genre: i t teacher’s guide the greenville gazette · marching band nabs four trophies”* day 5...

1 Five inFormational texts ©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLCB e n c h m a r k e d u c a t i o n c o m p a n y

Skills and Strategies

Anchor Comprehension Strategies• Distinguish and evaluate fact

and opinion• Use graphic features to interpret

information

Genre Study• Recognize genre features• Analyze genre texts• Make text-to-text genre connections

Tier Two Vocabulary• See book’s glossary

Word Study• Advanced nouns

Fluency• Read with varied speed/pacing

Writing• Writer’s tools: A strong lead• Write an informational text using

writing-process steps

The Greenville GazetteTeacher’S Guide

Level S/44

Unit at a Glance

Day 1 Prepare to Read Day 4 Reread “School Council Presidential Race Neck and Neck” and “Weekly Profile: The History of Bob the Orange Blob”*

Day 2 Read “Locker-Room Phantom Strikes Again” “Rookie QB Leads Eagles to Finals,” and “Eagles Marching Band Nabs Four Trophies”*

Day 5 Literature Circle Discussion/Reinforce Skills*

Day 3 Read “School Council Presidential Race Neck and Neck” and “Weekly Profile: The History of Bob the Orange Blob”*

Days 6–15 Write an informational text using the writing-process steps on page 10

*While you are meeting with small groups, other students can:• read independently from your classroom library• reflect on their learning in reading response journals• engage in literacy workstations

Genre: InformatIonal texts

Y07178_G5_InfoTexts1Gazette_TG_jf_Rev3.indd 1 10/24/10 11:20 PM

2 Five inFormational texts ©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

• Post this chart in your classroom during your informational text unit. Say: As we read informational texts this week, we will come back to this anchor chart. We will look for how these features appear in each text we read.

• Ask students to turn to page 5. Say: Newspapers are informational texts that inform the public about important people and events. Let’s read page 5 to learn more about newspaper reporting.

• Have a student read aloud the background information while others follow along.

• Say: A newspaper contains a mixture of hard news stories and feature stories. What can you infer, or tell, from this? Allow responses. Prompt students to understand that readers should be able to distinguish between the two and know what they want to get from each kind of story.

Introduce the Tools for Readers and Writers: A Strong Lead• Read aloud “A Strong Lead” on page 4. • Say: By using striking or surprising facts, quotes, or

details, writers of informational texts pull readers in, make them want to read the rest of the article, and prepare them for the content. The informational texts in this book have strong leads. Let’s practice identifying the characteristics of strong leads so we can recognize them in the informational texts we read.

• Distribute BLM 1 (Strong Lead). Read aloud the first lead with students.

• Model Identifying a Strong Lead: This lead begins by describing the subject, Michael Lampley. Then it contrasts Michael’s winning record as a bicyclist with his disease, diabetes, to emphasize what makes him special and give readers a reason to read on.

• Ask students to work with a partner or in small groups to read the second lead, answer the questions about the two leads, and write their own strong lead for a news story.

• Bring the groups together to share their findings. • Ask the groups to read the leads they wrote. Use the

examples to build students’ understanding of how and why writers use strong leads. Remind them that a strong lead can affect whether readers continue to read a news story.

• Ask the groups to hand in their leads. Transfer student-written leads to chart paper, title the page “Strong Lead,” and post it as an anchor chart in your classroom.

Prepare to ReadBuild Genre Background• Write the word genre on chart paper. Ask: Who

can explain what the word genre means? Allow responses. Say: The word genre means “a kind of something.” Newspaper reporters and TV reporters are two kinds of journalists, but each works in different ways for different media. In the same way, literary genres are distinct because each has unique characteristics. As readers, we identify and think about the genre to help us comprehend. Recognizing the genre helps us anticipate what the writing will contain or what we will learn. As writers, we use our knowledge of genre to help us develop and organize our ideas.

• Ask: Who can name some literary genres? Let’s make a list. Allow responses. Post the list on the classroom wall as an anchor chart.

• Draw a concept web on chart paper or the chalk-board. Write Informational Text in the center circle of the web.

• Say: An informational text is one example of a literary genre. Think of any informational texts you know. How would you define what an informational text is?

• Turn and Talk. Ask students to turn and talk to a classmate and jot down any features of an informational text they can think of. Then bring students together and ask them to share their ideas. Record them on the group web. Reinforce the concept that all informational texts have certain common features.

Introduce the Book• Distribute a copy of the book to each student. Read

the title aloud. Ask students to tell what they see on the cover and table of contents.

• Ask students to turn to pages 2–3. Say: This week we are going to read informational texts that will help us learn about this genre. First we’re going to focus on this genre as readers. Then we’re going to study informational texts from a writer’s perspective. Our goal this week is to really understand this genre.

