Reading Lesson Planning Guide-Informational | Sixth Grade
Reading Process Throughout the Year
Strand 1: Reading Process
Concept 6: Comprehension Strategies
PO1. Predict text content using prior knowledge and text features (e.g., illustrations, titles, topic sentences, key words).
PO2. Confirm predictions about text for accuracy.
PO3. Generate clarifying questions in order to comprehend text.
PO4. Use graphic organizers in order to clarify the meaning of the text.
PO5. Connect information and events in text to experience and to related text and sources.
PO6. Apply knowledge of the organizational structures (e.g., chronological order, time-sequence order, cause and effect relationships) of text to aid comprehension.
PO7. Use reading strategies (e.g., drawing conclusions, determining cause and effect, making inferences, sequencing) to comprehend text.
GESDPO8. Reformat elements and / or content in an appropriate graphic organizer.
GESDPO9. Summarize a written selection including the main idea(s) and relevant details.
Instructional Period 3
Topic: Persuasive Text
Strand 3: Comprehending Informational Text
Comprehending Informational Text delineates specific and unique skills that are required to understand the wide array of informational text that is a part of our day-to-day
experiences.
Concept 3: Persuasive Text
Explain basic elements of argument in text and their relationship to the author's purpose and use of persuasive strategies.
Essential Questions: What is the position of the author? What is the author trying to convince the reader to think or do? How does the author persuade the reader?
Big Idea: Writers use specific strategies and techniques to persuade their audience
Performance
Objective
S3C3PO1.
Determine the
author’s specific
purpose for
writing the
persuasive text.
1
Process Integration
(skills to use)
R-S1C6PO3.
Generate clarifying questions in
order to comprehend text.
R-S1C6PO7.
Use reading strategies (e.g.,
drawing conclusions, determining
cause and effect, making
inferences, sequencing) to
comprehend text.
Explanations and Examples
Explanation:
The students will derive the author’s intent in writing the
persuasive text. The author’s intent in a persuasive text is to
convince readers to accept their opinion about a subject. When
reading persuasive writing, identify and locate the viewpoint
statement.
WARNING:
The first step to persuasive is to determine if a piece is
persuasive. Many pieces might be labeled as persuasive yet
when you read them you find that they are really just
informational. Make sure your pieces of text are PERSUASIVE
and NOT informational.
Glendale Elementary School District 3/22/2016
Resources
Introduction
Lessons:
 Reader’s
Workshop pp.
884-885
Guided Practice:
 Reading and
Information
Reading and
Information pp.
291-304
(author’s claims
Assessment

McDougall Littell
Text pp. 900 –
917

Unit Benchmark
Tests - Unit 8 pp.
171
Reading Lesson Planning Guide-Informational | Sixth Grade
R-S1C6PO5.
Connect information and events in
text to experience and to related text
and sources
R-S3C3PO2.
Identify the facts and details that
support the author’s argument
regarding a particular idea, subject,
concept, or object.
Circle any pronouns, synonyms
of the word “sports teams.”
Then say, “I know that authors
use other words to represent
the topic, or subject. So I will
look for those other words and
circle them throughout.”
“Since I know that the
author believes that sports
teams should continue, I
will highlight context clues
that indicate the benefits of
sports teams for kids”.
2
Key Vocabulary:
To Persuade: The act of swaying others’ feelings, beliefs, or
actions.
Author’s Purpose(Persuasive): To convince the reader of their
viewpoint
Topic/ Big Idea: The essential focus
Example:
Using the below persuasive text, code the text by:
 circle the subject. (sports teams)
 underline the viewpoint statement
 highlight context clues to author’s specific purpose
A sample meta-cognitive model has been provided for you in the
speech bubbles on the side to get you started.
Many public elementary schools in the United States are
getting rid of sports teams. There are many reasons for this.
