One of the things that I’ve really had to work on during my classroom setup phase is a way to schedule in time for working with informational text each week. To be honest, I’ve always thought nonfiction was always a little drab. BUT through my search efforts to find texts that didn’t bore my students to tears, I quickly learned that informational text is one of my absolute favorite genres. I LOVE to learn and to hear about other people’s stories. Memoir and nonfiction pieces feed my hunger for soaking in all of the “culture” my heart can handle.
When I first started digging for informational texts to use in the classroom, I was going about it the wrong way. My students were just as bored as I was and I really didn’t feel as if I was making any progress. Over the years, I’ve found a few tips and tricks for not only finding texts that hold my students’ attention, but I’ve also discovered ways to implement informational text analysis skills that doesn’t really even feel like learning. It makes it not-so-painful for them, and I’ve definitely seen a jump in data in this category. If you are like I once was and you cringe when you think about stirring in a little nonfiction, OR you’re just looking for some creative new ways to weave in informational text, check out the following list of ways to incorporate this genre into your own lessons.
1. Keep it Weird
Let’s face it – some of the “classic” texts are a little out there. My district, as a whole, focuses on the play which was first performed around 429 BC, Oedipus the King. If you aren’t familiar with the story of Oedipus, let’s just say there’s murder, incest, fortune tellers, creepy twists of fate, and more. It has ALL.THE.THINGS. If it were a current, feature-length, modernized movie, students would probably flock to the theaters. However, this is not the case. The language is wonky, the subject matter is downright blush-worthy at times, and some of the plot lines are enough to leave even the most focused student scratching her head. At first, during this unit I had students reading informational text pieces on the Greek government, Greek philosophers, etc. However, my students were bored and I was, too. That’s when I had an idea – why don’t I play into the strangeness of this story? My students are obsessed with asking questions about the genetic issues of Oedipus’ children (who also happen to be his sisters. WHAT. WHY IS THIS A 10TH GRADE RITE OF PASSAGE TEXT?!), so why not play into that fascination? When I did a quick Google search for genetic issues, I found an article on the Crispr – a gene-editing tool. My students were obsessed and we even used it as an opportunity to do a cross-curricular study with one of the biology classes! This is when I realized it pays to keep it weird. The stranger the topic, the more my students pay attention to the text. So far, I’ve learned what my students are most interested in so I spend my time looking for pieces that deal with weird science, weird weather, and weird relationship drama. When I stopped focusing on the big plot and/or setting, and started honing in on the subplots that make the story intriguing, I was able to better choose informational texts for units that may be a little dry in and of themselves. Some of my favorite sites for choosing these off-the-beaten-path texts are: Wired, Psychology Today, and Popular Science.
2. Shift the focus to Universal Emotions
So many literary pieces teach us themes that truly show us valuable gems about human nature and who we are as people. I like to capitalize on this idea by killing two birds with one stone: use informational texts that also deal with social-emotional learning. For example, when we read Long Way Down by (the freakin’ King himself) Jason Reynolds, my students read pieces about how to grow resilience in their own lives. When we read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, we read pieces on betrayal, childhood memories, and guilt. It’s always nice to show students (and adults) new ways of looking at the world, themselves, and their emotions. I’ve learned so much about my own self by reading these articles with my students. The science behind brain chemistry and why we often do what we do is absolutely fascinating! Some of my favorite sites for choosing articles on human emotions and shared struggles that can double as social-emotional learning opportunities are: The Atlantic, Time Magazine’s Psychology section, and Live Science.
3. Let them Have a Choice
Even though we all know that I am the biggest micromanager/control freak/bossy pants in the world when it comes to my classroom, I’m trying to let go a little bit this semester. The results after the first couple of weeks have absolutely astounded me. The idea of an article of the week is not new, but it is new to me to let students have this much choice in their learning experience. I decided to give my students a choice as to which article they would read on Fridays and I decided which standard/skill they’ll apply to the article. I gave my students this hand out with a few suggestions and guidelines for the article that they choose.
I’ve created graphic organizers for each informational text standard to help my flock break down an article and dissect it rather than simply do a surface read. I ask them to read anything they’re interested in but keep take notes as they read using the graphic organizers that I give them. Here’s an example of their reading task and writing task from this week’s article of the week:
I use the rubric at the bottom of the writing section to evaluate their work. This isn’t a formal grade, but rather a check-in with both myself and the student to let them know their strengths and growth areas. I also have them do a fun, video response to their article using Flip Grid (You can read more about that process here!). Giving my students a choice in their learning has helped build their own background knowledge, help them make connections, and most importantly, it has given them a way to let their own unique personalities shine. I’m so excited about this process and I honestly wish I would have started it years ago.
I’m definitely STILL in the learning phases of how to become a master of informational texts. I’m hoping that by keeping it weird and adding in a little student choice I’ll be able to show my students the power of the written word and help them develop their analytical skills. What are some of your favorite ways to help students grow and love nonfiction pieces!? I’d love any tips or tricks!