• Ask a student to read aloud the text on pages 2–3 while others follow along. Invite a different student to read the web on page 3.

• Point to your Informational Text web on chart paper. Say: Let’s compare our initial ideas about informational texts with what we just read. What new features of this genre did you learn? Allow responses. Add new information to the class web.

Day 1

©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. No other part of the guide may be reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.ISBN: 978-1-4509-2983-7


©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC 3Five inFormational texts

Reflect and Review • Turn and Talk. Write one or more of the following

questions on chart paper. What is a literary genre, and how can understanding

genres help readers and writers? What did you learn today about the informational

text genre? How can readers recognize a strong lead? Ask partners or small groups to discuss their ideas

and report them back to the whole group as a way to summarize the day’s learning.

Management Tips• Throughout the week, you may wish to use

some of the Reflect and Review questions as prompts for reader response journal entries in addition to Turn and Talk activities.

• Have students create genre folders. Keep blackline masters, notes, small-group writing, and checklists in the folders.

• Create anchor charts by writing whole-group discussion notes and mini-lessons on chart paper. Hang charts in the room where students can see them.

Before ReadingIntroduce “Locker-Room Phantom Strikes Again,” “Rookie QB Leads Eagles to Finals,” and “Eagles Marching Band Nabs Four Trophies”• Reread the Informational Text anchor chart or

the web on page 3 to review the features of an informational text.

• Ask students to turn to pages 6, 10, and 13. Ask: Based on the titles and photographs, what do you predict these informational texts might be about? Allow responses.

• Invite students to scan the text and look for the boldfaced words (caper, mascot, mannequin, culprit, conversion, choreography, medley). Say: As you read, pay attention to these words. If you don’t know what they mean, try to use clues in the surrounding text to help you define them. We’ll come back to these words after we read.

Set a Purpose for Reading• Ask students to read the informational texts,

focusing on the genre elements they noted on their anchor chart. They should also look for the characteristics of a strong lead and think about how the author’s use of a strong lead makes them want to read on to learn more about the topic.

Read the First Set of Articles• Place students in groups based on their reading

levels. Ask them to read the articles silently, whisper-read, or read with a partner.

• Confer briefly with individual students to monitor their use of fix-up strategies and their understanding of the text.

Management TipAsk students to place self-stick notes in the margins where they notice characteristics of a strong lead or features of the genre.

After ReadingBuild Comprehension: Evaluate Fact and Opinion• Lead a student discussion using the “Analyze

the Information in the Articles” and “Focus on Comprehension” questions on page 16. Then, use the following steps to provide explicit modeling of how to evaluate fact and opinion in an informational text.

• Explain: We learned yesterday that an informational text contains accurate facts that support its focus. It also utilizes primary sources to give multiple perspectives, which may include quoted opinions, or personal beliefs. Although

Day 2

Name Date

Five inFormational texts ©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLCBlm 1

Strong LeadDirections: Read these leads. Then answer the questions.

A. Michael Lampley flashes a winning smile and says he doesn’t think he is special. But at fifteen, the lean, freckle-faced sophomore has won bicycle races while competing at the state and national levels. And he has done so despite having a serious health issue: Michael Lampley has diabetes.B. Do you have eggs in your refrigerator? Is the carton stamped by Sunnydale Farms? If so, run—don’t walk—to return the eggs to your local grocery store for a refund. Retailers have just been informed that eggs from Sunnydale have caused more than 2,000 cases of salmonella poisoning in twenty states. 1. Is Lead A direct or indirect? Explain. Possibleanswer:Direct;itintroducesMichaelLampleyandtellswhyheis

important.

2. Is Lead B direct or indirect? Explain. Possibleanswer:Indirect;itstartswithtwoquestionsandacommandbefore

referringtothetruepurposeofthearticle.

3. Which lead would begin a hard news story? Which lead would begin a feature story? How do you know?

Possibleanswer:Thesecondleadwouldbeginahardnewsstorybecauseitpresentsacurrentproblemrequiringimmediateaction.Thefirstleadwould beginafeaturestorybecauseithasanarrativestyleandcoversatopic readerswillfindinterestingbutnotvital.

Directions: Think of an event in your community you want to write about. Write a strong lead for a news story about the event.

Possibleanswer:The2011CornFestivalboasteditslargestattendanceinhistory.Theweekendfestivalbeganoverfortyyearsagoasalocalharvest celebrationwithfreesweetcornforall.Today,itincludestop-notchbandsandanartfairinadditiontothewell-knowncarnivalrides,organizationdisplays, andfoodbooths.



Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment• Remind students that when they answer questions

on standardized assessments, they must be able to support their answers with facts or clues and evidence directly from the text.

