English Lesson Plan: Non-Fiction Reading Strategies

Grade Level: 8-9

Summary of Text: Crime scene investigation is crucial to solving crimes. The ability to preserve a crime scene, and proficiently search it for evidence is a complicated process that takes a lot of training to learn.

Lesson Objectives:

1) Students will demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics of non-fiction writing.

2) Students will demonstrate comprehension of the reading.

Illinois State Standards:

1.A.3b: Analyze the meaning of words and phrases in their context

1.C.3a: Use information to form, explain and support questions and predictions.

1.B.3d: Read age appropriate material with fluency and accuracy.

Text Features: Technical terms associated with crime scene investigation are used

Vocabulary Development:

Inferences

Transient

Protocols

Assailant

Theory

Investigation

Vocabulary Strategy Used: The Frayer Model will be used due to the fact that it is a solid method to help explain difficult concepts from the reading.

Reading Strategies: Directed Reading - Teaching Activity

Pre Reading: Students will brainstorm and come up with words or ideas they associate with the word investigation. They will then be given the title of the reading and asked to make predictions as to what they think they will be reading.

During Reading: Students will take their predictions into the reading.

Post Reading: Students will look at their predictions and discuss what predictions were correct, those that changed, and those that need more evidence.

The objectives are covered well by this strategy. The article covers the basic structural pattern of a "description" informational text. The students will show comprehension through their analysis of their predictions against the reading.

Questions:

1) What are some examples of transient evidence?

2) What steps are important in the process of collecting evidence?

3) Why don't you devise your own way to secure and examine a crime scene?

4) What question you would ask a crime scene investigator?

5) Tell in your own words what is required in a crime scene investigation.

Extending the Reading: This article is a great lead in to Edgar Allen Poe's The Telltale Heart. The strategies that they learn in the article can be applied to Poe's tale of the "perfect" crime. Students can devise their own crime scene investigation and look for clues that might have been overlooked.

Evaluation: Evaluation of this activity is reasonably simple. If students are able to apply the reading to their predictions, they have a good grasp of the text. The ability to answer the presented questions will also provide good evidence of comprehension. The extension activity can also be used to determine comprehension.