Students will go over the qualities of an informational text once more in this lesson. At the end of this lesson, students are able to:
- Determine and elucidate the textual elements found in informative texts.
- Ask and respond to questions to show that you grasp the aspects of the text.
- Enhance your comprehension of the important aspects of the book.

- What meaning do literary and informational texts have for strategic readers?
- What kind of responses and thought processes are elicited by text interaction?
- What is the actual topic of this text?

- Informational Text: A book that gives information or facts about real people, things, or events.
- Characteristics: Features or qualities that help identify something.
- Text Features: Any visual clues on a page of text that offer additional information to guide the reader’s understanding.
- Captions: Words or sentences that give information about a photograph.
- Table of Contents: A list of chapter titles and the page numbers on which they begin. A table of contents is located at the beginning of a book.
- Glossary: A list of words in a book and their meanings.
- Bold Print: Heavy, dark print.
- Italics: Slanted print.

- a variety of literary and informational books for sorting (enough for each student to have a book)
- Second-grade science or social studies textbooks would be the best resources for this lesson because they generally have most of the text features that are discussed. 
Alternative informational texts:
- Cynthia Rylant. (2003). Why Do Horses Neigh?. Penguin Young Readers. 
- Melvin Berger. (2000). Dive! A Book of Deep Sea Creatures. Cartwheel. 
- Daniel Lipkowitz. (2012). The Lego Book. DK Publishing.
- Seymour Simon. (2013). Coral Reefs. Harper Collins.
- Mary Ann McDonald. (2007). Garter Snakes. The Child’s World.
- Weekly Reader
- Scholastic News
- Time for Kids
- National Geographic Young Explorers
Teachers may substitute other books or magazines to provide a range of reading and level of text complexity.
- a variety of informational magazines that include nonfiction text features. Examples include the following:
- chart paper
- overhead projector or document camera
- copies of Informational Text Features Chart (L-2-3-2_Informational Text Features Chart). Modify the chart to target the features you have chosen to review. The chart can be turned into a booklet for a slightly different presentation.
- T-chart used in Lesson 1 (L-2-3_T-Chart and KEY)

Emphasize the value of informative text elements and how the author employs them to highlight information in the text to the students during the session.
- Check through student observations to see if they can identify and describe the characteristics of an informational text. Examine students' informal comprehension of the traits and their ability to locate examples of them.
- Utilize the checklist below to assess pupils' comprehension:
- Students are able to accurately identify every aspect of the informative text that was covered in this session.
- Students are able to clarify the purpose of each informational text component discussed in this session.

Explicit instruction, modeling, scaffolding, and active engagement
W: Ask pupils to complete a chart or booklet indicating text features to show that they grasp the features of an informational text. 
H: Assign pupils to quickly divide books into two groups: informational and literary. Next, inquire about the qualities that enabled them to classify the books. 
E: Ask students to go over the characteristics of informational texts, explain what they know about each characteristic, and then work in small groups to identify the aspects of the texts and record their results in a graphic organizer. 
R: Give pupils the chance to work with classmates and edit their answers as needed. 
E: Practice recognizing aspects in a range of informational literature to help students get a better understanding of the qualities of informational writing. 
T: Offer extra guidance and practice to pupils who are struggling to grasp the lesson's contents. To encourage learning, let students work in small groups or with partners. 
O: Students will demonstrate their comprehension of the characteristics of an informational book by participating in pair and small group projects, whole class instruction, and modeling.

Focus Question: What traits do informational texts have?

Give each pupil a text, either literary or educational, at random. Set up two desks or baskets at the front of the room, one for informational texts and one for literary texts. After giving the kids a minute to peruse their books, ask each one to come to the front and be placed in the proper category.

Remind pupils what characteristics mean, which are attributes or features that aid in identifying something. "What distinguishes literary texts from other types of texts?" (They narrate a tale.) "What distinguishes informative texts from other types?" (They provide details.) Invite a few students to discuss how the qualities of their book assisted them in determining the category to which it belongs.