• Use the Comprehension Question Card with small groups of students to practice answering text-dependent comprehension questions.

• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer Find It! questions. The answer to a Find It! question is right in the book. You can find the answer in one place in the text.

• Model. Read the first Find It! question. Say: When I read the question, I look for important words that tell me what to look for in the book. What words in this question do you think will help me? Allow responses. Say: Yes, I’m looking for the words Eagles Marching Band and best overall performance. On page 13, I read “. . . the band won for best drum line, best drum majors, and best drill choreography.” This sentence answers the question.

• Guide Practice. Use the Power Tool Flip Chart to help you develop other Find It! questions.

Focus on Vocabulary: Advanced Nouns• Explain/Model. Read aloud “Advanced Nouns”

on page 4. Say: Advanced nouns name people, animals, places, and things more exactly, with specific meanings. For example, the author uses the word phantom to describe the prankster. In this context, it refers to a person no one has seen. An author might substitute an easier word such as ghost for younger readers.

• Practice. List advanced nouns such as automobile, infant, occupation, residence, and countenance. Ask students to figure out easier words that have similar meanings, using a dictionary or thesaurus if necessary. (For example: car, baby, job, home, face)

• Say: Let’s find the boldfaced words in these informational texts. What can you do if you don’t know what one of these words means? Allow responses. Say: Besides looking in the glossary or a dictionary, you can look for clues in the text to help you define the unfamiliar word. You can also think of easier words that have the same or almost the same meaning.

• Ask students to work with a partner to complete the “Focus on Words” activity on page 17 using BLM 3 (Focus on Advanced Nouns). Explain that they should read the sentences around the boldfaced word to find clues that help them define the word.

• Transfer Through Oral Language. Ask groups of students to share their findings. Have them read aloud their definitions and point out text clues they used to figure out the meanings. Then ask students to read a word from the last column of their graphic organizer. Other students should identify the

Day 2 (cont.)we cannot prove these opinions, writers use them in an attempt to strengthen support for the main idea. Evaluating the facts and opinions helps readers better understand the purpose of the article.

• Distribute copies of BLM 2 (Evaluate Fact and Opinion) and/or draw a chart like the one below.

Locker-Room Phantom Strikes Again

Facts Opinions How They Help Me Understand the Subject

All the shoes of the fourth period gym class were stolen Thursday and hung in a tree. Last month the football team’s water was dyed green.

“These pranks are immature, . . . destructive, and . . . dangerous.” Some students say the pranks are funny.“It looked so gross.”

Facts emphasize the stealth and skill of the Locker-Room Phantom. Opinions show the pranks have captured attention and stirred strong feelings.

Rookie QB Leads Eagles to Finals

Henry Malina led the Eagles to a one-touchdown win over the Ravens. Malina himself scored a sixth touchdown in the fourth quarter.

The fourth quarter was hair-raising. Halftime was very rough. “I knew [he] was good for the team, but I didn’t know how good.”

Facts sum up the surprising accomplishment of the underdog team. Opinions show how exciting and emotional the win was for the school.

Eagles Marching Band Nabs Four Trophies

The Eagles Marching Band won trophies for overall performance, best drum line, best drum majors, and best drill choreography at a statewide competition.

“Some of the bands on the field were just amazing. They played perfectly, they marched perfectly.” “We were on fire!”

Facts emphasize the achievements of the band.Opinions show the band members surprised themselves despite feeling they were less skilled than other bands.

• Model: In the first article, the author reports that someone stole the shoes from Ms. Anderson’s gym class and hung them in a tree. This can be proven. It is a fact. The principal feels the prank is immature, destructive, and dangerous, but some students feel it is funny. These opposing opinions show two ways of looking at the prank. The author does not take sides but merely reports the opinions. It is up to us as readers to decide for ourselves what we think of the phantom.

• Guide Practice. Work with students to identify facts and opinions in the three articles. Encourage them to think about what the facts help them understand and how the opinions contribute to a balanced view of the subject.

• Have students keep BLM 2 in their genre studies folders.



advanced noun that matches the easier word and then make up a sentence using the advanced noun in a new context.

• Ask students to save their work in their genre studies folders to continue on Days 3 and 4.

Page Word Definition Easier Word

6 caper a prank or theft trick

7 mascot a good-luck charm for a team, school, or other organization

lucky charm

7 mannequin a human-shaped dummy used to display clothing

dummy

9 culprit a person accused of a crime criminal

10 conversion a point or points earned after a touchdown in football

change

13 choreography an arrangement of movements dancing

14 medley a song comprised of the parts of other songs

mix

Reflect and Review • Turn and Talk. Ask partners or small groups to

reread the “Features of an Informational Text” web on page 3 and decide whether all of these features are present in the first three articles. Ask groups to share and support their findings.

