The ability students have to interact with nonfiction and expository text through reading, writing, conducting research, and across content areas continues to increase as student access to technology becomes more widespread. Teachers are being called upon to provide instruction in the critical review of such text in greater depth and with students of nearly all ages.

Imagine you are teaching the 6-8 grade range students from the “Class Profile .” They will soon be completing research projects in their science and social studies classes, and you want them to be well prepared to research and read the content needed for them to execute their projects effectively. For both projects, students will be expected to conduct their own research, select supporting resources and text, and be able to present and justify their research evidence to support the projects.

Using the “COE Lesson Plan Template,” create a lesson plan focused on teaching students how to conduct research and interact with nonfiction and expository text. When creating the lesson plan, be mindful of creating a culturally relevant learning experience and differentiating instruction to meet the diverse needs of students in the classroom. The lesson should address the following:

Practical skills associated with reading nonfiction and expository text so students can filter out key details, steps, facts, etc. from a longer piece of writing.
Strategies for text-to-text comparison including how text relates to the individual and how text relates to the world.
Characteristics of informational text versus persuasive/biased text.
Steps for distinguishing between primary and secondary sources, determining what makes a credible, unbiased source, and how to determine the relevance and reliability of a source.
Incorporate the use of technology to promote the critical examination of research and foster digital literacy.
Utilize reading and writing skills as part of the lesson assessment.