Standard 2: Reading Informational Text

Learn about the history and importance of the state flag as a symbol of Florida with this interactive research page.

Type: Interactive Research Pages

Explore the history and importance of the US Presidents as a symbol of the United States with this interactive research page.

Type: Interactive Research Pages

Explore the history and importance of the bald eagle as a symbol of the United States with this interactive research page.

Type: Interactive Research Pages

Learn about the history and importance of the U.S. flag as a symbol of the United States with this interactive research page.

Type: Interactive Research Pages

Learn about the history and importance of Martin Luther King Jr Day with this interactive research page.

Type: Interactive Research Pages

Learn about the history and importance of Patriot Day with this interactive research page.

Type: Interactive Research Pages

Explore the history and importance of Constitution Day with this interactive research page.

Type: Interactive Research Pages

Learn about the history and importance of Celebrate Freedom Week with this interactive research page.

Type: Interactive Research Pages

Discover the history and importance of Veterans Day with this interactive research page.

Type: Interactive Research Pages

Learn about the history and importance of Independence Day in the United States of America with this interactive research page.

Type: Interactive Research Pages

This is lesson # 2 of 6 in the text unit series for The Flag We Love. Students will engage in whole group and partner discussions about illustrations #8-15 in the picture book The Flag We Love. Students will make predictions about the text. The teacher will guide students through illustrations 8-15 in The Flag We Love, strategically guiding student discussions to targeted civics vocabulary words. The students will indicate what they learned by adding to the class graphic organizer.

This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is lesson # 1 in the text unit series for The Flag We Love. Students will activate background knowledge about the American flag and add it to a class graphic organizer. Students will also generate questions, both independently and with a partner, about the American flag. Those responses will also be recorded on the graphic organizer. The teacher will introduce the book The Flag We Love. The class will complete a picture walk of the first seven illustrations with the teacher strategically bringing in targeted vocabulary words for the unit during the discussions. Students will share new learning or new questions after the picture walk. The teacher will also record that information on the graphic organizer.

This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is lesson #5 in the text unit series for The Flag We Love. Students will participate in whole group and partner discussions about the places and times the American flag can be seen and is used as a symbol, as detailed in the picture book The Flag We Love by Pam Munoz Ryan. The teacher will elicit responses from the class to complete a topic/detail graphic organizer. Students will identify the topic of the text and several details, then illustrate one of the details and complete a sentence stem.

This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource.

Type: Lesson Plan

After listening to The Bald Eagle by Norman Pearl or a teacher selected text about the bald eagle, students will identify the topic and details in the text while identifying the bald eagle as an American symbol in this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will identify the topic and three important details of a text, using a graphic organizer, and the text The Bald Eagle by Norman Pearl.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students reflect on the Founders’ decision to name the bald eagle as our national bird and symbol. They form their own opinion about whether bald eagles or wild turkeys would make a better national symbol and express their opinion with supporting reasons or facts. Students consider their classmates’ arguments before voting as a group to make a decision whether bald eagles or wild turkeys would make a better symbol for a country in part 2 of this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students use information from the book, The Bald Eagle by Norman Pearl, to compare the look and behavior of bald eagles and wild turkeys.  They explore early debates over the bald eagle as our national symbol as a way to differentiate fact from opinion in part 1 of this integrated lesson plan.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will go on a simulated bird-watching trip around the classroom. They will collect and sort images of various birds into categories based on their visible characteristics. They will use these groups of bird images to practice counting and comparing objects in different categories. Students will use descriptions of bald eagles in the book, The Bald Eagle by Norman Pearl, to identify images of bald eagles among their categories and discuss how the bald eagle is a symbol of the United States.

Type: Lesson Plan

Using the book Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin, students will explain facts and opinions about worms from the text. Students will decide if information from the text is a fact or opinion and write a factual statement about worms from the text.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will learn about the topic of brown bears by asking questions and gaining information from a non-fiction, informational text. Students will listen for key details in the text and recall information that will be demonstrated through drawing and writing.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will use the book, On a Farm by Alexa Andrews to practice identifying the topic and details of a text. Through the use of a bubble map and a student response sheet, students will record their learning after exploring the book. Student work will be appreciated at the end of the lesson with a gallery walk.

Type: Lesson Plan

Students will sort and classify rocks by observable properties, such as size, shape, color and texture. (The properties of temperature and weight are not addressed in this lesson).

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will serve as researchers of the beloved author, Kevin Henkes. After reading three of Henkes’s most popular books, students will complete a chart of story elements, record their opinion about each book, and create an opinion writing piece to inform others of their favorite Kevin Henkes book and why they like it best.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this multi-day lesson, students will learn about American holidays as they analyze grade-appropriate informational text. Students will learn to identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book and their text features. They will also learn how to use the text features (title, headings, and illustrations) to predict the topic of the book. As the teacher reads the book, students will confirm the topic and identify important details, recording them on a graphic organizer. Finally, students will use details from the graphic organizer to draw, dictate, and/or write an expository piece about the topic of the text. 

Type: Lesson Plan

In this multi-day lesson, students will learn about American symbols as they analyze grade-appropriate informational text. Students will learn to identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book and their text features. They will also learn how to use the text features (title, headings, and illustrations) to predict the topic of the book. As the teacher reads the book, students will confirm the topic and identify important details, recording them on a graphic organizer. Finally, students will use details from the graphic organizer to draw, dictate, and/or write an expository piece about the topic of the text.

Type: Lesson Plan

Use titles, headings, illustrations, and photographs to predict and confirm the topics of texts in this interactive tutorial. Join Jose' as he explores the text features of informational text in his search for new books on a variety of topics.

This is part 2 of a 2-part series. Click HERE to open What's the Topic? Part 1: Titles and Headings. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Use titles and headings to predict and confirm the topics of texts in this interactive tutorial. Join Jose' as he reviews the parts of a book and explores the text features of informational text in his search for new books on a variety of topics.

This is part 1 of a 2-part series. Click HERE to open What's the Topic? Part 2: Illustrations and Photographs.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Identify key details as you answer questions about informational text in this interactive tutorial. Join Sam as he explores the seashore and answers who, what, where, and when questions about sea stars, sea urchins, hermit crabs, horseshoe crabs, and other sea-related topics.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Answer questions about key details in nonfiction text with this interactive tutorial. Help Bobby the beekeeper answer who, what, and where questions while reading about buzzing bees.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

In this activity, students will identify the main topic and key details in a text.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will sort statements into fact and opinion categories.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will locate book titles, then sort them into fiction and nonfiction categories.

Type: Student Center Activity

In this activity, students will make and check predictions about text.

Type: Student Center Activity