The activities in this lesson provide a foundation for using nonfiction resources for developing and answering questions about gathered information. Using a wide variety of nonfiction literature, students learn to sort and categorize books to begin the information-gathering process. Then, working with partners and groups, using pictures and text, students are guided through the process of gathering information, asking clarifying questions, and then enhancing the information with additional details. Students complete the lesson by collaboratively making “Question and Answer” books for the classroom library. This is a high-interest foundation builder for using nonfiction literature in research as well as for pleasure reading

This five- part writing lesson is aimed at the middle elementary grades. After a read- aloud, students guess why the authors chose to represent each letter with a particular word and then summarize the pattern of the book. Students use the pattern to create their own class alphabet book.

In this lesson, the teacher demonstrates how to use a learning progression to assess a piece of writing and then asks the students to apply the progression to their own writing to make revisions.  The students have been writing informational texts to teach others about a topic.