Provide students with an opportunity to closely examine the difference between a topic and main idea in a nonfiction text. Use as a stand-alone activity or a support for the Finding the Main Idea and Details in a Nonfiction Text lesson.

In this lesson, you will use “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” to teach students about the butterfly life cycle. After listening to the story read aloud, students will use their knowledge to create their own butterfly life cycles!

We aren’t mind readers, but we can still figure out why the author wrote a text and what an author thinks about the topic! This lesson will teach your students the main purposes for writing.

Life cycles go around and around! In this technology-integrated lesson, students will research various animal life cycles and write about them.

Root, stem, flower, leaf! In this hands-on science lesson, your students will create their own plants to help them identify and remember the parts of a plant.

Let your students spread their wings with this lesson that teaches them about the life cycle of a butterfly. A fun song will get your class moving and a variety of different worksheets will suit any class.

ELs will gain valuable practice learning about text features as they practice close reading and communication skills during a nonfiction picture walk. Use on its own or as a support for the Classifying Nonfiction Text Features lesson plan.