Can’t We All Just Get Along?
Unifying Informational and
Literary Texts
Valerie Mickish and Kaneshia Robinson
Gwinnett County Public Schools
Why is there a need to create a union
between informational and literary texts?
Literary Text
O ELCC8RL1: Cite the textual evidence that most
strongly supports an analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from
the text.
Informational Text
O ELACC8RI1: Cite the textual evidence that most
strongly supports an analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from
the text.
Close Reading
Douglas Fisher
Selecting Short, Worthy Passages
O When introducing a strategy, use short texts
to promote rereading.
O Excerpts from extended texts can also be a
focus of strategy work.
O Students take notes on confusing parts as
they read, paying specific attention to new or
confusing vocabulary.
Text Complexity: Raising Rigor in Reading. Douglas Fisher,
Nancy Frey, and Dianne Lapp. pgs. 108-109
How can we incorporate think-alouds
into our classroom instruction?
“As apprentices, students need to have thinking
made visible.” (Fisher, Frey, and Lapp, 2012)
O Modeling
O “Untitled” by Dan Argent
O Think Aloud and Shared Reading
O Independent Practice
O Read the 2nd half of “Untitled.”
O Perform shared readings with annotations.
“Untitled”
-Dan Argent
My full name is Marlowe-8210-K, but everyone
calls me Karl. I live in an apartment with my
brother Jay in one of the shabbier parts of the city.
My apartment is pretty small, just the two rooms
and a shower cubby, but that’s all we can afford
these days. Our societal utility score is low, almost
zero, and if things don’t take a turn for the better
soon, I’ll be the last of our clone-line born into this
world.
65 Fresh Mentor Texts and Lessons for Teaching Literature.
Harvey “Smokey” Daniels and Nancy Steineke. pg. 32
How can an informational text support
the understanding of a literary text?
O Modeling
O “Clone and Cloning” article
O Annotations and text-based conversation
questions
O Sentence Frames
“Clone and Cloning”
A clone is a cell, group of cells, or organism
produced by asexual reproduction that
contains genetic information identical to that
of the parent cell or organism. Asexual
reproduction is the process by which a single
parent cell divides to produce two new
daughter cells.
How can an informational text support
the understanding of a literary text?
O Independent Practice
O Read the first two paragraphs of the next
section, “The History of Cloning.”
O Develop conversation questions and record
them in your Writer’s Notebook.
O Discuss with the group using textual
evidence.
How can informational texts support
conversations?
Sentence Frames
O I agree that_____ (a point that needs
emphasizing) because so many people believe
that_____.
O Although I concede that _____, I still insist
that______.
O Although I don’t agree that, I do recognize
that______.
O The evidence shows that_____.
O My own view, however, is that _____.
Text Complexity: Raising Rigor in Reading. Douglas Fisher,
Nancy Frey, and Dianne Lapp. pgs. 108-109
How do students use evidence from an
article to build an argument?
O Identify Preparation Partners.
75 Texts and Lessons for Content-Area Reading. Harvey
“Smokey” Daniels and Nancy Steineke. pgs. 104-106
How do students use evidence from an
article to build an argument?
O With your Preparation Partner, use textual
O
O
O
O
evidence to develop an argument on the half
sheet.
Review Argument Rating Scale.
Now, present your argument to your Argument
Partner.
Preparation Partners- Identify the weakest point
of your argument partner’s claim.
Prepare refutation of your Argument Partner’s
claim.
75 Texts and Lessons for Content-Area Reading. Harvey
“Smokey” Daniels and Nancy Steineke. pgs. 104-106
How can a rereading of a literary text help a
student better understand the author’s theme?
O Scan the Three Level Study Guide
statements.
O Reread “Untitled.”
O Complete the Three Level Study Guide as
you read.
O Share with your table group what you’ve
learned from the rereading after exploring
the informational texts.
So, yes…
O Informational and literary texts
can get along when used to
support student understanding
of both.
THANK YOU FOR
ATTENDING OUR SESSION!