Topic #5 Notes: Reading Nonfiction And Expository Text

Objectives

• Analyze essential skills and engaging strategies for reading grade-appropriate nonfiction and expository text.
  • Aligns with: ILA-S 2.2; InTASC 1(d), 2(g), 4(h), 4(j), 4(p), 4(r)
• Develop reading and writing assessments that evaluate students’ ability to conduct research and interact with nonfiction and expository writing.
  • Aligns with: ILA-S 3.1; InTASC 6(k), 6(r)
• Promote critical examination of online resources and foster digital literacy.
  • Aligns with: ILA-S 1.1, 5.3; InTASC 3(m), 4(p), 5(h), 5(l), 5(m), 8(g), 8(j), 8(n), 8(o); ISTE-E 3b

Key Concepts and Definitions

• Nonfiction vs. Expository Text
  • Nonfiction includes factual content across disciplines; expository text explains, informs, and presents information logically.
• Text Features and Text Structures
  • Text features: headings, captions, graphs, indexes, glossaries, sidebars, etc.
  • Text organization: how information is arranged (e.g., cause/effect, problem/solution, description, sequence).
• Reading-Writing Connection
  • Reading supports writing; writing supports reading. When students read about a topic before writing, they gain information to write with; writing about a text reinforces understanding. (Dela Rosa, 2021)
• Source Credibility & Bias
  • Importance of evaluating relevance, credibility, bias; recognizing fake news; distinguishing credible sources from biased or sensational content.
• Digital Literacy and Online Resources
  • Skills include evaluating websites, keyword searches, recognizing political bias, and understanding domain types (GTLDs).
• Text Feature Walks (Kelley & Clausen-Grace, 2010)
  • A collaborative strategy where students explore text features in sequence to predict and comprehend main ideas.
• Informational Books vs Biography
  • Informational books provide verifiable facts and explain concepts; biographies and autobiographies tell life stories with factual grounding but may include narrative elements.
• Types of Informational Books (Short & Cueto, 2023)
  • Informational chapter books, informational picture books, graphic novels, concept picture books, photo essays, multigenre books, informational book series, fact books, reference books.
• Evaluation of Informational Books
  • Criteria include clarity, accuracy, depth, organization, inquiry strategies, theme coherence, captions, references, visual appeal, and alignment with audience.
• Reader Relationships and Pairings
  • Pairing nonfiction with related fiction to promote response and critical thinking; helps children distinguish fiction vs nonfiction, and understand structures.

Discussion Questions

• DQ1: Why is it important for students to conduct research and determine relevance, credibility, and bias of internet resources? Why is this essential in academics, daily life, and work? Provide real-world examples.
  • Emphasizes practical digital literacy, critical thinking, and information integrity in academic work and professional decision-making.
  • Suggested sources (examples in transcript): Gorelik (2019), Coiro (2017), Walters (2024), Muir (2023) on evaluating online information and credible sources; Vitasek (2024) on the role of academic research; Librarian blogs and teaching resources.
• DQ2: Identify your target grade level and list essential qualities for grade-appropriate nonfiction and expository text. Describe two learning activities (one for each type) focused on specific reading skills. Include discussion of formal and informal assessments.
  • Encourages planning around age-appropriate content, text features, and evidence-based assessment practices.

Readings (Overview and Relevance)