Sports equipment is very expensive, and it takes time to maintain
and build fields. Coaches also have to be found, and usually a
nurse or doctor has to be present at all games in case a
participant gets hurt. This can be expensive and public education
does not always have the funds to support these events. But
sports teams can also be beneficial for public education
students. Teams teach kids how to work together, give them
confidence, and provide an outlet for physical activity. The teams
also require everyone to work together. The school must
organize the sporting events, the coaches must establish
cooperation and rules to play the games, and the parents must
commit time to getting their child to practice. Participants get the
benefit of learning skills and activities that they can apply to their
life later. While sports teams do require commitment and
dedication, I believe elementary schools should continue to fund
them, at least for the older students. Volunteers might be the
answer if schools cannot afford coaches or parents could come
and commit to work to get team equipment. Sports teams benefit
the community and build life skills in students. They are a vital
part of the school experience.
Glendale Elementary School District 3/22/2016
and support for
strategies)

Supplemental
Resources:
Teacher TubeLou Gehrig’s
speech
“After I read through the whole
paragraph, I noticed that the
author wants elementary schools
to continue to offer sports for
students. This sentence clearly
states the author’s viewpoint.
That is why I underlined it. The
signal phrase for me was ‘I
believe.”
Reading Lesson Planning Guide-Informational | Sixth Grade
What is the author’s purpose in writing this article?
a. to describe how important sports are used schools
b. to convince people that sports are important in schools
c. to inform people about the different sport teams
d. to explain to people how to exercise correctly at school
S3C3PO2.
Identify the facts
and details that
support the
author’s argument
regarding a
particular idea,
subject, concept,
or object.
R-S3C3PO1.
Determine the author’s specific
purpose for writing the persuasive
text.
Explanation:
The students will identify the reasons and logic the author uses
to make an argument. Students must first confirm the subject
and author’s purpose.
R-S3C3PO3.
Describe the intended effect of
persuasive strategies and
propaganda techniques (e.g.,
bandwagon, peer pressure,
repetition, testimonial, transfer,
loaded words) that an author uses.
Key Vocabulary:
Proposition or claim: the writer’s position on an issue or problem.
TEACH SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH
S3C3PO1 and S3C3PO3 (ABOVE).
Argument: a type of writing that develops a topic in a logical and
persuasive manner
Evidence: a reason, fact, statistic, example, or expert opinion
that supports a proposition or claim
Viewpoint: The author’s perspective or opinion on n issue or
topic.
Claim: a writer’s position on an issue or problem
Support: material that proves a claim; includes reasons and
evidence
Assumptions: opinions or beliefs that are taken for granted
Opposing Viewpoints: objections to the writer’s claims
Counterarguments: arguments made to oppose (counter)
opposing views
3
Glendale Elementary School District 3/22/2016
Introduction
Lessons:
 Should Animals
Be Kept as
Pets? Pg. 900905
 Standard
Lesson Files pg.
309-311
Assessment:
 Standard Lesson
Files Reading
and Informational
Text pg. 312-313
Reading Lesson Planning Guide-Informational | Sixth Grade
Example:
Using the following passage, the teacher should model coding
the paragraph for the following attributes:
“When I read this
sentence, the word
‘should’ really stands out
to me as a strong
indicator that this is what
the author believes. So
this is the authors
viewpoint statement.”
Subject: Circle
Viewpoint statement: underline
Argument: Highlight facts or claims
The local police should arrest anyone who plays instruments on the
street downtown. I have heard there are two times as many musicians
this summer than last summer. People argue that these musicians make
downtown look cluttered and noisy so the problem is out of control.
Studies show that these people commit all kinds of crimes after they
play. 75% of thefts in our neighborhood occur where street musicians
regularly perform. As a result, no one is safe walking the streets. So,
decent citizens should demand that the police clear musicians off our
streets and get them into restaurants where they belong.
Next Reformat Text:
Steps:
1. Rewrite the viewpoint statement.
2. Construct t-chart following sample below
3. Re-read highlighted facts and claims
4. Categorize the facts and claims placing them into the appropriate
chart
The police should arrest anyone who plays music
Facts/supports
Claims
Studies show…
I have heard…
75% of thefts in…
People argue…
Watch a persuasive speech. Listen for and label using a t-chart
such as the one used above:
Record the subject, viewpoint statement (speaker’s position),
and identify facts and claims.
Pause the speech to allow time for students to record facts and
claims in t-chart.
