Libby Kent

ED 215R
LESSON PLAN #2 Deliver on Wednesday, October 29th
Readers Workshop (Mini-lesson, independent reading with conferencing, whole group
share)
RATIONALE FOR THE LESSON:
The second graders have just started their second readers workshop unit on text features in
nonfiction books. The unit will be launched on Monday. I decided to pick out two of the
text features (table of contents and index) to focus my mini-lesson on. These features fit
well with the unit since the students have not discussed them yet and they are related to each
other so we can find similarities and differences. The range of readers in this class is from
emergent readers (Levels A-B) through transitional readers (Levels H-M). Students will
have their just-right nonfiction books in their book boxes already so they can work on
finding and using these text features.
OUTCOMES/GOALS:
For the Student:
CCSS.RI.2.5: Know and use various text features (e.g., captions, bold print,
subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or
information in a text efficiently.
For the Teacher:
WTS: Standard #7
~The teacher plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the
community, and curriculum goals.
Dispositions:
~The teacher values both long term and short term planning.
~The teacher believes that plans must always be open to adjustment and revision
based on student needs and changing circumstances.
~The teacher values planning as a collegial activity.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
The students will be able to effectively locate and use the table of contents and index in their
nonfiction books and be able to describe how those text features help them to better
understand the information.
ASSESSMENT:
I will take anecdotal records as I walk around and answer questions the students may have. I
will also be able to check for student understanding when they share in front of the class.
Observation will be one of the main methods of assessment since this is the first time they
are being introduced to these two text features and working with them. The behaviors I am
looking include finding the table of contents and the index and using them to find a topic in
the book. I am also looking for the students to tell me how the table of contents and index
helped them to better understand the information in their book.

STRATGIES FOR STUDENTS OF VARYING LEVELS OF DEVELOPMENT AND

IDENTIFIED LEARNING NEEDS:
The students will be able to use their individual books and I will be able to give varied
levels of support to each one. I can carry around a same nonfiction book incase the students
need more modeling. If the skills seems easy to them, I will give them praise and move on.
The students that are having problems starting the task, I will motivate and point out to them
what they already know. The student with autism will need frequent, friendly reminders to
stay on task and perhaps a bit more prompting that the rest of the students.
MATERIALS: List all materials you will need to teach this lesson.
~Oversized Book, Science Tools by J.A. Randolph
~Clipboard or folder to take notes on with a list of student names
~Students book boxes
~2 papers with text features title on them, and the questions we will answer
These are just a guide for the mini-lesson. My CT will put up an anchor-type poster
with the specific text features later on. I will put these handmade papers up for my
students to see during my lesson.
~post-its/pencil
TOTAL TIME NEEDED: 12 minutes (mini-lesson), 2 minute transition, 30 minutes
(practice/read to self), 2 minutes transition, 12 minutes (partner and group share), 2 minutes
(transition to recess) = 60 minutes
PROCEDURES:
a.) Introduction:
Hi second graders! I was wondering if anybody noticed someone new or anyone new
in the classroom today? Without talking, can you point to it? Thats right, we have my mom
here today to help me videotape my lesson I am teaching you. All of you lovely second
graders will still be learning and working on your reading, but she will just be walking
around taping me as I help you all learn. Please do not walk up to the camera, touch it, or be
goofy in front of it. Just act normal and ignore that it is even there and it will not become a
distraction. Please nod your head if you agree with these rules I have set for the video
camera. Wonderful! Now that we all agree we will begin with the lesson.
On Monday, you guys were introduced to nonfiction books for your readers
workshop. Does anyone remember what text features you have looked at already? Nonfiction books are different from reading stories since there usually are not a problem but
instead facts about a topic. Nonfiction books have special text features while fiction books,
or stories, do not. Understanding how to use text features of non-fiction will help you to
understand your reading better and the way nonfiction books are set up. Today we will be
working with two text features, table of contents and index. We will learn how to find these
in a nonfiction book and to help us understand the information better.
b.) Demonstration and Participation:

