Unit Plan 6 (Grade 8 ELA): Nonfiction Text Features & Structures
Grade 8 ELA unit: students analyze how headings, graphics, and hyperlinks shape understanding and structure in informational texts. They compare print and multimedia sources, citing precise evidence to evaluate how each format impacts clarity, emphasis, and overall comprehension.
Focus: Headings, graphics, hyperlinks; overall structure across sources
Grade Level: 8
Subject Area: English Language Arts (Reading—Informational)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Nonfiction isn’t just paragraphs—it’s architecture. This week, students will learn to navigate and analyze text features (headings, subheadings, sidebars, captions, graphics, hyperlinks) and identify overall structures (problem/solution, cause/effect, compare/contrast, chronological, question/answer). They’ll also evaluate how different media (print article vs. video/interactive page) affect understanding and argument strength.
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…
- Analyze how an informational text’s headings, graphics, and layout contribute to meaning, emphasize key ideas, and shape understanding of the whole (RI.8.5).
- Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of presenting information in different media (print text, video, interactive/hyperlinked page) for the same topic (RI.8.7).
- Cite and integrate specific textual evidence (including references to features, captions, figure labels, and timestamps) to support analysis of structure and media choices (RI.8.1).
Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 8
- RI.8.5: Analyze the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing and refining a key concept; compare and analyze overall text structures.
- RI.8.7: Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.
- RI.8.1: Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from it.
Success Criteria — student language
- I can name the text’s overall structure and explain how headings/subheadings guide that structure.
- I can show how a graphic/caption clarifies or refines a key concept.
- I can compare a print article vs. multimedia version and explain what each medium makes easier/harder to understand.
- My analysis includes precise evidence (section titles, figure numbers, timestamps, hyperlink labels).