Course Description:

In this fun and engaging course, students will build foundational skills in reading, researching, and writing about real-world topics through nonfiction. With a focus on science, animals, and the environment—both natural and urban—students will explore exciting nonfiction texts designed to spark curiosity and build comprehension.

Through guided reading activities, students will learn how to identify main ideas and key details, summarize information in their own words, and organize their thinking clearly in writing. They will also develop beginner research skills such as finding facts to answer questions on a topic of interest and start forming opinions supported by evidence. This course empowers students to express their ideas confidently through oral discussion and writing.

 

Weekly Breakdown (8 Weeks | 1 Hour per Week)

Week 1: What is Expository Writing? Exploring Nonfiction

• Introduce nonfiction and its purpose

• Compare fiction vs. nonfiction

• Read a short text and identify nonfiction text features

Week 2: Finding the Central Idea + Supporting Details

• Understand main ideas and supporting facts

• Practice identifying and summarizing key information

Week 3: Summarizing Informational Texts

• Learn how to paraphrase and summarize

• Write short summaries using graphic organizers

Week 4: Beginning Research – Asking Good Questions

• Explore curiosity and basic research techniques

• Choose a topic and practice mini-research with provided materials

Week 5: Writing an Informational Paragraph

• Learn paragraph structure (Intro – Facts – Closing)

• Use research to write a structured paragraph

Week 6: What is an Argument? Forming Opinions with Facts

• Introduction to simple argumentative writing

• Read contrasting viewpoints and support an opinion with facts

Week 7: Writing with Purpose – Opinion Paragraphs

• Draft short opinion essays with clear structure

• Peer feedback and revision

Week 8: Final Presentations & Writing Showcase

• Share final writing projects aloud

• Reflect on learning progress and celebrate achievement

Skills Developed:

• Reading comprehension

• Main idea & summarization

• Research basics

• Paragraph structure

• Opinion writing

• Oral presentation

Evaluation:

• Homework assignments (20%)

• Class activities (30%)

• Writing projects (25%)

• Final presentation (25%)