Lessons & Units :: Genre Studies: Informational Texts Kindergarten Unit

Lesson 1: New Information

Lesson Plan

Giant Pandas | 860L

Giant Pandas
Learning Goal
Identify facts learned from an informational book.
Explain that informational books teach you information.
Duration
Approximately 50 minutes
Necessary Materials
Provided: Example Chart, Independent Practice Worksheet
Not Provided: Giant Pandas by Gail Gibbons, chart paper, markers

  • Teacher Modeling

    will explain that we are going to learn about a genre called “informational texts.” One characteristic of informational texts is that they teach the reader new information, or facts, about a topic. I will add this to my Characteristics of Informational Texts Chart (Example Chart is provided in Unit Teacher and Student Materials). I will explain that a good reader identifies facts about the topic of an informational text by reading the sentences in the text. I will read the first few pages of the book, Giant Pandas by Gail Gibbons. As I read, I will identify factual information that I learned about the topic of the book. For example, giant pandas live in China. After identify 2-3 facts, I will look back and reflect that an informational text about pandas taught me new facts about panda bears.

  • Think Check

    Ask: "How did I identify information about a topic in an informational text?" Students should answer that you read the text and thought about what information you learned from the pictures and the text.

  • Guided Practice

    will continue to read the informational book and work together to identify the new information we are learning. We will discuss how informational texts provide facts about a topic—in this case, facts about pandas. We will add the title of the text to our chart to show that this informational text has facts about a topic.

  • Independent Practice

    will identify one new fact that you learned from the book and explain how you know a book is informational.

Build Student Vocabulary mountains

Tier 2 Word: mountains
Contextualize the word as it is used in the story “Giant pandas live in the mountains of China.”
Explain the meaning student-friendly definition) A mountain is a piece of land that is tall, very steep, and often rocky. (Show picture, if possible.) Pandas live on mountains, not on flat ground.
Students repeat the word Say the word mountains with me: mountains.
Teacher gives examples of the word in other contexts Some people enjoy hiking (walking) up mountains; they say it is very beautiful. We were very tired after walking up the tall mountain.
Students provide examples Why might a person climb a mountain? Start by saying, “A person might climb a mountain because ____________________.”
Students repeat the word again. What word are we talking about? mountains
Additional Vocabulary Words communicate, gentle

Build Student Background Knowledge

Stop after reading page 12 of Giant Pandas and explain that bamboo is a special type of grass that grows in some parts of the world, such as East Asia, Australia, India, and parts of Africa. (Show students a picture of bamboo from the book or from the Internet.) Bamboo is actually the fastest growing woody plant in the world–it can grow more than 2 feet per day! (Measure two feet in the air with your arms.) Pandas are not the only animals that eat bamboo; sometimes gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants, and rats eat bamboo too.

Texts & Materials

Standards Alignment

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