Unit 2, Week 4, Day 2
FCAT SKILL :Text Feature: Illustrations and Captions
Mini-Lesson Teaching Point: Readers learn more information about
nonfiction text by reading the captions that are next to the illustrations
Materials: 257R, 258/259, 260/261
Connection: (activate prior knowledge and focus student attention on the lesson)
Yesterday we were working on making inferences from what the author says and
what we already know.
Today I am going to show you another way that readers gather information when
they read by reading the captions that are next to illustrations
because when we read nonfiction articles that give us facts about real things or
events, illustrations and captions tell more information than is just in the article
itself.
Today we will look at the article Butterflies on page 258-259 in your books
Teach: (demonstrate the teaching point as if you were working independently)
Let me show you how I look at the illustrations or drawings and then read the
captions and labels. A caption gives us more facts about what is shown in an
illustration.
Hmmm…I see illustrations of different butterflies. The labels show me the different
parts of a butterfly. The captions tell me what kinds of butterflies are shown. What
information do you find out from looking at the illustrations and caption on pg. 259?
I notice that at the top of the page I see a big illustration of a butterfly. The
illustration shows the different parts of a butterfly: legs, head, antennae, and wings.
The caption below the illustration tells that butterflies come in many different
shapes and sizes, but all have the same body parts.
Did you see how I looked carefully at the illustration and read the caption. The
article said that the butterflies had the same body parts but until I read the labels on
the illustration, I didn’t know what they were. The labels on the illustration gave me
more information about butterflies.
Active Engagement: (coach and assess students during this time)
Now you are going to have a try. Let’s read the rest of the article. Students and
teacher read the article. Look at the illustrations on page 260. How do the
illustrations help you to understand the text? Discuss with your partner how the
illustrations help you to understand this article better. Use details from the
selection to help you.
Readers. Let’s all come back together. How did the author use illustrations to help
you understand the text better? Possible answers could include: The illustrations help
me understand exactly what the text is describing. I noticed that the text says that the
caterpillar makes a hard shell or case to live in. I wasn’t sure what the shell or case
looked like, so I looked at the illustration to find out more about it’s color and shape.
Unit 2, Week 4, Day 2
FCAT SKILL :Text Feature: Illustrations and Captions
Mini-Lesson Teaching Point: Readers learn more information about
nonfiction text by reading the captions that are next to the illustrations
Materials: 257R, 258/259, 260/261
Link: (review and clarify key points, globalizing their utility from the now to the future)
Today and everyday when you are reading non-fiction texts, It is important to read
ALL the writing especially labels diagrams to get as much information as possible.
This will help you better understand what the text is about.
Extend: Have students do the On-Level Practice Book page 74 to
practice writing captions.