Fluency: Read with Varied Speed/Pacing• You may wish to have students reread the informa-

tional texts with a partner during independent reading time, focusing on varying their speed and pacing. Model a slow pace for long sentences that communicate complex ideas or a great deal of information, such as the last sentence on page 13. Ask students to read at a faster pace for passages with exciting description or quotes, such as the first three paragraphs on page 12.

Note Regarding This Teacher’s GuideEach book provides an opportunity for students to focus on an additional comprehension strat-egy that is typically assessed on state standards. The strategy is introduced on page 4 (the third item in the “Tools for Readers and Writers” section) with text-specific follow-up questions found on the Reread pages. Some Reread sections also introduce an advanced language arts concept or comprehension strategy, such as protagonist/antagonist, perspective, or subtitles, because students at this level should be able to consider more than one comprehension strategy per text.

Before ReadingIntroduce “School Council Presidential Race Neck and Neck” and “Weekly Profile: The History of Bob the Orange Blob” • Ask students to turn to pages 18 and 22. Say:

Today we are going to read two more articles. These articles are written in a different format from the others. Notice the notes in the margins. First, we will read to understand the articles. Tomorrow, we will read these articles like a writer and think about how the notes in the margin can help us write our own informational texts.

• Say: Let’s look at the titles and photographs of these informational texts. What do you predict they might be about?

• Ask students to scan the text and look for the boldfaced words (front-runners, candidates, fund-raising, transcript, proposal). Ask: What do you notice about these words? Why do you think they appear in boldfaced type? (All of these words are advanced nouns with more specific meanings, as opposed to easier nouns with more general meanings.)

• Say: As you read, try to figure out the meanings of these words. Look for words in the text that give clues to each boldfaced word’s meaning.

Set a Purpose for Reading• Ask students to read the informational texts,

focusing on the facts and opinions that support the author’s subject or main ideas. Encourage them to notice the author’s use of a strong lead.

Read the Second Set of Articles• Place students in groups based on their reading

levels. Ask them to read the articles silently, whisper-read, or read with a partner.

• Confer briefly with individual students to monitor their use of fix-up strategies and their understanding of the text.

After ReadingBuild Comprehension: Evaluate Fact and Opinion• Say: Yesterday we evaluated facts and opinions

in the first three articles of the Greenville Gazette. All the articles inform readers about topics of interest to the school population. What facts and opinions do the authors state in the last two articles? How do these help me understand the subject? Record responses on a whole-group chart like the one below.

• Discuss Facts and Opinions Across Texts. Lead a discussion using the following questions: Which articles rely more on facts? Which rely more on opinions? Why? Which article most deserves a

Day 3



• Guide Practice. Use the Power Tool Flip Chart to help you develop other Look Closer! questions.

Focus on Vocabulary: Advanced Nouns• Ask students to work with a partner to complete the

“Focus on Words” activity on page 29 using BLM 3. Have groups of students share their findings.

• Transfer Through Oral Language. Invite pairs of students to work together to make up headlines using the target words. As partners share, encourage the other students to offer an easier noun to replace the advanced noun in each headline. Challenge partners to act as TV news reporters and present an impromptu summary of a news story for one of their headlines, using as many target words as possible.


18 front-runners people who are in the lead leaders

18 candidates people running for an office or a reward

runners

19 fund-raising collecting money for a cause or organization

collecting

26 transcript a written record of what was said

record

26 proposal a suggested plan plan

Reflect and Review • Turn and Talk. Ask partners or small groups to

discuss the following questions and report their ideas to the whole group. Do you think the writer of “School Council Presidential Race Neck and Neck” is fair and balanced in her presentation? Support your opinion with evidence from the article. Tell about an object or place that has special importance for you at school. What is its history?

Fluency: Read with Varied Speed/Pacing• You may wish to have students reread the

informational text with a partner during independent reading time, focusing on varying their speed and pacing. Ask students to review the last article to find difficult sentences that they should read at a slower pace and dialogue that would sound more natural read at a faster pace. Then invite partners to take turns reading a chosen section of the article, varying their pace to help listeners understand the text and make their reading sound right.

Day 3 (cont.)frontpage headline? Why? Which article makes the best use of primary sources? Why are primary sources important in this article? What kinds of strong leads did the author use in the articles? How did the leads interest you in reading the articles?

School Council Presidential Race Neck and Neck


In addition to the signs, the two candidates have been handing out buttons and stickers. Of a hundred students polled, 68 are undecided.Voting begins tomorrow at 8:00 a.m.

“I think that either one would make a great school council president.” “I think there are many good ideas in [my speech].” “I know I would make the best school council president.”

Facts emphasize the unpredictability of the election outcome and the close nature of the race.Opinions show both candidates are strong.

