Ocean Life: Nonfiction Reading and Writing Unit (Determine Importance)

Students read nonfiction to LEARN and to become experts on one topic of study. Most importantly, they celebrate what they have learned by sharing it with others.

Students love to read nonfiction text almost as much as they love to learn about ocean life.

31 different ocean creature templates are included in this resource:

1. Sticky note template for each ocean animal
2. Publishing paper for each ocean animal (one blank page for additional space)
3. Poster for each ocean animal.

Retelling nonfiction text can be difficult for young readers. However, using the Most Important Words (MIW’s) strategy allows students to determine the importance of what is read.

Assign your students with a nonfiction text on a chosen topic. Allow them to peruse the Table of Contents to decide what they wish to learn about.

After reading the chapter, have the students reread to determine which words are “most important”. 

Provide your students with the fun sticky notes included in this resource. Be sure to limit your students to 6 post-it notes to challenge them to record true MIW’s.

Once they have chosen their MIW’s have them practice retelling what they have learned using the MIW’s recorded on their sticky notes.

Now, celebrate their learning by creating a class book on Ocean Creatures using the publishing paper included.

Ocean animals included in this resource:

If you would like to download this resource, please visit my TpT store:

Ocean Life: Nonfiction Reading and Writing Unit (Determine Importance)

All Sorted Out!

Today my firsties helped me sort our classroom library bins by fiction and nonfiction.  I was so proud of their determination and how focused they were at correctly identifying the nonfiction text features.  In this photo, you can see how they took one leveled bin and sorted it into their respective baskets.  They now have a sense of ownership as well as a growing interest in nonfiction texts just as we are beginning our Nonfiction Unit of Study!  Kudos to my firsties for a job well done!

If you are interested in sorting your own library by genre you might like the library labels I created:

You can purchase them at my TPT store:
Classroom Library Bin Labels with Fiction and Nonfiction

Library Bin Labels for Fiction and Nonfiction

I am super excited to reorganize my classroom library by Fiction and Nonfiction.  

My book baskets are overflowing and are in need of reorganization.

In our Reader's Workshop we are starting our Nonfiction Unit of Study.  

It's the perfect time to have my firsties help me sort our classroom library by genre.  

I purchased a second set of baskets from the Dollar Store in a second color 

to help the children differentiate the bins by fiction and nonfiction.  

Our classroom librarians will help me maintain the baskets by genre and levels.  

I am so excited to get sorting!

However, if you don't have the classroom space or time to sort your books by Fiction and Nonfiction, I have also created a basic library bin label for your classroom!

 If you would like to purchase the complete set, visit my TPT store:

Classroom Library Bin Labels by Genre