• Dela Rosa, R. (2021). The reading-writing connection is much stronger in one direction than the other. Psychreg.
  • Key idea: Reading and writing are interrelated; writing often requires more cognitive load; integrating reading and writing yields benefits in fluency and comprehension.
• Gorelik, K. (2019). Today's students can't identify fake news, says study. We Are Teachers.
  • Highlights need to teach students to recognize bias, perform cross-checks, and understand media literacy concepts.
• Hammer, B. (2021). 5 Tips for helping students of all ages find credible online. Edmentum.
  • Practical strategies for teaching credibility, including keyword searches, evaluating sources, recognizing doctored images, and age-appropriate digital-literacy steps.
• Kelley, M. & Clausen-Grace, N. (2010). Guiding students through expository text with text feature walks. Reading Rockets.
  • Describes text feature walks, rationale, pilot study results, and detailed steps for teacher and student roles.
• Lambert, K. (n.d.). The ultimate guide to teaching source credibility. Education World.
  • Frameworks for evaluating credibility, explains gTLDs, types of information, and ways to discuss fake news and satire in the classroom.
• Matthiessen, C. (2019). Nonfiction revolution. Great Schools.
  • Argues for broader nonfiction reading/writing in schools; discusses CCSS shifts, ACT findings, and six parent-focused strategies to spark nonfiction engagement.
• Short, K. G., & Cueto, D. W. (2023). Essentials of children's literature (10th ed.). (Ch. 12: Nonfiction: Biography and Informational Books).
  • Distinguishes biographies and informational books, various biography types, evaluation questions, and formats for informational books; discusses reader connections and major professional lists for exemplary nonfiction.
• Taylor, M. (n.d.). Strategies to improve kids' nonfiction reading comprehension. Brightly.
  • Nonfiction strategies: explicit instruction, abundant authentic nonfiction, text features and structures, determining main ideas vs. details, predictive reading, pre/post questioning, and visual notetaking tools (graphic organizers, KWL, interactive notetaking).
• The link between Reading and Writing. (n.d.). Braintrust Tutors.
  • Summarizes reciprocal relationship and practice ideas like reading as a writer and writing as a reader; example activities include annotations, writing responses, journaling, and creating follow-up texts.

Readings: EXPLORE (Additional References in the Module)

• Cummins, K. (2021, 2024). Teaching fact and opinion. Literacy Ideas for Teachers and Students.
• Reading comprehension strategy series: How to teach making connections in the upper elementary (podcast). The Classroom Nook.
• Terrell. (2017). 9 websites and games to teach students how to cite sources in essays. American TESOL.
• Related resources: Edutopia, NPR Finder’s Guide to Facts, EasyBib Credibility Checker, Newsela blog on media literacy, and other scaffolded activities for evaluating sources and citation practices.

Excerpts and Takeaways (Selected Readings)

