What are Landforms? Text Features Interactive Read Aloud

In first grade, students are expected to know and use various text features to locate key facts or information in a text.  When I looped with my class to second grade last year, I thought text features would be fairly easy for them since it wasn't a new concept.  However, in second grade, they have to know and use text features to locate key facts or information in a text EFFICIENTLY.  Part of using them efficiently includes them being able to explain how that text feature was useful in their understanding of the text.  This was a very difficult concept for them.  I had only planned for a week on text features, but I quickly realized that one week was not enough.  So, this year I stretched out text features over two consecutive weeks.  In this post, we will focus on week one.  I used this week to review and really become familiar with identifying and naming the different text features.

I always like to have a focus board in my classroom that changes weekly based on the standards we will be covering during our read aloud.  I post the anchor chart, learning posters, vocabulary, and the mentor sentence for the week.  We refer to all of these components during each lesson.  For the anchor chart, I included many different types of text features.  You can discuss each one and write in the name of the text feature below each.  You could do this before the read aloud or during the read aloud as you come to each one in the text.  I also made small posters for each text feature explaining their purpose.  I printed these 4 to a page so that they didn't take up so much space.

What are Landforms?  Text Features Interactive Read Aloud

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We use two different texts for the read aloud this week.  What are Landforms? by Bobbie Kalman is a great introduction to the different types of landforms and includes many different text features.  You can find it HERE.  The other text I use for later in the week is on Epic! Books, Earth's Landforms and Bodies of Water.  

I always include five days of lesson plans.  Each day contains a mini lesson, what pages of the text to read, text dependent questions to ask while reading, a daily task, partner talk, and an exit ticket.  You can also print the questions on sticky notes using the template.

The daily tasks are always standards-based.  Day 1 and 2 focus on going on Text Feature Scavenger Hunts throughout the text.  We do two together, one with a partner, and one independently for assessment.  On day 3, students make a mountain craft in which they add labels and create a caption for the craft.  Days 4 and 5 consist of the culminating task in which they make their own book about landforms using text features.  There is also a multiple choice assessment on day 5 over identifying text features.

Since so many students are distance learning this year, I am creating digital versions of each read aloud.  There are five days of Google Slides TM for each story.  Each day's lesson includes an agenda, embedded learning video, learning goal for the week, and success criteria detailing what is expected that day.

There are 3-4 vocabulary cards that contain a kid-friendly definition, a sentence, illustration, and a different task each day for the words.

The independent practice is different each day and contains text boxes in which students can respond inside.  You will also find an exit ticket, wrap it up slide, and a self assessment to let you know how they are feeling about the lesson.

The Read Aloud slide below is for the book on Epic! Books.  There are always questions for you to ask students during your read aloud.  I would always be sure to read the book aloud to your students over your platform.  

The culminating task is even included.  Instead of students choosing which landforms to add to their book, I added illustrations for them.  They will label and create captions for each one.

They will complete the assessment on day 5.

You can click on any of the photos above or the images below to check out the different resources covered here today.  I hope these help cover your social studies and ELA standards in a fun way!  As always, thanks for stopping by!