Weekly Profile: The History of Bob the Orange Blob

[In 1968] a small group of students began work on a sculpture of an apple. “The whole thing fell off of the base. Everything smashed and broke apart.”The art club painted it bright orange. “Students have to repaint it every year.”

“I’ve always loved sculpture. . . . But it’s hard to teach.”Surprisingly, the students liked it. “They all said it looked modern and cool.”“Not only was it gross, it was damaging the metal.”

Facts emphasize the history of the sculpture. Opinions show that students, teachers, and the principal feel Bob is a part of their school.

Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment • Use the Comprehension Question Card to practice

answering text-dependent questions.• Say: Today we will learn how to answer Look Closer!

questions. The answer to a Look Closer! question is in the book. You have to look in more than one place. You find the different parts of the answer. Then you put the parts together to answer the question.

• Model. Read the first Look Closer! question. Say: This question asks me to compare and contrast. I know because it has the clue words same and different. What else do I need to find in the book? Allow responses. Say: Yes, I need to reread the ideas of Cruz and Chen on page 19. I read that both candidates agree more student fundraising is needed. Cruz favors more time between classes and funds to tune school pianos, while Chen favors a better selection of cafeteria foods and funds for new athletic equipment. I looked in several sentences to find the answer.



Before ReadingSet a Purpose for Rereading• Have students turn to page 18. Say: Until now, we

have been thinking about informational texts from the perspective of the reader. Learning the features of informational texts has helped us be critical readers. Now we are going to put on a different hat. We are going to reread the last two articles and think like writers. We’re going to pay attention to the annotations in the margins. These annotations will help us understand what the author did and why she did it.

Reread “School Council Presidential Race Neck and Neck” and “Weekly Profile: The History of Bob the Orange Blob”• Place students in groups based on their reading

levels. Ask them to reread the articles silently or whisper-read.

• Confer briefly with individual students to monitor their use of fix-up strategies and their understanding of the text and annotations.

After ReadingAnalyze the Mentor Text• Explain to students that the text they have just read

is a mentor text. A mentor text is a text that teaches. This text is designed to help them understand what writers do to write an informational text and why they do it.

• Read and discuss each mentor annotation with students. Encourage them to comment on the writer’s style, use of facts and supported opinions and primary sources, and use of literary techniques such as strong leads.

Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment • Use the Comprehension Question Card with small

groups of students to practice answering text-dependent questions.

• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer Prove It! questions. The answer to a Prove It! question is not stated in the book. You have to look for clues and evidence to prove the answer.

• Model. Read the first Prove It! question. Say: I will show you how I answer a Prove It! question. This question asks me to interpret information in a graphic feature. I can tell because it asks, “What can you tell . . . from the graphic . . .?” What other information will help me answer the question? Allow responses. Say: Yes, I need to analyze the pie chart on page 20. I see that only 32% of the students (15% for Chen, 17% for Cruz) have made up their minds; 68% are undecided. There are more students who

are undecided than there are students who prefer Chen or Cruz. I have located and interpreted the clues I need to get an answer.

• Guide Practice. Use the Power Tool Flip Chart to help you develop other Prove It! questions.

Analyze the Writer’s Craft• Ask students to turn to page 30. Explain: Over

the next few days, you will have the opportunity to write your own informational texts. First, let’s think about how the author wrote the last two articles. When she developed these texts, she followed certain steps. You can follow these same steps to write your own informational texts.

• Read steps 1–3. Say: The first thing you’ll do is choose a general topic and then narrow your focus to something you can cover well in a short article. For example, the author narrowed the focus of her article over the school council election to the last twentyfour hours of the presidential race. What are some general topics we might choose? How can we focus those topics? Allow responses. Write down students’ ideas on chart paper. Say: Now let’s write each of our focused topics as a question we want to answer. Write down questions students suggest and select one as a class.

• Read step 4. Say: The author of the informational texts we read researched to gather information and quotes from primary sources. For example, in the first article, the author interviewed students, the gym teacher, and the principal. We need to gather accurate, reliable information that answers our focus question. What are some possible resources we could use to find appropriate information? List resources students suggest. Discuss Internet safety and techniques for finding reliable information.

• Read step 5. Say: Next, you need to organize your information in a logical way. The sports article uses chronological, or time, order to tell about the Eagles’ amazing victory. Let’s put our main points in a logical order. Then we’ll decide what facts, examples, and other evidence we will use to support each main point. Model choosing an appropriate text structure and creating an outline for the informational text.

• Read step 6. Say: Finally, you need to write at least one paragraph for each main point you discuss. You will use facts and other evidence as supporting details for the main point in each paragraph. Model writing a body paragraph that includes a topic sentence and supporting details. Then work as a group to write additional body paragraphs, an introductory paragraph, and a conclusion. As you draft text, encourage students to suggest text and graphic features that would help organize and support the main ideas in the text.

