Taste New Books! Lesson Plan

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Academic Standards

 

Reading Objective:

Children will identify and describe a variety of book genres.

 

ELA Focus:

book genres

 

ELA Skills:

key details, vocabulary, opinion writing

 

Page 4 Skill:

word scramble

 

Vocabulary:

fiction, realistic fiction, nonfiction, biography, mystery, comics, speech bubbles, graphic novels

 

CCSS:

SL.2.3, RI.2.1, RI.2.4, RI.2.10, W.2.1

 

Guided Reading Level: 

L

 

Lexile Level: 

520L

Download TEKS Standards
Download Common Core Standards

Provide students with some background on types of books.

Build background knowledge (10 min.)

Watch our video "All Kinds of Books." After children have finished watching the video, discuss the following questions:

  • What kind of book is your favorite? What kind would you like to try?

Preview vocabulary (3 min.)

Next, play the online vocabulary slideshow. This issue’s featured words are fiction, realistic fiction, nonfiction, biography, mystery, comics, speech bubbles, and graphic novels.

Set a purpose for reading (5 min.)

  • Pass out the issue, and discuss the cover. What kinds of books have children read before?
  • Next, read the As You Read prompt on page 3: “Think about which kinds of books you would like to try.” Encourage children to think about this prompt as they read.

Read together (20 min.)

Pass out the Read and Think printable. Use it to check comprehension as you read the issue together, pausing to ask the questions. 

Assessment: Reading Quiz 

Pass out the Reading Quiz to review key concepts from the issue and assess students’ proficiency on key nonfiction reading skills.

  • The “Sort the Books” game is terrific for helping kids distinguish between fiction and nonfiction.

You can use our printable worksheets to focus on important ELA skills. Here’s how.

ELA Focus: Vocabulary (15 min.)

  • Use the Word Work printable to deepen students’ understanding of the terms fiction, realistic fiction, nonfiction, biography, mystery, comics, and speech bubbles.

Editor’s Pick: Opinion Writing (15 min.)

  • The My Book Review skill sheet invites children to write reviews of the books they read. You can post them in the classroom so students can see their peers’ recommendations.

ELA Focus: Reading (15 min.)

  • The Book Tasting skill sheet guides children through “tasting” a book— previewing it to see whether it is a book they would like to read.

 Here's a past issue you can use to extend your Read Across America lesson:

  • “Meet Christian Robinson!,” March 2021. This issue introduces children to Christian Robinson, a Caldecott Honor author and illustrator who tells stories through pictures.

You can find a higher-Lexile-level and a lower-Lexile-level version of the article online here:

  • Higher-Lexile level: 560L
  • Lower-Lexile level: 490L