Reading Nonfiction with Purpose: Informational Text Strategies for Upper Elementary

Workshop 3

What You'll Learn

After completing this workshop, you'll be equipped to teach students to:

recognize and use nonfiction text features

distinguish fact from opinion

identify an author's purpose for writing

read and build graphic organizers

recognize common informational text structures

Start Here

Suggested Teaching Order

Nine lessons, building from foundational nonfiction skills through organizer literacy and individual text structures, to a culminating activity that ties them all together.

Foundational Nonfiction Skills

Reading Graphic Organizers

Teaching Students How to Read Graphic Organizers

Understanding Text Structures

Chronological, Sequential, and Consecutive Order

Bring It All Together

Once students know each text structure individually, this anchor-chart lesson shows how the very same topic can be organized four different ways depending on the structure an author chooses — the perfect capstone for this workshop.

Text Structures ~ Make Your Own Anchor Chart

Text Structure Anchor Charts

Find anchor chart ideas, a staggered flip organizer, and classroom‑ready tips — an ideal match for the four text structure lessons above.

Put It Into Practice

Once students know the core skills, these seasonal and topical nonfiction pieces give them real texts to apply what they've learned.

Seasonal Practice Nonseasonal Topics Practice with Media

Seasonal Practice

These posts pair a nonfiction article with comprehension activities tied to a specific time of year. Most handouts are stored in the newsletter Seasonal Vaults — if you're following along through the newsletter workshops, you'll already have the username and password. Otherwise, sign up for the newsletter to unlock them.

The Tomb of the UnknownsFall Vault
Book Study for Blockhead: The Life of FibonacciFall Vault
Man Who Walked Between the Towers Book StudyFall Vault
Winter Holidays – Articles and TimelineWinter Vault
The History of Groundhog Day + The Life Cycle of a GroundhogWinter Vault
Legends of St. ValentineWinter Vault
Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and “The Big Bopper”Winter Vault
Famous April Fools’ Day HoaxesSpring Vault
Exploring the History and Symbolism of RainbowsFree Access

Nonseasonal Topics for Practice

Standalone nonfiction topics that don't tie to a specific date on the calendar.

Holocaust Heroes
Ten Interesting Facts… Volcanoes — coming April 2027
Ten Interesting Facts… The American Civil War — coming December 2026

Practice with Media

Each of these pairs a video lesson with a matching article and comprehension activities — great for a warm-up, a sub day, or independent review.

Ten Interesting Facts… Earth's Sun
Constitution for Kids
The Story of Christopher ColumbusFall Vault
St. Patrick's Day ActivitiesSpring Vault

Strong readers treat nonfiction differently than fiction — scanning for structure, questioning the author's purpose, and using text features to guide their thinking. Explore each lesson above to build a complete unit on informational text, and check back as more seasonal and topical practice pieces are added throughout the year.