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Glendale Elementary School District 3/22/2016
As I read through this
paragraph, I noticed that
musicians appears
repeatedly. So this is the
subject of the paragraph. I
will circle it along with
pronouns and synonyms of
it.
Reading Lesson Planning Guide-Informational | Sixth Grade
Ideas for a speech:
 Martin Luther King Jr.
S3C3PO3.
Describe the
intended effect of
persuasive
strategies and
propaganda
techniques (e.g.,
bandwagon, peer
pressure,
repetition,
testimonial,
transfer, loaded
words) that an
author uses.
R-S1C6PO5.
Connect information and events in
text to experience and to related text
and sources.
R-S1C6PO3.
Generate clarifying questions in
order to comprehend text.
R-S1C6PO7.
Use reading strategies (e.g.,
drawing conclusions, determining
cause and effect, making
inferences, sequencing) to
comprehend text.
Explanation:
The students will identify persuasive strategies and propaganda
techniques authors utilize to persuade their audience. Then they
will label the strategy or technique. After that, students will
evaluate the anticipated effects of the particular strategy or
technique.
Key Vocabulary:
Persuasive techniques: devices of persuasion used for the
changing of one’s mind, making one take action, or both; usually
accomplished by a combination of emotional appeals and logical
reasoning.
Appeals by association: appeals that play to a positive image
(i.e. appeal to loyalty, plain folks appeal, bandwagon appeal,
snob appeal, appeal to authority)
Appeals to authority: references to people who are expert on a
subject
Bandwagon: A persuasive technique that attempts to get people
to follow the crowd using the logical fallacy that, since “everyone
else like it”, it must be good.
Logical reasoning: words that appeal to solid evidence
Ethical appeals: appeals that go to common beliefs or values
Emotional appeals: messages that create strong feelings such
as pity or fear
Loaded language: words with strongly positive or strongly
negative connotations, or shades of meaning
Transfer: attempts to transfer positive feelings associated with
images not necessarily related to the issue (e.g. a fabric
softener ad set in beautiful, clear mountain scenery, implying
freshness)
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Glendale Elementary School District 3/22/2016
Introduction
Lessons:
 Standard Lesson
Files, Reading
and Informational
Texts pg. 297301
 What Good
Comes from a
Good Deed? Pg.
908-911
 How do you
Capture a
Customer? Pg.
914-918
Supplemental
Resources:
http://www.literacylea
der.com/?q=node/460


Standard Test
Lessons.
Reading and
information Texts
pg. 304
Student Text- Pg.
926 Read
Fighting is Never
a Good Solution
– questions on
page 928 1-8
Reading Lesson Planning Guide-Informational | Sixth Grade
Peer Pressure: the reader is pressured to think or act in a
particular way so as to be accepted by one’s peers
Testimonial: a personal success story used to influence others
Propaganda: the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the
purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person
Example:
Direct instruction: Give definition and example of each
persuasive technique. Use the definitions above and the
example statements below.
Provide a statement for each type of Persuasive Techniques
 Bandwagon: ALL kids are wearing Lucky jeans.
 Testimonial: A professional football player claims a
particular deodorant is the best.
 Appeals: Buying a Smith Brand Smoke Detector could save
your life
 Loaded Language: Mr. Wood has been a clinging nuisance
here for years.
 Bait and switch: A car sales showroom puts a basic car
outside with a very low price-tag.
 Propaganda: a commercial on T.V. that sells a certain
medicine that you need to see your doctor (It makes people
believe they might have that illness.)
Gather a variety of printed ads that correspond to each of the
persuasive techniques.
Distribute to groups of students so they can identify the
technique and justify their thinking.
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Glendale Elementary School District 3/22/2016
Reading Lesson Planning Guide-Informational | Sixth Grade
Topic: Text Organization
Strand 3: Comprehending Informational Text
Comprehending Informational Text delineates specific and unique skills that are required to understand the wide array of informational text that is a part of our day-to-day
experiences.
Concept 1: Expository Text
Identify, analyze and apply knowledge of the purpose, structures, and elements of expository text.
Essential Questions: What should I be thinking about when I'm reading? What clues indicate the organization of the text? Why did the author write this?