Day 4



Analyze & SynthesizePractice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment • Use the Comprehension Question Card with small

groups of students to practice answering text-dependent questions.

• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer Take It Apart! questions. To figure out the answer to a Take It Apart! question, you must think like the author.

• Model. Read the first Take It Apart! question. Say: This question asks me to evaluate the author’s purpose. I know because it asks, “Why did the author . . .?” Now I need to look for other important information in the question. What information do you think will help me? Allow responses. Say: Yes, I need to reread the final paragraph on page 21. This paragraph tells students where and when to vote. The author has emphasized that the election is far from decided and that students’ votes will be important. Thinking about how the final paragraph fits into the author’s plan has helped me figure out why she ended the article in this way.

• Guide Practice. Use the Power Tool Flip Chart to help you develop other Take It Apart! questions.

Summarize & Make Connections Across Texts• Engage students in a discussion about the five

informational texts in this book. Invite a different student to summarize each article. Encourage other students to add their ideas and details.

• Ask students to turn to the inside back cover of the book. Say: Good readers think about how literary works are related. We know, for example, that all of these articles share certain features. They all have a specific topic. They all include facts about the topic. What else do they have in common? Allow responses. Say: Today we will think about elements in all five articles and what we can learn from them.

• Ask students to work individually or in small groups to complete BLM 4 (Make Connections Across Texts).

• Class Discussion or Literature Circles. Facilitate a whole-class discussion or keep students in their small groups for a literature circle discussion. If you choose to conduct literature circles, share the rules for good discussion below. Each group should discuss and be prepared to share its ideas about the following prompts. What do the topics of all the informational texts have in common? In your opinion, which informational text has the strongest lead? What makes it strong? Which informational text has a conclusion that makes you think? What does it make you think about?

• Tell students that at the end of their discussion, you will ask them to share the important text-to-text, text-to-world, and text-to-self connections they have made.

Build Comprehension: Use Graphic Features to Interpret Information• Explain: Authors of informational texts include

graphic features to support important ideas and add interest. For example, in the first article, the author uses a photograph of the tree loaded with tennis shoes to show the result of one of the pranks and a photograph of the muddy mascot costume to show that it would be hard to clean. Graphic features such as these not only reinforce important ideas in the text, they also make a strong impression and help readers remember those ideas.

• Model: In “Rookie QB Leads Eagles to Finals,” the author includes a photograph of the rookie quarterback, thus focusing attention on the subject of the article. She also includes dramatic photos of the team in a huddle and in action on the field. These graphic features give readers a sense of the tension and excitement of the game and reinforce the article’s main point: the Eagles pulled off an amazing and important win.

• Guide Practice. Invite students to work in small groups to analyze graphic features in the other three informational texts in the book. Ask the groups to share and explain how the graphic features help them better understand information in the article and enjoy the story it tells.

Reflect and Review • Ask and discuss the following questions.

How is thinking about an informational text as a reader different from thinking about it as a writer? How is it similar? What new words have you added to your vocabulary this week? Which is your favorite? Which article subject did you find most interesting? Why? How can you use advanced nouns and a strong lead to improve your writing?

Fluency: Read with Varied Speed/Pacing• You may wish to have students reread the informa-

tional texts with a partner during independent reading time, focusing on varying their speed and pacing. Ask students to find exposition in “School Council Presidential Race Neck and Neck” that they should read more slowly so that listeners can understand the information and quotes that they should read more quickly to mimic natural speech. Invite students to read a chosen passage varying their pacing to suit the content.

Day 4 (cont.) Day 5



• Invite students to write sentences on strips of paper for two of the words in view, leaving blanks where the nouns belong. Have them fold the strips and place them in a box.

• Each student draws a sentence and chooses the card that completes the sentence. First, the student reads the sentence with the easier word, then he or she reads it using the advanced noun. Other students give a thumbs up or thumbs down to show whether the words fit the sentence. Continue until all the sentences are used.

Reread for Fluency: Oral Reading Performance• Discuss with students the parts of each

informational text that seem most dramatic or exciting.

• Say: A news article includes information that is meant to draw readers in and hold their interest. It usually contains quotations by sources the writer has interviewed as well. These sentences add flair and drama to the article. By reading these parts with expression, we create an appropriate mood, emphasize important information, and increase listeners’ enjoyment.

• Invite individual students to read aloud a section of one of the articles using pacing, pauses, intonation, facial expressions, and body language to add dramatic interest and help listeners understand the content.

• Encourage students to have fun with their readings and to make them as dramatic as possible.

• As a whole class, discuss each reader’s interpre-tation. Think about alternate ways to interpret the information.

