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Your Classroom COMMON CORE: Fact vs. Fiction Think informational text = boring? Reinvent your reading lessons with dinosaurs, artists, and geologists! by kim greene Second-grade teacher Erin Klein says her students gravitate toward informational text. “They are naturally curious,” says Klein, who teaches in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. “Nonfiction helps quench their thirst for answers.” Despite students’ interest in informational text, it has played second fiddle in literacy instruction for years. In 2000, Nell Duke’s groundbreaking study “3.6 Minutes per Day: The Scarcity of Informational Texts in First Grade” found that primary teachers dedicated the vast majority of instructional time to fiction. Now, though, nonfiction is getting its turn in the spotlight. The Common Core State Standards require that students become thoughtful consumers of complex, informa- ONE tive texts—taking them beyond the realm of D GA dry textbooks and self-selected reading. HA R “We live in an exciting time where our GE O information isn’t solely from thick R OS: textbooks but rather from websites, OT H blogs, and magazines,” says P Klein. “By introducing students to print-rich materials and digital media, we are shap- ing an authentic experi- ence for the way they take in information.” 23 SCHOLASTIC INSTRUCTOR FALL 2012 INS2•CCore.v9ds.indd 23 9/20/12 2:56 PM COMMON CORE Why Now? Informational Text 101 BUILD YOUR LIBRARY What has triggered the push for more Ready to master the basics of informa- informational text? For one, the goal of tional text and Common Core? What The Common Core’s Appendix B lists Common Core is to prepare students follows are answers to some com- “text exemplars,” but they aren’t required. Look beyond the exemplars for college and career, both of which monly asked questions. and try our choices. require a reservoir of knowledge about the natural, physical, and social world What is informational text? around them. And that’s exactly what Common Core uses “informational text” LIKE THIS? TRY THIS informational texts provide them. as another term for “nonfiction text.” “About 90 percent of what most This category includes historical, Grades K–1 adults read is informational text,” scientific, and technical texts that pro- says Laura Candler, a retired teacher vide students with factual information of grades 4 through 6 from North about the world. Typically, they employ Carolina. “Yet in school, it seems we’ve structures such as cause and effect, spent far more time reading fiction.” compare and contrast, and problem Another rationale can be summed and solution. They also contain text From Seed to The Pumpkin Book up in one word: assessment. The devel- features like headlines and boldface Pumpkin by Gail Gibbons opers of the standards sought to align vocabulary words. by Wendy Pfeffer the instructional balance of literary Because of their narrative structures, and informational text with that of the biographies and autobiographies do Grades 2–3 National Assessment of Educational not look like other nonfiction texts. In Progress, or NAEP—tests administered fact, they are often classified as liter- across the country at grades 4, 8, and ary nonfiction. But the Common Core 12. According to this model, fourth- considers them to be informational grade students should receive a 50-50 text as well. balance between the two types of texts Another category of informational across the school day. texts includes directions, forms, and information contained in charts, graphs, maps, and digital resources. So You Want to If I Were President Simply put, if students are reading Be President? by Catherine Stier BALANCE OF TEXT by Judith St. George it for the information it contains, it’s TYPES ON NAEP informational text. Grades 4–5 GRADE 4 GRADE 8 Who is expected to teach it? Just about everyone. In grades K to 5, teachers are expected to use informational texts throughout the school 50% 50% 55% 45% day. “I’ve always included a fair amount of informational text in my instruction,” says Klein. “However, Discovering Mars Mars the way I teach it has evolved. I now by Melvin Berger by Seymour Simon GRADE 12 integrate my content areas in a man- ner that allows for cross-curricular Grades 6–8 30% themes, rather than teaching concepts Literary or themes in isolation. The connections between literacy and social stud- Informational 70% ies and science engage students at a much higher level.” In grades 6 to 12, one strand of informational text standards falls to English teachers. A separate strand Freedom Walkers Claudette Colvin by Russell Freedman by Phillip Hoose includes literacy in history and social studies, as well as literacy in science and technical subjects. That means 24 SCHOLASTIC INSTRUCTOR FALL 2012 INS2•CCore.v9ds.indd 24 9/18/12 7:32 AM COMMON CORE What’s the difference between “ About 90% academic and domain-specific of what most vocabulary? Across all grades, informational adults read is text standard 4 calls for students to determine the meaning of unfamiliar informational vocabulary. The phrase “academic and domain-specific vocabulary,” which text. Yet in appears several times, refers to words school, it seems readers often encounter in textbooks across all subject areas. Among such we’ve spent words are analyze, which might be unfamiliar