Part 1

Because few books at this level provide more than two or three examples, before the session, gather several preselected informational books that contain examples of the text features on which you would like to focus (e.g., table of contents, index, bold print, bulleted lists, captions, labels). Additionally, arrange the students in a group on the floor close to you or use an overhead projector or document camera so that every student can view the samples of text features you demonstrate.

Present the literary elements. T-chart from Lesson 1. Get someone to help you go over the literary text's components. (plot, setting, and characters) Question: "Why do writers use these details in their literary works?" (to shape the narrative and advance it)

Say, "Today we will fill in the other side of the T-chart and concentrate on the qualities of informational text."

Say, "Let's go over some of the characteristics of an informational work using the book Garter Snakes. We will use inquiries such as "who," "what," "where," "when," "why," and "how" as we turn the pages of the book to aid in identifying the aspects.

To find out what the students know about the various text aspects, as you peruse the book, ask questions. Write each feature you've identified on the T-chart, and if needed, add an illustration next to it. Although they are based on Garter Snakes, the following questions can be modified to fit any other informative material.

Open to page 3. "What text feature do you see on this page?" you might ask. (table of contents) Where is this feature usually found?"(at the beginning of the book)  “How does this feature help the reader?” (It enumerates every section of the book along with the page where it starts.)
Navigate to pages 4 and 5. Ask, "Why does the author include photographs in the book?". (To aid the reader in comprehending the material; to illustrate the appearance of garter snakes.) "What is this feature called?" point to the caption. (Caption) "What does a caption serve as?" (To provide context for the image.) Say, "Informational texts can have a variety of print styles. Examine the caption. It is printed slanted or in italics. Why do you suppose the captions' author chose to utilize italics? (To set them apart from the remainder of the text and demonstrate that they complement the images.)
Open to page 8. Draw attention to how the words "scales" and "albinos" are pronounced and bolded, respectively. Inquire as to how these print elements benefit the reader. (They help the reader know how to utter words by highlighting unfamiliar or significant terms.)
Ask pupils to point out and describe the textual elements on pages 30 and 31. Ask: "Where can I typically find the index and glossary?" (At the book's ending.)
You can review more text features with a distinct informative text. Permit pupils to pose and respond to queries regarding the text's aspects. Record every feature using the T-chart. Ask pupils to justify the author's usage of each aspect.

Part 2

Provide a copy of the L-2-3-2_Informational Text Features Chart informational text features chart to every student, or make a booklet with one page for each feature. The features can be changed to correspond with the ones you went over in the lesson.

Put pupils in pairs or small groups. Offer multiple texts with information.

Say, "You are going to go on a scavenger hunt to locate instances of the informative text features that are indicated in the booklet or on the chart. Mark the location of each feature you find in the text using sticky notes. Next, return to your chart or pamphlet and illustrate the text element with a description and an illustration."

Use previous editions of classroom publications, like Scholastic News or Time for Kids, to have students cut out examples of text elements and adhere them to the booklet or chart.

Allow pupils enough time to finish the booklet or chart. If required, have students trade texts with one another to identify examples of the characteristics.

Discuss a number of the traits that the students identified as a class. Ask, "How did the details in this [text, table/graph, map, etc.] supplement the information in the caption?" Give students time to talk with a partner or in a group before sharing with the class.

Gather the charts and booklets, then evaluate the student's ability to recognize textual elements and their intended meanings to show that they grasp the qualities of an informational text.

Extension:

Work with your students who require more learning opportunities, and have them think aloud and finish a graphic organizer through guided practice, modeling, and/or guided practice.
Pupils who are prepared to go above and beyond the curriculum can study an informative text on any subject they want. Ask them to list three items they took away from the book and explain how the text's qualities made it easier for them to locate or comprehend the material.