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Nonfiction Text Features: Tools for Readers

Second graders explore the special features of nonfiction books — headings, bold words, captions, an index, and a glossary — and learn how each one helps them find and understand information.

Grade 2Text Features50 minutes1 class periodReading WorkshopExplicit teaching4 StandardsCommon Core
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Identify nonfiction text features.
  • ✓Explain what each does.
  • ✓Use features to find facts.
  • ✓Use the glossary and index.
Essential Question

Nonfiction books have special parts that storybooks don’t — like bold words and an index. What are they, and how do they help us find facts fast?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Match It · Interactive

Match the Feature

Project this and match each nonfiction text feature to its job — tap a feature, then tap what it does for the reader.

📑 Match each text feature to its jobTry it
Text Feature
What It Does
Tap a feature, then tap its job!
The Lesson · Reading Workshop (Mini-Lesson · Practice · Share)

50 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Connect — Not Like a Storybook

5 min

Nonfiction books have parts storybooks don’t — what are they?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Compare a story and a fact book.
  • Ask what’s different.
  • Set the goal: text features.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Compare the books.
  • Notice the parts.
  • Predict the features.
2

Teach — Tools for Readers

12 min

Teacher models.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Point out headings and bold words.
  • Show captions and the glossary.
  • Show the index.

🎒 Student Actions

  • See the features.
  • Learn each job.
  • Point to them.
3

Active Engagement — Match Together

13 min

Class uses Match the Feature.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Match each feature to its job.
  • Explain how it helps.
  • Find one in a book.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Match them.
  • Explain them.
  • Find one.
4

Practice — Practice

13 min

Students use features.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Find text features in a book.
  • Use the glossary for a word.
  • Use the index to find a page.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Find features.
  • Use the glossary.
  • Use the index.
5

Share — Share

5 min

Students share a feature.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Invite a feature and its job.
  • Show how it helped.
  • Hand out the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Share a feature.
  • Explain it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

CCSS
RI.2.5

Use text features to locate key facts or information efficiently.

CCSS
RI.2.1

Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

CCSS
RI.2.6

Identify the main purpose of a text.

CCSS
RI.2.7

Explain how images clarify a text.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Feature picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “A ___ helps me ___.”
  • Point to features in a book.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Focus on headings and captions.
  • Use a real nonfiction book.
  • Match one pair at a time.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Use an index to research.
  • Compare two nonfiction books.
  • Make a feature for a report.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 📚Nonfiction books
  • 💻Match the Feature
  • 🖍️Pencils
  • 🗂️Feature cards
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

nonfictionwriting about real factstext featurea special part of a nonfiction bookheadinga title for a sectionbold worda key word in dark printcaptionwords that explain a pictureindexan A-B-C list of topics and pagesglossarya list of important words and meaningstable of contentsa list of what is in the book
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What does a heading tell you?
What a section of the book is going to be about.
QUESTION 2
If you want to find what a bold word means, where can you look?
In the glossary.
QUESTION 3
What does the index at the back of a book help you do?
Find the page where a topic is discussed (it’s an A-B-C list of topics and page numbers).

Growing at home? Feature hunt.

Have families explore a nonfiction book together and point out the headings, bold words, captions, index, and glossary. A printable text-features sheet is in the ELA library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Nonfiction Text FeaturesFlip
Card 1
Term
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Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Nonfiction Text FeaturesQuiz
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1 / 6
Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Nonfiction Text FeaturesPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: bold word, caption, glossary, heading, index, nonfiction, table of contents, text feature
  1. a title for a section
  2. a special part of a nonfiction book
  3. a key word in dark print
  4. a list of important words and meanings
  5. words that explain a picture
  6. writing about real facts
  7. a list of what is in the book
  8. an A-B-C list of topics and pages

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What does a heading tell you?
  2. If you want to find what a bold word means, where can you look?
  3. What does the index at the back of a book help you do?
Answer key — Part A: 1) heading · 2) text feature · 3) bold word · 4) glossary · 5) caption · 6) nonfiction · 7) table of contents · 8) index
Part B: 1) What a section of the book is going to be about. 2) In the glossary. 3) Find the page where a topic is discussed (it’s an A-B-C list of topics and page numbers).