(Show paper with questions about table of contents) (See end of lesson plan for these
papers) Before we start looking at this text features, I would like to see what you guys know
about them already. Raise your hand to tell me something you know about the table of
contents. The table of contents helps you find the specific information you are looking for
quickly so you dont have to read the whole book. The first question on this paper says
Where can it be found? The table of contents is found in the beginning of the book,
usually the first page or two. We will use this huge book called Science Tools to show you
the table of contents. This book is nonfiction since it gives us information about science
tools rather than telling us a story about them. I am turning the cover and I found the title
page. Does this look like the table of contents? Nope, let me turn the page again. Does this
page look like the table of contents? Yes? How can we tell? Yup, it is labeled with Table of
Contents. Most tables of contents are found at the beginning of a text, but you might have
to turn a few pages in order to find it. Some nonfiction books may not contain a table of
contents. Alright, now that we know where it is located lets move onto the next question,
What does it do? The table of contents lists the parts (or chapters) of a book and gives the
page numbers where they are located. The first part is called Observation Tools. What
page can I find it on? As you can see here, its on page 4. Lets go to that page to see the
observation tools. We will read these pages about observation tools. Look here, something
that I learned about observation tools is that a microscope is used to look at very tiny things.
I think I would like to write this on a post-it so I can share with someone later. (write post-it
and stick in book.)
Lets go back to the table of contents and try again. I would like to know where I can
find information about Measuring Tools. Put up the correct number of fingers to tell me
what page I can find measuring tools on. Thats right, from looking at the table of contents,
we can find that on page 6, we will learn about Measuring Tools. I will turn to this page
to find out if I was right and see if I learned any new information. (turn to page 6.) I did
know that a thermometer measures temperature, but I didnt know that water freezes at 32
degrees Fahrenheit. This is something I will write on a post-it. While I am writing it, you
may turn to your partner to talk about the information we learned from these pages.
Okaylets come back in 321. Now that we have an understanding of what the table
of contents does and how to use it, lets discuss the next text feature. Put a thumbs up if you
think you understand the table of contents, or a hand in the air if you have any questions.
The other text feature we will discuss today is the index. Lets look on our paper here
to see what questions we will be answering about the index. (Show paper with questions
about index) The first question says Where can it be found? The index is found on the
back pages of a nonfiction book. Lets turn to the back page. Look at that! This page is even
labeled Index so we knew we were right. Lets look at the next question. Why do we
need it? We need the index to find important topics we are interested in and the page
numbers where we can find them. If you are interested in just one topic, you can check here
to see if the book has information about that topic. If it does not, then you dont need to read
the entire book, you can look for a different book that does have the information. Does
anybody know how the table of contents and the index are different? The table of contents
shows specific parts of the book and the index shows where you can find information about
specific words. Some of these words are the bold faced words in the book. The index tells

you where they are, but doesnt give you their defintion. That would be the glossary which
you will learn about a different day. The index is also in alphabetical order. Alphabetical
order means that the words are arranged so that first letter is in the same order as the letters
in the alphabet. It is easier to find what you are looking for this way. Lets practice a bit
now. I want to learn more about a fossil. It says here on the index that fossil can be found
on page 11. Lets turn to that page to see what information we can find. It says
here(read page and discuss). I learned that a fossil is the bone of a prehistoric animal.
That seems like something interesting, I am going to write it on a post-it. Lets have one
more example. (pick another quick example.) This time I will have you turn to someone
sitting next to you to tell me what page you can find the topic on. Remember that the index
helps me find information quickly, so I can learn about the topic better. Instead of reading
the whole book, I can use the index to point right to the information that relates to my
interests.
c.) Closure:
Now that we have discussed and worked with the table of contents and index, I
would like you guys to go work on finding and using them to help you understand the
information in your non-fiction texts. During your independent reading time now, I would
like you to read the books you have been reading already, but first look for the table of
contents and index in your nonfiction book. Mark with a post-it a topic you found using the
table of contents or the index and write what you learned on it. Put it in your book so we can
share them later. Some of your books may not have one of these text features, so just work
with whatever your book has, or see if another nonfiction book in your book-box has a table
of contents and index. While I walk around, I would like you to point out where they are in
your book and I will give you an example to find. I will also be checking to see if you can
tell me how the table of contents and the index helped you to understand the information in
your book by showing me the post-its you wrote. What materials will you need at your
independent reading spot? Today you will need your book boxes which should already have
post-its, and a pencil in them. I will call out the color you are sitting on so you can go get
your book box. (dismiss from carpet) Remember that after you have written a post-it with
information you found from either the table of contents or the index, then you are free to
silently read to yourself.
d.) Practice:
Students will read independently and work on finding the table of contents and index
in their books and use them appropriately. I will walk around conferring/assessing the
students to make sure they understand how to properly use those two text features. I will
also provide additional support through modeling, if it appears that its needed. Remind
them about 5 minutes before the end that they should start to finish up.
e.) Performance:
Alright second graders, I would like you all to come back to the carpet and sit next to
your reading partners. We will show each other the table of contents and indexes in our

books and show them how we used them to better understand the information. (Let the
students confer with each other.) I will walk around to make sure the partnerships are on
task.
Okay, lets come back as a group in 3..2.1. Raise your hand if you can tell me
something that you found in your partners book by looking at the index. Lets have one
student come up with their nonfiction book to show the class how they used either the table
of contents or the index to find information in their book. I will point out characteristics that
students did well and ask the students to share briefly what they thought their partners did
well.
f.) Closure/Recap
Now that you as readers are able to find and use the table of contents and index in
your nonfiction books and be able to describe how they help you better understand the
information, I hope you will be using these resources in the future to help you. Raise your
hand if you had fun learning about these today. Put two hands up if you are excited to learn
about other text features tomorrow! Super! Well its about time to get ready for recess now,
good job today! Lets listen to Mrs. Kabele about lining up for recess.

Table of Contents
-Where can it be found?
-What does it do?
Index
-Where can it be found?
-Why do we need it?