Review Writer’s Tools: A Strong Lead• Ask students to look for other examples of strong

leads in titles from your classroom library or the school’s library. Each student should select one title at his or her independent reading level. Ask students to read pages specifically to find an example of a strong lead.

• Invite students to share their examples with the class. Encourage students to discuss how the strong leads capture their attention and make them want to read on. Point out that not all students will have found examples in the books they chose. A strong lead is not a tool all writers use all of the time.

• While each small group of students discusses the book, confer with individual or small groups of students. You may wish to revisit elements of the genre, take running records, or model fluent reading skills.

Directions: Use the chart to compare and contrast the five informational texts.

Topic Main Points Author’s Purpose

Graphic Features

Locker Room Phantom Strikes Again

a prankster who has stumped everyone

The phantom took shoes and hung them in a tree. The unknown culprit has pulled off many such pranks. Officials are taking actions to find the phantom.

to inform about a school prankster

photographs


the football team’s important victory

After trailing badly at the half, the Eagles were led by a rookie quarterback to six touchdowns and a conversion in the second half to win the game.

to inform about an exciting, unlikely win

photographs


the school band’s wins at a state competition

The marching band won best overall performance, drum line, drum majors, and drill choreography at a state competition.

to inform about the school band’s impressive victories

photographs


the virtual tie between candidates in the race for council president

Front-runners for school council president are nearly tied in the race. Both are strong candidates with real differences. Most voters are undecided.

to inform about the candidates and the need to vote

photographs, pie chart


the history and importance of the school sculpture

Students built a steel apple sculpture in 1968, but it was damaged. After two pranks between rival schools, it came home to Greenville. The sculpture is valued by the school community.

to inform about the history of an important school symbol

photographs

Rules for Good Discussion• Pay attention to the person who is talking

and do not interrupt him or her.

• Think about what others are saying so you can respond and add to their ideas.

• Allow and encourage everyone in the group to speak.

• Be respectful of everyone’s ideas.

Reinforce SkillsIf time permits, choose from the following activities to reinforce vocabulary and fluency.

Reinforce Vocabulary: Easy to Advanced• Write each advanced noun from the book’s glossary

on one side of an index card and an easier noun with a similar meaning on the other side. Place the cards on a ledge or tabletop so that the easier words are visible.

Day 5 (cont.)


10Five inFormational texts ©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Write an Informational Text• Use the suggested daily schedule to guide

students through the writing-process steps. Allow approximately 45 to 60 minutes per day. As students work independently, circulate around the room and monitor student progress. Confer with individual students to discuss their ideas and help them move forward. Use the explicit mini-lessons, conferencing strategies, and assessment rubrics in Using Genre Models to Teach Writing for additional support.

• Before students begin planning their articles, pass out copies of BLM 5 (Informational Text Checklist). Review the characteristics and conventions of writing that will be assessed. Tell students that they will use this checklist when they complete their drafts.

• This daily plan incorporates the generally accepted six traits of writing as they pertain to informational texts.

Days 6–7: Plan • Ask students to use BLM 6 (Informational Text

Planning Guide) to brainstorm the topic, record facts and other evidence from research, and organize information for their informational texts.

• Encourage students to refer to the “Features of an Informational Text” web on page 3 and to the steps in “The Writer’s Craft” on pages 30–31 of the book.

• Confer with individual students and focus on their ideas. Did students begin their informational texts with a strong lead? Did they include accurate facts and interesting opinions from primary sources?

Days 8–9: Draft • Tell students that they will be using their completed

Informational Text Planning Guides to begin drafting their informational texts.

• Say: Remember that when writers draft their ideas, they focus on getting their ideas on paper. They can cross things out. They can make mistakes in spelling. What’s important is to focus the topic, gather accurate information, and logically organize your ideas. You will have an opportunity to make corrections and improvements later.

• Confer with students as they complete their drafts. Use the checklist to draw students’ attention to characteristics of the genre that they may have overlooked. Focus on how students have organized their ideas and the voice of the writer. Did students write a strong lead and conclusion? Did they include helpful graphics and quotes by primary sources? Does the article have a strong voice? Will the voice keep readers interested?

• Pair students for peer conferencing.

Days 10–11: Edit and Revise • Based on your observations of students’ writing,

select appropriate mini-lessons from Using Genre Models to Teach Writing.

• Remind students to use the Informational Text Checklist as they edit and revise their articles independently.

• Confer with students focusing on sentence fluency, word choice, and conventions. Did students include both long and short sentences? Do the sentences read smoothly? Have students used interesting words and phrases? Did they use a strong lead? Did they use appropriate spelling, punctuation, and grammar?

• You may want students to continue their editing and revision at home.

