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PlayOwl

English · Grade 2

Nonfiction Features and Main Ideas

Children read an original multi-part nonfiction text, Busy Honeybees, to find the main topic of the whole text and the focus of each section, use a table of contents, subheadings, bold words, a glossary, an index and captions to find facts quickly, follow the steps of a process (how bees make honey) and work out the author's purpose. A new text about spiders checks transfer.

  • 4 lessons
  • About 90 minutes
  • Nonfiction check: 8 questions
  • Ways to answer: choose an answer, highlight a text, match pairs, type a number and put in order
See plans Included with Family, Teacher and School plans. Open in PlayOwl

What learners will discover

  • Identify the main topic of a multi-paragraph text and the focus of each paragraph or section.
  • Use text features (contents, subheadings, bold words, glossary, index, captions) to find key facts quickly.
  • Describe the connections between the steps in a process, such as how bees turn nectar into honey.
  • Identify the author's main purpose (to answer, explain or describe) and how pictures and diagrams add information.

Lessons

  1. Main topic and section focus 4 steps2 practiceabout 22 min
  2. Text features 4 steps2 practiceabout 22 min
  3. Steps in a process 4 steps2 practiceabout 22 min
  4. The author's purpose and pictures 5 steps2 practiceabout 24 min
  5. Nonfiction check 8 questions at the end

Keep exploring

Games to practice with

  • Memory LanternsFlip glowing lanterns to find pairs that belong together.
  • Word WorkshopBuild the word for each picture, one sound at a time.
  • Sentence TheatreYour words direct the show: change a word and the stage changes too.

More 2nd grade reading

Guides for grown-ups