Lesson Four:  Analyzing Two or More Nonfiction Texts

LESSON DESCRIPTION

Using two familiar texts, the teacher leads a brainstorming session to determine author’s purpose.  That information will be presented in a comparison and contrast graphic organizer.  The terms “infer” and “draw conclusions” are reviewed and students practice making inferences.

       

GRADE-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS

         R3C    use details from text to paraphrase author’s stated ideas; make predictions; make inferences; evaluate the accuracy of the information; identify and interpret author’s purpose, slant and bias; respond to two or more sources; sequence events; compare and contrast details; identify and explain cause and effect; identify problem solving processes and explain the effectiveness of solutions

 

LESSON MATERIALS

 

§Sources of literature

o        None

 

§Supplies

o        Chart paper

o        Varied color markers

o        Overhead projector

 

§Handouts

o         “13 Reasons Our Ancestors Migrated” -  http://www.ancestry.com/library/view/columns/george/1436.asp

o         Children of Immigrants example article

o        Compare/contrast graphic organizer

o        Making inferences

 

§Words to know

o        compare

o        contrast

o        author’s purpose

o        draw conclusions

o        graphic organizer

 

        FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Distribute copies of a graphic organizer for comparison and contrast.  Several good graphic organizers for comparison and contrast are provided for teacher use in the “Strategies” section of the website http://www.readingquest.org.    Students work in pairs to compare and contrast the author’s purposes from the articles.  After utilizing the diagrams, students should individually write an overall conclusion that can be drawn from the articles.  Scoring guide provided.

 

Question

for

Students

How does recognizing the author’s purpose help you draw conclusions about a topic?

 

      

 

 

 

 LEARNING ACTIVITIES

1.        Using the articles “Thirteen Reasons our Ancestors Migrated” and “Children of Immigrants,” brainstorm why the authors wrote these articles.  Make a list on the overhead, chart paper, or board.

2.        Discuss as a group how these two authors’ purposes are similar and different.  Using a comparison and contrast graphic organizer, show students that there are many different ways to organize this information.

3.        Review the terms “infer” and “draw conclusions.”  Using paragraphs from the Making Inferences handout, allow students practice with the skill of making inferences. 

 

Definition

 

 

 

Infer: to draw meaning from a combination of clues in the text without

explicit reference to the text.  For example, an article may describe a character that runs water in a sink, adds detergent, and places dishes in the sink.  We could infer that the character is going to wash dishes, without the text actually stating the information.  Inferring is essential to drawing conclusions.  (Source: Glossary of Terms for Missouri Grade Level Expectations, Communication Arts)

Definition

 

Draw Conclusions: to use facts and inferences to come to a judgment or decision.  (Source: Glossary of Terms for Missouri Grade Level Expectations, Communication Arts)

 

                                       

                                                

Formative Assessment

 

Scoring Guide

 

        2 Points: Completes graphic organizer and has a well-written conclusion.

 

1 Point: Attempts to accurately complete the graphic organizer and attempts writing a conclusion.

 

0 Points: Incomplete or inaccurate response.