number of students, you may want to ask one student
to conference with you about their work in front of the class. This way,
students can check their work as you help one student to correct theirs.)
 Lesson 12: Using a rubric to finish their all about book

Expectations:
Writing
 2.7 make simple revisions to improve the content, clarity and interest of
their written work using a few simple strategies
 3.7 use some appropriate elements of effective presentation in the finished
product such as print, different fonts, graphics and layout
 3.8 produce pieces of published work to meet criteria identified by the
teacher based on the expectations

Lesson:
 Tell students they will make a tool to use to help themselves fix up and fancy
their all about books for publication
 Show students a blank rubric on the smart board. Tell them that a rubric
helps see what to do as all about writers and realize what they might need a
little more help with
 Use the all about books often have chart to fill in the first column of the
rubric (does my book have a title, does my book have a table of contents).
The second column is where they will include a writing example that gets a
yes because it has this “helper”. Show examples of all about books that do
and do not get a yes on the rubric.
 Provide students with an all about checklist and tell students they will learn
to use the rubric to complete their checklists.
 Once they have checked yes to all of the questions in the rubric they can
decide that their book is finished,