Nonfiction Text Features, Part I

One of the most important second grade reading standards is related to nonfiction texts.  Reading nonfiction texts (as well as writing nonfiction) require a different approach than we take with fiction books.  The numerous nonfiction text features that kids need to learn how to use to ensure they understand the text--headings, sidebars, captions, diagrams, maps, charts/graphs, glossaries, table of contents, and the index.  Kids need to learn about these features so they know what value they bring to the text--not only to help read nonfiction text but also to help them write nonfiction text.

One of my favorite books to use at the beginning of the year to help students learn about these features is What If You Had Animal Teeth? by Sandra Markle and illustrated by Howard McWilliam.  There is actually an entire What If You Had series, and they are all structured the same.  Each page has a heading with the animal's name, text about it the body part (teeth in this case), a sidebar with a fact about the animal, and then a little blurb about if you had that animal's teeth.  There is also a photograph of the animal, as well as an illustration of a human with the animal's teeth.

The What If You Had series is perfect for teaching nonfiction text features at the beginning of the year because they are very high-interest books (who wouldn't love to see what walrus teeth would look like on human?) but they have limited text features.  The main two text features I focus on with these books are the headings and the sidebar featured on each page.  The other really cool thing about this book is the mixture of photographs and illustrations.  The majority of nonfiction texts have photographs, so sometimes kids get confused if nonfiction texts have illustrations.  Since this book has both, it is an excellent example of how both illustrations and photographs can be used in nonfiction text.

The only downside (which is fairly minor) is that these books can take a bit longer to read than your typical read aloud.  Allowing a bit of extra time or spreading them out over a couple of days will give you and your students the chance to fully enjoy all of the animals and information in these books.  At the end of each book there a two pages about what's special about that body part (teeth, in this case) and also how to keep your human teeth healthy.

When I introduce What If You Had Animal Teeth? to my class, we read it over two days.  Second graders can have a hard time sitting for too long and they might zone out and miss a really cool animal or facts about them.  Reading it over two days also allows your students to share what they remember from the previous day--and allows you to review those important components you want to focus on (in this case, those nonfiction text features).  You could do a quick formative assessment to see if kids remember the terms you taught them the day before (heading, sidebar, etc.).

After we've read the book during a writing mini lesson we talk about how they could incorporate headings and sidebars into their own nonfiction writing.  I model some examples of what it could look like.  I haven't had students print photographs for using in their books yet, but I think it would be a great idea.  I'd love to see how kids might mix both drawings and photographs into their nonfiction books.  

What are some of your favorite books to teach nonfiction text features with?  Share them below!

Happy Reading!

~Carrie

What If You Had Animal Teeth?