to a second-grade student, far more time and discourse, which could be a new vocabulary word for a seventh grader. reading fiction.” Domain-specific vocabulary words, on the other hand, are likely to be —Laura Candler, retired encountered only in a particular con- teacher, grades 4–6 tent area. For example, a word such as photosynthesis falls within the realm of biology. that social studies and science teachers will also be Putting It Into Practice expected to teach vital literacy skills in their With an understanding of what the relevant content areas. standards are calling for, it’s time to start thinking about what instruction What do the standards call for? in informational text could look like in Common Core calls for close readings your classroom. Here are a few ideas. of meaty, high-quality texts. The focus is placed squarely on the text—not on Grades K–2 making connections to outside experi- ences or dwelling on prior knowledge. LESSON: Text Features in the News Students should get their hands dirty GRADES: 1–2 by digging into the text to uncover the STANDARD: 5 (Know and use various evidence that supports their answers. text features.) In each grade, the 10 reading infor- THE GIST: Laura Candler, the retired mational text standards build upon the teacher from North Carolina, suggests ones taught in previous grades, from using Scholastic News Weekly Reader to kindergarten all the way through high identify text features. Students can school. “Most are the same as my cur- complete a three-column chart to rent standards, but some are more in extend their understanding. depth,” says Jenaya Shaw, a first-grade teacher in Georgia. “Common Core ARTICLE TEXT FEATURE PURPOSE gives us more direction and specific areas to work on.” LESSON: Author Study Preview Read for Yourself GRADE: K For grade-specific standards, download the STANDARD: 5 (Name the author and official document at corestandards.org. illustrator and define the role of each.) Rather have the standards in the palm of THE GIST: Kick off an author study unit your hand? Download a Common Core app by displaying several of the author’s by Mastery Connect (masteryconnect.com). books. Have students identify the author’s and illustrator’s names on the 26 SCHOLASTIC INSTRUCTOR FALL 2012 INS2•CCore.v9ds.indd 26 9/20/12 7:35 AM cover of each book (sometimes they LESSON: Pinterest Pictures THE GIST: Draw a pizza P.I.E. (“persuade, are one and the same). Discuss the GRADE: 3 inform, entertain”) organizer on the contributions made by each. Then have STANDARD: 3 (Describe events, ideas, board and discuss what is meant by students team up in author-illustrator or concepts using language that per- “author’s purpose.” Talk about several duos to create their own books. tains to time, sequence, and cause informational texts and classify the and effect.) purpose or purposes of each by writing Grades 3–5 THE GIST: “For many students, there the title in the appropriate slices of the is a learning curve to understand the pie. (Yes, an informational text can be LESSON: Word Detectives vocabulary of informational text,” says intended to persuade and entertain!) GRADES: 4–5 third-grade teacher Suzy Brooks of STANDARD: 4 (Determine the meaning Massachusetts. She uses images from LESSON: State Your Case of general academic and domain- a Pinterest board to introduce these GRADES: 6–8 specific words.) concepts. To teach sequencing, for STANDARD: 8 (Trace and evaluate THE GIST: Prompt students to identify example, Brooks shows a photo of a the argument and specific claims “suspect” words that may be hindering dog chasing a ball and asks students in a text.) their understanding of a text. They what likely happened both before and THE GIST: After they’ve read an infor- can flag the suspects with sticky notes after the photo was taken. mational text with a central argument, or write them on a separate sheet of have students pretend that they are paper. Have them find contextual clues Grades 6–8 lawyers in a courtroom. Ask them to to determine their meaning. Such clues state the author’s main claim, and usually come in the form of outright LESSON: Slice of the Pie provide ample evidence from the text definitions, neighboring synonyms or GRADES: 6–8 to back it up. The goal is to convince antonyms, or other information that STANDARD: 6 (Determine an author’s the classroom jury to agree with the can yield useful inferences. point of view or purpose.) author’s argument. When you’re ready to make a greater impact When you’re ready to advance your career You are ready for American Public University American Public University is ready to help you move your career forward. We offer respected degrees in Online Teaching and Learning, Instructional Leadership, Administration & Supervision, and more — completely online. And people are taking notice. We’ve been nationally recognized by the Sloan Consortium for effective practices in online education, and 99% of employers surveyed would hire one of our graduates again.* When you’re ready, visit StudyatAPU.com/instructor *APUS Alumni Employer Survey, January 2011 - December 2011 We want you to make an informed decision about the university that’s right for you. For more about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed each program, and other important information, visit www.apus.edu/disclosure. INS2•CCore.v9ds.indd 27 9/18/12 7:33 AM