Big Idea: Authors structure expository text to accomplish their purpose.
Performance
Objective
S3C1PO3.
Distinguish fact
from opinion in
expository text,
providing
supporting
evidence from
text.
Process Integration
(skills to use)
R-S1C6PO7.
Use reading strategies (e.g.,
drawing conclusions, determining
cause and effect, making
inferences, sequencing) to
comprehend text.
R-S1C6PO3.
Generate clarifying questions in
order to comprehend text.
R-S1C6PO4.
Use graphic organizers in order to
clarify the meaning of the text.
Explanations and Examples
Explanation:
Recognize the difference between a statement that is a fact
and a statement that is an opinion in a piece of expository text
and the need to evaluate the facts and opinion. When
evaluating a fact, look at the source of the information. When
reading opinions, they need to be well supported by facts,
experiences, and accounts of experts and other accounts of
reliable sources.
Fact:
 Can this statement be proven?

Clues: dates, names, statistics
Opinion:
 Is this statement a thought or feeling?
 Would the statement always be true?
 Clues: feel, believe, worst, always, best, never, most,
none, least
Key Vocabulary:
Fact: a statement that can be proven
Opinion: a statement of someone’s personal belief
Evidence: the proof from text.
Clue words: words that indicate information is evident for facts
( eg. The fact that, in fact, indeed, the truth is) or opinion
words (eg. believe, think, feel, argue, agree, support).
7
Glendale Elementary School District 3/22/2016
Resources


Introduction
Lessons:
Reading and
Information
Standards Lesson
Files pp. 39 – 44,
45
Guided Reading:
Read from Text
What Video
Games Can
Teach Us. pg. 892
Teachers guide
practice as
students create a
t-chart to list facts
from the text and
opinions from the
text. Along with
the statement,
write and model
reasons and
justification. Next,
students read
articles for short
text and complete
their t-chart
Assessment

Reading and
Information
Standards Lesson
Files p. 4
Reading Lesson Planning Guide-Informational | Sixth Grade
Example:
Teach students the steps for distinguishing facts from
opinions.


Step 1: Look for clue words; ask questions such as “Can
this be proven?” “Is there evidence to support this
statement?” .
Step 2: Analyze and evaluate facts to check the accuracy
of a fact. Ask questions such as “Is this a reliable
source?”
Step 3: Analyze and evaluate opinions to analyze an
opinion’s usefulness.
First:
The students need to read fact or opinion statements in
isolation, identify the type, and justify the answer.
Example statements:
Pit bulls are violent creatures.(O)
Video games have a negative effect on the brain.(O)
Students with long hair are troublemakers.(O)
I-pods are the most amazing invention ever.(O)
Our principal is the best at organizing assemblies.(O)
Ancient Greek myths are more than 3000 years old.(F)
Alaska is known as “the lost frontier.” (F)
Trees produce oxygen. (F)
The Sahara Desert is the hottest place in the world. (F)
Penguins are more adapted to life in the ocean than on land.
(F)
Then:
Use the following passage as a meta-cognitive model. There
are two samples to show your thinking, but continue through
the whole passage with each sentence.
Code the text as follows:
 Highlight Opinions
 Underline Facts
8
Glendale Elementary School District 3/22/2016
independently
(with justification)
Supplemental
Resources: Nonfiction text
(Any opportunity
throughout the year
when you read nonfiction text, use
questioning strategies
that relate to fact and
opinion.)
McDougall Littell:
Page 889-897
Reading Lesson Planning Guide-Informational | Sixth Grade
“This is a fact because it
can be proven by reading
Parent magazine and the
results of the survey.”
Concerns about Violence
According to a recent survey by Parent magazine, violence is
the number one concern of parents, especially as computer
graphics and special effects become more realistic. Some
parents and teachers blame school shootings and other
aggressive behavior on media violence—as seen in TV
programs, movies, and video games.
"If you've ever watched young children watching kickboxing,"
says child psychologist John Murray, "within a few minutes
they start popping up and pushing and shoving and imitating
the actions." Murray is at Kansas State University in
Manhattan, Kansas.
