Features of Non-Fiction Foldables and Lapbook

My ELL students need to constantly reloop, review, and re-learn important concepts throughout the year. The challenge is finding new ways to review learned material. One of the hardest concepts for my students this year has been recognizing and using text features.

They're about to start their THIRD benchmark test of the year in reading tomorrow, and there are usually a lot of questions about non-fiction text features, so I wanted to review this today. First, I started out with this fun little Non-Fiction Rap:

Then, we followed that up by making this fun little lapbook full of foldables. First, I had students make the foldables and glue them into the folder. Then, I had little strips printed out with definitions for each text feature. I had students match those definitions with the correct features and glue them inside the flaps. Next, each student chose a Non-Fiction book from a selection that I had set aside for them. I set aside ones that had at least one example of each type of feature. Finally, they went on a scavenger hunt for the text features in their chosen books and filled in the information in the appropriate places in their foldables. Here are some pictures:

My students really had a blast with this lesson, and it really helped them to review the features of non-fiction texts while using an authentic non-fiction book that was appropriate to their grade level. I'm really hoping that when the data comes back for this benchmark, it will show improvement for my kiddos in this area!

Update: If you're interested in trying this in your classroom, I created a FREEBIE with complete instructions to make it a little easier! Click the button below to download from my TpT store!

Strategy of the Week

I guess at this point, I might more honestly be called a strategy of the month. But, I promise, this one is a good one that can be used (HONESTLY) for almost any grade level.

Strategy-

CUBING

This strategy gets students thinking about an issue, idea, item, or topic at all levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. This strategy can be good as a post-learning activity, or to build background on a familiar topic before connecting that to new learning. For example, I used cubing to activate my students' prior knowledge on water before beginning a lesson on the Water Cycle. 

On each side of the cube, have a different prompt. 

Describe it: Look at the subject closely (perhaps with your physical senses as well as your mind).

•Compare it: What is it similar to? What is it different from?

•Synthesize it; What does it make you think of? What are some ways that you can change it?

•Analyze it: Tell how it is made. What are it is traits and attributes?

•Apply it: Tell what you can do with it. How can it be used?

•Argue for or against: Take a stand.

Believe it or not, I have used this strategy for students in grades 2-8, and I know it works well in high school as well. It's all in the presentation, my friends! When I did this with water for my second graders, I first wrote specific questions for each category. Then, I talked them through each side of the cube, read the questions, and gave them 1 minute to talk with a buddy. With middle school students, you can write your questions and then let them complete the cube on their own. With high schoolers, I have seen colleagues give students the general categories and let them come up with their own questions to discuss. You can also use the cube to explore different parts of a story (characters, setting, plot, climax, conflict, resolution).

Click HERE to get the free templates from my TpT store!

Join me on Facebook!

If you're not already following me on facebook, please come join me! You can find me at Tools for Teachers by Laurah Jurca or by clicking the picture below! If you want to catch up on other great teaching blogs and stores, check out this linky party!

New products linky party

So, I know I haven't posted a strategy of the week yet, and for that I apologize. Hopefully I will get to it tomorrow! Today I have been very busy working on lesson plans and materials for this week. I have also been working on some new products for my TpT store. My powerpoints seem to be some of my best sellers, so I've been adding to my powerpoint collection in my store. The latest addition?

Introduction to Literary Genres

I know alot of other teachers are creating and posting new items on TpT right now too! So, I'm having a linky party to bring you a wide selection of great new products on TpT! Please enter your new product below! Please only post new products that have few views/purchases. All TpT sellers are welcome to join.

A freebie!

This year I am working with fourth graders at my school, and one homeroom class has several newcomer students who don't know their numbers in English yet. To help them as they're learning, I created these Spanish-English number charts. I plan to print them back-to-back, laminate them, and then punch them with a three-hole punch so that the students can put them in their notebooks and always have them to refer back to. So, I'm offering this as a freebie for you too! It can also be useful to Spanish teachers who are teaching the numbers.

CLICK THE PICTURE TO DOWNLOAD THIS FREEBIE!!