Nonfiction text gets a bad wrap! When teachers and students hear that it’s time for the nonfiction genre, they think boooring. However, nonfiction activities for upper elementary students can be fun.
To begin the nonfiction genre, it is necessary to introduce the key elements of the genre. I use a nonfiction slideshow. Students fill in the notes as they follow along. These notes include important nonfiction topics, so when we get to the activities they can reference their notes.
Next, while going over specific topics it is important to include an engaging activity that students complete to fully understand the nonfiction skill.
Check out this list of 5 nonfiction activities for your upper elementary classroom. These activities will have your students jumping for joy over the nonfiction genre!
Text Features Scavenger Hunt
Students use a nonfiction text to find a variety of text features. This can be the student’s science or social studies book or a nonfiction library book.
Using a tablet or chromebook, students snap a picture of the individual text features. They will add the photo to a Padlet along with their name and what text feature they found.
Text Features Surgery
If you would rather your students work on a hands-on activity to review text features, text features surgery is the PERFECT activity for your upper elementary classroom.
First you will have to collect magazines or nonfiction books that you do mind being destroyed. Next, students will get their surgery tools ready (scissors, glues, and pencil). Bonus: if you can find a generous doctor to donate doctor aprons, masks, and gloves.
The students will really enjoy dressing to the part.
As students work on finding, cutting, and gluing the different text features, the teacher can play heart beat monitors on the projector. Then students will really feel like they are in the operating room.
Magazine Project
Students select a nonfiction topic and create a magazine. A project menu gives students a choice in what they include in their magazine.
The most important part of the magazine is the articles. They need to use a nonfiction text structure when writing the articles. Be sure to remind students not to copy information word for word from informational text.
Informational Text Task Cards
Nonfiction text can be difficult for upper elementary students to understand. Using Nonfiction task cards and letting students work in groups will help them comprehend informational text.
Breakout Room
A Nonfiction Breakout room is a fun way to review the nonfiction genre.
Students work together in groups to complete several nonfiction passages and questions. Passages and questions are usually boring. However, in this competitive set up, students are engaged and ready to work their hardest to be the first group to win.
Teaching nonfiction text doesn’t have to be boring, there are multiple ways to engage students. After using these nonfiction activities, your students will be experts in the nonfiction genre..
If you are looking for other reading tips, check out my blog posts:
