Non Fiction Matters

Our first month of school has been a productive one. We started off the year learning about non fiction text features. This year we are piloting a program called Think It-Critical Reading Through Non Fiction Reading by Junior Great Books.
There are three components involved in our Think It books.
1. Read and Understand- Read text and note your reactions then write about your reaction. As we read we are also encouraged to write questions you may have about the text.
2. Examine- Take a closer look at the ideas in the selection and the way the author has presented those ideas. This involves rereading and noting an idea or a theme in the text. Then you will write about the idea or theme.This will help organize your thoughts and develop solid thoughts and opinions about the text.
3. Create- This activity is completed after 1 and 2. Creating something new based on what you have learned. This may involve writing creatively to describe something from a new point of view, or to compare the selection to your own life.
We read the Wright Brothers, Inc. as our first selection. Students were in teams and cooperated well as we learned about the Wright Brothers. Here are some photos from the first day of fifth grade!