There's also evidence that people become less sensitive to
violence after a while, Murray says. In other words, you get so
used to seeing it that you eventually think it's not such a big
deal.
Then there's the "mean world syndrome." If you watch lots of
violence, you may start to think the world is a bad place. I still
sometimes have trouble falling asleep if I watch the news on
TV or read the newspaper right before going to bed.
Still, it's hard to prove that violence on TV leads to violence in
real life. It might be possible, for example, that people who are
already aggressive for other reasons are more drawn to
violent games and TV shows.
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20040114/Feature
1.asp
Additional practice:
Bring in an article from the sports page or pull up an article on
a news website to post on Smartboard.
1. www.azcentral.com
9
Glendale Elementary School District 3/22/2016
“This sentence is an
opinion because I see
there are some clue
words such as ‘some and
blame’ to indicate this.”
Reading Lesson Planning Guide-Informational | Sixth Grade
2.
3.
4.
www.cnn.com
www.foxnews.com
www.globalnytimes.com
Students will use the article to identify facts and opinions and
justify their rationale within text.
S3C1PO5.
Locate specific
information by
using
organizational
features (e.g.,
table of contents,
headings,
captions, bold
print, glossaries,
indices, italics,
key words, topic
sentences, and
concluding
sentences) of
expository text.
(Connected to
Research Strand
in Writing)
R-S3C1PO7.
Interpret graphic features (e.g.,
charts, maps, diagrams,
illustrations, tables, timelines,
graphs) of expository text.
R-S3C1PO5.
Locate specific information by using
organizational features (e.g., table
of contents, headings, captions,
bold print, italics, glossaries, indices,
key/guide words, topic sentences,
concluding sentences) of expository
text.
R-S1C6PO3.
Generate clarifying questions in
order to comprehend text.
Explanation:
Understanding the organization, graphic features and
elements of any piece of expository text.
Key Vocabulary:
Table of Contents: Part and chapter headings that give an
overview of what the book covers. It may also have useful
features.
Headings: this may include title and subtitle and may include a
general idea of what the book is about.
Captions: Descriptions of pictures, graphs/tables.
Bold Print: emphasis on words in darker font from the rest of
the print
Italics: slanted or sloping forward print to emphasize the word
different from the rest of the text
Glossary: a list of words relating to a specific topic with the
definitions of the words provided
Indices (index): alphabetical listing of names and topics along
with page number where they are discussed
Key/Guide Words: terms that precisely pertain to the concepts,
properties topics or ideas of a writing piece
Topic Sentences: a sentence that states the topic of its
paragraph
10
Glendale Elementary School District 3/22/2016
Supplemental
Resources:
 See McDougall
Littell TE page
945
Reading Lesson Planning Guide-Informational | Sixth Grade
Concluding Sentences: the last sentence in a body paragraph.
It is all commentary, does not repeat key words, and gives a
finished feeling to the paragraph
Example:
Focus on bold print, captions, italics
Students will use their science book or social studies book to
locate bold print, captions and italics. First, students will use
sticky notes to mark the locations within the text where these
features can be found. The sticky notes should be labeled
with B for bold print, C for captions, and I for italics. Complete
the chart below to show the location and reason that the
feature is used.
For example, italics is used here to provide a definition of a
term and a caption is used here because there is a
table/illustration/chart/graph.
Organizational
Feature
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Glendale Elementary School District 3/22/2016
Location in
Textbook
Purpose of
feature being
used
Reading Lesson Planning Guide-Informational | Sixth Grade
S3C1PO6.
Locate
appropriate print
and electronic
reference sources
(e.g.,
encyclopedia,
atlas, almanac,
dictionary,
thesaurus,
periodical,
textbooks, CDROM, website) for
a specific
purpose.
(Connected to
Research Strand
in Writing)
R-S3C1PO1.
Restate the main idea (explicit or
implicit) and supporting details in
expository text.
Explanation:
Readers evaluate and locate reliable sources to find and
narrow information on specific topics.
R-S3C1PO2.
Summarize the main idea and
critical details of expository text,
maintaining chronological or logical
order.
Key Vocabulary:
Credibility: trustworthiness of the source
Reliability: the reputation of the source
Currency: how current is the source
R-S3C1PO3.