• Dela Rosa (2021)
  • There is a distinct link between reading and writing; however, sometimes they are treated separately; strong reader often becomes a strong writer, but the reverse is not always true.
  • Six key points:
  • If students read before writing, they gain information to write with.
  • Writing about a text (responding, note-taking, summarizing) reinforces understanding.
  • Integrate reading and writing instruction rather than keeping them separate.
  • Reading and writing are acts of communication.
  • Writing instruction can improve reading fluency and comprehension.
  • Teachers should apply knowledge of both skills when working with students.
• Hammer (2021)
  • Educators play a critical role in developing investigation, evaluation, and critical-thinking skills for research.
  • Strategies scale for elementary through secondary: keyword searches, evaluating credibility, recognizing bias, and discussing reliability.
  • Elementary focus: age-appropriate searches, distinguishing authentic from altered images, and age-appropriate sources; sample questions for student reflection.
  • Middle/High focus: foster critical thinking, discuss media bias, refine search terms, and use advanced search strategies.
• Kelley & Clausen-Grace (2010)
  • Text feature walks help students predict and comprehend: background knowledge, staged discussion of text features, and connection to main ideas.
  • Steps for teacher-guided and student-led discussions, including pronunciation scaffolding and gradual exposure to larger chunks of text.
  • Student guide steps 1-5 and the role rotation for features; fast finishers reflect on learning and predict main ideas.
• Lambert (n.d.)
  • Credibility framework: discuss satire, fake news, and sensational sites; Know Your Search Operators and GTLDs; discuss bias and the roles of various information sources.
  • GTLDs: .com, .net, .gov, .org, .edu with cautions about bias and reliability.
  • Credibility check tools: NPR Finder’s Guide to Facts, EasyBib’s Credibility Checker; classroom activities for practicing credibility.
• Matthiessen (2019)
  • Nonfiction is central to education: CCSS calls for more informational text as students progress; by 4th grade, fiction and informational should balance; by 12th grade, nonfiction should dominate (30% fiction, 70% nonfiction).
  • ACT (2006) findings: success in college readiness linked to ability to comprehend complex texts.
  • Emphasizes a “nonfiction revolution” in reading and writing across curricula; six parent-focused strategies to spark nonfiction engagement.
• Taylor (n.d.)
  • Five key strategies for nonfiction comprehension:
  • Explicit instruction, chunking text, and modeling strategies.
  • Provide abundant, high-quality nonfiction.
  • Teach text characteristics and text structures (e.g., description, sequence, cause/effect, problem/solution).
  • Determine importance: main idea vs. interesting details; use clues from titles, subtitles, captions, and introductions/conclusions; practice summarizing.
  • Ask purposeful questions before, during, and after reading; use visual notetaking (graphic organizers, KWL, thinking maps, interactive notetaking).
• Short & Cueto (2023)
  • Biography vs informational books: definitions, subtypes (autobiography, memoir), and evaluation criteria.
  • Documentation and accuracy: authentic biographies rely on eyewitness accounts, documents, diaries, audio/video; fictionalized biographies incorporate invented dialogue while staying grounded in facts; biographic fiction blends fact with fiction.
  • Point of view: compare multiple bios to understand perspective; historical overview shows how biographies reflect the values of their times.
  • Informational books: non-textbook nonfiction intended to engage curiosity with verifiable facts; formats include chapters, picture books, graphic novels, concept books, photo essays, multigenre works, book series, fact books, and reference aids.
  • Evaluation questions cover clarity, accuracy, depth, organization, inquiry tools, audience-appropriateness, captions, and visual design.
  • Reader connections: pairing informational books with related fiction to promote discussion and comprehension; lists of notable resources (Orbis Pictus, Sibert Medal, NSTA lists).
  • Enduring takeaway: informational literature constitutes a large share of classroom reading, but traditional emphasis on fiction has historically persisted; current standards push toward stronger informational literacy.

Text Feature Walks: Practical Details

• Rationale (Kelley & Clausen-Grace, 2010)
  • Expository text often includes dense vocabulary and content; features and organization can enhance comprehension.
• Steps for implementation (teacher guide):
  • Select texts with some background knowledge.
  • Do not expose students to too much text at once.
  • Scaffold pronunciation of new vocabulary before discussion.
  • Have students determine how the walk improved comprehension.
• Student guide (example sequence):
  1) In a small group, start with the first text feature; identify feature type (heading, image, map, etc.).
  2) Read the feature; discuss predictions, questions, connections to main idea.
  3) Rotate to the next feature; repeat steps 2-4 until all features are discussed.
  4) Fast finishers reflect on what they learned and predict the main idea.

Informational Text Types and Evaluation (Short & Cueto, 2023)

• Biography vs Autobiography vs Memoir
  • Biography: life story of a real person; may include multiple perspectives and documentation.
  • Autobiography: author writes about their own life.
  • Memoir: reflective interpretation of experiences by the author.
• Informational Books: definition and purpose
  • Provide verifiable facts; aim to engage curiosity from a particular viewpoint; not textbooks; writing is expository.
• Formats of informational books
  • Informational chapter book, informational picture book, informational graphic novels, concept picture book, photo essay, multigenre books, informational book series, fact books, reference books.
• Evaluation and selection criteria
  • Clarity, accuracy, depth, organization, inquiry strategies, coherence around a theme, distinction between fact/theory/opinion, captions/labels, reference aids, visual attractiveness, and appropriate format for audience.
• Reader connections and professional lists
  • Pairing with fiction; Orbis Pictus, Sibert Medal, NSTA lists, and notable social studies lists highlight exemplary nonfiction.