Days 12–13: Create Final Draft and Illustrations • Ask students to rewrite or type a final draft of their

articles.• Invite students to illustrate their final drafts with

one or more drawings or other graphic features that illustrate specific facts and details in their articles.

• Confer with students about their publishing plans and deadlines.

Days 14–15: Publish and Share• Explain: Authors work long and hard to develop

their works. You have worked very hard. And one of the great joys of writing is when you can share it with others. Authors do this in many ways. They publish their books so that people can buy them. They make their work available on the Internet. They hold readings. We can share our writing, too.

• Use one or more of the ideas below for sharing students’ work:

Make a class display of students’ completed informational texts.

Hold a class reading in which students can read their texts to one another and/or to parents.

Create a binder of all the texts and loan it to the library so that other students can read them.

Create a binder of all the texts for your classroom library.

Days 6–15

Name Date


Title:

Features of the Genre Checklist Yes No1. My informational text has a strong lead. 2. The information in my text is accurate. 3. I fact-checked my information. 4. I included graphics to support my information. 5. My informational text includes multiple perspectives

so that I do not sway my readers to think one way. 6. My informational text is logically sequenced. 7. I used subheadings to separate sections in my

informational text. 8. My informational text has a strong ending that keeps

readers thinking. 9. My voice shows through my writing.

Quality Writing Checklist Yes No I looked for and corrected . . .

• run-on sentences • sentence fragments • subject/verb agreement • correct verb tense • punctuation • capitalization • spelling • indented paragraphs

Informational Text Checklist

Name Date


Informational Text Planning GuideDirections: Use the steps below to plan your own informational text.

1. Decide on a topic.

2. Narrow your focus.

3. Write a question about your focus.

4. Research your focus. Books Newspaper Articles Internet Experts Other Sources

5. Organize your information.

Main Point DetailsIntroduction:

1st Point:

2nd Point:

3rd Point:

Conclusion:


Name Date


Strong LeadDirections: Read these leads. Then answer the questions.

A. Michael Lampley flashes a winning smile and says he doesn’t think he is special. But at fifteen, the lean, freckle-faced sophomore has won bicycle races while competing at the state and national levels. And he has done so despite having a serious health issue: Michael Lampley has diabetes.B. Do you have eggs in your refrigerator? Is the carton stamped by Sunnydale Farms? If so, run—don’t walk—to return the eggs to your local grocery store for a refund. Retailers have just been informed that eggs from Sunnydale have caused more than 2,000 cases of salmonella poisoning in twenty states.

1. Is Lead A direct or indirect? Explain.

2. Is Lead B direct or indirect? Explain.

3. Which lead would begin a hard news story? Which lead would begin a feature story? How do you know?

Directions: Think of an event in your community you want to write about. Write a strong lead for a news story about the event.


Name Date


Evaluate Fact and OpinionDirections: Use the chart below to analyze facts and opinions in the five informational texts.


Locker-Room Phantom Strikes AgainRookie QB Leads Eagles to FinalsEagles Marching Band Nabs Four TrophiesSchool Council Presidential Race Neck and Neck Weekly Profile: The History of Bob the Orange Blob


Name Date


Focus on Advanced NounsDirections: Reread each article. For each advanced noun listed below, record the definition and an easier word the author could have used.


6 caper

7 mascot

7 mannequin

9 culprit

10 conversion

13 choreography

14 medley


18 front-runners

18 candidates

19 fund-raising

26 transcript

26 proposal


Name Date


Make Connections Across TextsDirections: Use the chart to compare and contrast the five informational texts.

Topic Main Points Author’s Purpose

Graphic Features

Locker Room Phantom Strikes Again






Name Date


Title:

Features of the Genre Checklist Yes No1. My informational text has a strong lead. 2. The information in my text is accurate. 3. I fact-checked my information. 4. I included graphics to support my information. 5. My informational text includes multiple perspectives

so that I do not sway my readers to think one way. 6. My informational text is logically sequenced. 7. I used subheadings to separate sections in my

informational text. 8. My informational text has a strong ending that keeps

readers thinking. 9. My voice shows through my writing.

Quality Writing Checklist Yes No I looked for and corrected . . .

• run-on sentences • sentence fragments • subject/verb agreement • correct verb tense • punctuation • capitalization • spelling • indented paragraphs

Informational Text Checklist


Name Date


Informational Text Planning GuideDirections: Use the steps below to plan your own informational text.

1. Decide on a topic.

2. Narrow your focus.

3. Write a question about your focus.

4. Research your focus. Books Newspaper Articles Internet Experts Other Sources

5. Organize your information.

Main Point DetailsIntroduction:

1st Point:

2nd Point:

3rd Point:

Conclusion:


genre: i t teacher’s guide the greenville gazette · marching band nabs four trophies”* day 5...

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