Subject:            Language Arts
Topic:                Reading Comprehension
Grade Level:    5
Lesson name: FOCUS ON TEXT FEATURES

Fifth Grade
Language Arts:

2.0 Reading Comprehension (Focus on Informational Materials)
       Students read and understand grade-level-appropriate material. They describe and connect the 
       essential ideas, arguments, and perspectives of the text by using their knowledge of text structure, organization, 
       and purpose. The selections in Recommended Readings in Literature, Kindergarten Through Grade Eight 
       illustrate the quality and complexity of the materials to be read by students. In addition, by grade eight, students 
       read one million words annually on their own, including a good representation of grade -level -appropriate narrative     
       and expository text (e.g., classic and contemporary literature, magazines, newspapers, online information). In grade 
       five, students make progress toward this goal.
 

2.1 Understand how text features (e.g. format, sequence, diagrams, illustrations,
       charts, maps) make information accessible and usable.
 

Instructional Objectives 
 1.  Students will review text features. (Pre-test)

 2.  Students will be able to identify text features by name and function.

 3.  Students will select, read, and explain the text features in a selection from a Reference: History and/or 
       Language Arts textbook.

Materials check list:
Teacher made Handouts
Teacher made displays (illustrations)
America Will Be textbook
Coast To Coast textbook
Computer with printer and access to the Internet and e-mail.

Time required: One week - at least one hour per day
 

Introductory Activity
1. Display art which depict the era of exploration.
2. Fill out a KWL Chart with the student concerning Christopher Columbus.
3. Read excerpts from "The Log of Christopher Columbus"
4. Review some terms related to researching the history of Columbus. (biography, 
    map, calendar, paintings, portraits, etc.)
 

Enabling Activity(ies)Students will be able to achieve the objectives after participating in the following 
     activities: Review sequencing by

Individual activity-
- writing directions in order.   (What Did You Say to Do First?)
- ordering cartoon frames which tell a story. ( When Did it Happen?)
- studying and discussing The Voyage of Columbus" on pages 112-113 of the
     America Will Be textbook. 
-studying and discussing the Time Line on pages 102-103 of the 
     America Will Be textbook. (graphic)

Partner activity-
-making a comparison between pages 138 and 148 in the Coast To Coast 
literature textbook. (illustrations)
-studying the map on page 111 of the America Will Be textbook. (maps)

Teams activity-
-Select pages from the America Will Be textbook or from the Encyclopedia 
and illustrate the use of "text features" in learning about a topic. Each person on the team 
will represent a "feature" and present visual examples via student-made drawings or image 
captured from the Internet or available CD's.

 Culminating Activity
Student will choose a story and write a report. 
      a. provide an illustration of each "text feature."
      b. present the report to the class
Student will provide one large illustration to be displayed depicting their story

Follow up Activities
 -Complete a KWL chart about Columbus
 

Assessment                                                                                             Back to the Top

-Students' individual worksheets, team presentation, and  final report 
   will be evaluated.
 -A post-test on the "text feature" terms will be scored according to a rubric.
 

Results  -The following chart provides the results of ten students.
 

Web Resources 

Back to the Top

World map
        -http://eduplace.com/ss/ssmaps/wrldatl.html
Biographies
        -http://eduplace.com/ss/hmss/bib.html#unit2 (bibliographies)
Native American Cultures
        -http://eduplace.com/ss/hmss/5/unit/5.2html (Internet Resources)
Native American Cultures
        -http://www.hbschool.com/ (HarcourtBrace-Reading-Signatures-Grade 5)
Native American Cultures
        -http://www.sci.mus.us/sin/ma/sites.html (Native American Cultures)
The Belle Surfaces at Matagorda Bay
        -http://harcourtschool.com/newsbreak/lasalle.html
La Salle Shipweck Project
        -http://www.thc.state.tx.us/belle/index.html 
Picture of Christopher Columbus
        -http//picture-of-christopher-columbus.Isprewell.com
Caribbean-Connection.com
        -http://carubbean-connection.com/christopher-columbus/
National Maritime Museum 
        -http://nmm.ac.uk/education/facts-columbus.html
Encyclopedia's
        -http://www.encarta.msn.com/ (free)
        -http://www.encyclopedia.com/ (free)
        -http://www.britannica.com/ 
        -http://www.worldbook.com/  (sign-up for 30 day free trial)