Distinguish fact from opinion in
expository text, providing supporting
evidence from text.
Coverage: the amount and type of information in the source
Bias: an opinion for or against the topic
Relevance: the usefulness of the source for the topic
Example:
Learning activity: Students need access to this link:
www.worldatlas.com/
Students will create a bubble map of the purposes for using an
atlas.
Purposes for
Using an atlas
Examples of purposes:
 Locate cities and countries
 Climates
 Driving distances
 Elevation
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Glendale Elementary School District 3/22/2016
Reading Lesson Planning Guide-Informational | Sixth Grade
S3C1PO7.
Interpret graphic
features (e.g.,
charts, maps,
diagrams,
illustrations,
tables, timelines,
and graphs) of
expository text.
(Connected to
Research Strand
in Writing)
R-S1C6PO4.
Use graphic organizers in order to
clarify the meaning of the text.
R-S1C6PO7.
Use reading strategies (e.g.,
drawing conclusions, determining
cause and effect, making
inferences, sequencing) to
comprehend text.
Explanation:
The students will decipher information from graphic features
(e.g., charts, maps, diagrams, illustrations, tables, timelines,
and graphs) of expository text to support the readers
understanding of the main ideas and relevant information.
Key Vocabulary:
Diagram: a drawing with labels that show the parts of
something or how something works
Illustrations: pictures made with lines and colors to represent
or explain something
Example:
Learning activity: Using the science or social studies textbook,
students will locate a diagram and identify the following
features and determine their purposes:
Title, Labels, Caption, additional graphics.
Diagram of the Heart
“In this diagram, I see the title at
the top, which is “Diagram of the
Heart.” This tells me the subject of
the diagram. The lines that label
the different parts of the heart tell
me where the parts are located in
relation to one another. The
caption at the bottom of the
diagram provides me with
additional information about the
heart.”
The heart contains four chambers and four valves. The
superior vena cava, inferior vena cava, and pulmonary
vein are the large veins that empty into the heart; the
aorta and pulmonary artery are large arteries that lead
out of the heart.
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Glendale Elementary School District 3/22/2016
Supplemental
Resources:
 Yellow Reader’s
Handbook Page
428 and 429
Reading Lesson Planning Guide-Informational | Sixth Grade
S3C1PO8.
Identify the
organizational
structures (e.g.,
chronological
order, comparison
and contrast,
problem and
solution cause
and effect
relationships,
logical order) of
expository text.
R-S1C6 PO7.
Use reading strategies (e.g.,
drawing conclusions, determining
cause and effect, making
inferences, sequencing) to
comprehend text.
R-S1C6PO6.
Apply knowledge of the
organizational structures (e.g.,
chronological order, time-sequence
order, cause and effect
relationships) of text to aid
comprehension.
R-S1C6PO4.
Use graphic organizers in order to
clarify the meaning of the text.
Explanation:
Students should be able to read a text to identify how it is
organized, specifically in the paragraph organization of
defining/describing.
Content Knowledge: Students should understand the
transitional words. Each organizational structure has
transitional words that help students understand the
paragraph. Signal words for definition: is defined as, means,
is described as, is called, refers to, term or concept
Key Vocabulary:
Cause and Effect: a strategy for analyzing a subject by
examining the reasons for specific actions or events (cause)
and the consequences or results of certain causes (effect)
Example:
Direct Instruction: Introduce two examples of cause and effect
thinking maps
A.
Effect
Cause
Effect
Effect
B.
Effect
Effect
Effect
14
Glendale Elementary School District 3/22/2016
Cause
Reading Lesson Planning Guide-Informational | Sixth Grade
Included below is a sample meta-cognitive model:
Highlight = cause
Underline = the six effects
When a blood vessel in the skin is cut, some blood leaks out.
However, platelets soon clump together at the break in the
blood vessel. The platelets give off a substance that causes a
tangle of sticky fibers to form. Platelets, fibers, and trapped
blood cells clump together to form a clot. The clot seals the
break in the blood vessels. The bleeding stops.
Reformat the cause and 6 effects into cause-effect thinking
map A as shown above.
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Glendale Elementary School District 3/22/2016