Assignments

• Expository Lesson Plan and Reflection (Part 1)
  • Who: 6-8 grade range students from the Class Profile.
  • What/Task: Using the COE Lesson Plan Template, create a lesson plan focused on teaching students how to conduct research and interact with expository text; include differentiated instruction to meet diverse needs.
  • Part 1 requirements:
  • Technology integration to promote critical examination and digital literacy.
  • Multiple means of representation: distinguish primary vs secondary sources, determine credibility/bias, assess relevance and reliability.
  • Multiple means of engagement: text-to-text comparison, connections to self and world.
  • Include activities for citing sources and creating an annotated bibliography.
  • Multiple means of expression: opportunities to apply reading and writing skills in assessments.
• Part 2: Reflection (150-250 words)
  • Explain how the lesson provides engaging opportunities to learn, practice, and master essential skills for interacting with expository text (conducting research, distinguishing credible sources, identifying key details, critical examination, citing sources).
  • Support with 2-3 scholarly resources; APA-style in-text citations and references recommended (not strictly required for body).

Expectations and Rubrics (Page 29)

• Demonstration of knowledge of best practices across learning (student), instruction (teacher), and differentiation strategies.
• Evidence of teaching vs. telling; student engagement.
• Appropriate selection of formative and summative assessments; avoid worksheets.
• Alignment of standards and objectives.
• Demonstration of knowledge of nonfiction strategies and research processes.
• Scholarly writing: succinct, precise academic vocabulary; use of scholarly references.
• Correct in-text citations and a properly formatted reference page.
• No worksheets; all activities should be tool-based and inquiry-driven.

Notation of Key Formulas and Numerical References (LaTeX)

• End-of-4th-grade target: expect a balance between fiction and informational text
  • $ext{By the end of 4th grade: fiction} = ext{informational (50/50)}$
• End-of-12th-grade target: nonfiction dominates
  • $30 ext{\% fiction}, \, 70 ext{\% nonfiction}$
• Circulation distribution (informational focus, per Short & Cueto):
  • $50\% \text{ -- } 85\%$ of book circulation is informational content in some studies; specifics depend on library context.

References to Course Resources and Citations

• Dela Rosa, R. (2021). The reading-writing connection is much stronger in one direction than the other. Psychreg.
• Gorelik, K. (2019). Today's students can't identify fake news, says study. We Are Teachers.
• Hammer, B. (2021). 5 Tips for helping students of all ages find credible online sources. Edmentum.
• Kelley, M. & Clausen-Grace, N. (2010). Guiding students through expository text with text feature walks. Reading Rockets.
• Lambert, K. (n.d.). The ultimate guide to teaching source credibility. Education World.
• Matthiessen, C. (2019). Nonfiction revolution. Great Schools.
• Short, K. G., & Cueto, D. W. (2023). Essentials of children's literature (10th ed.). Chapter 12: Nonfiction: Biography and Informational Books. Pearson.
• Taylor, M. (n.d.). Strategies to improve kids' nonfiction reading comprehension. Brightly.
• The link between Reading and Writing. (n.d.). Braintrust Tutors.

Summary: How to Use These Notes for Exam Preparation

• Understand the core distinctions between nonfiction, expository text, and their instructional implications.
• Learn and be able to discuss strategies for evaluating online resources and teaching source credibility (text features, GTLDs, satire vs. fact).
• Be able to articulate the reading-writing connection and provide classroom examples of integrated activities.
• Know the major types and formats of informational books and how to evaluate them for classroom use.
• Be prepared to design an Expository Lesson Plan that includes technology, multiple representations/engagements, and assessments, plus a concise reflection with scholarly sources.
• Remember the policy expectations: no worksheets; strong emphasis on standards alignment, scholarly writing, and proper citations.