Reading Crafts | Nonfiction Paper Bag Puppets Reading Activities

Teaching Nonfiction has never been more FUN! These Nonfiction Strategy Puppets reading crafts will change the way you teach teach and discuss these reading comprehension skills for informational text. Each Paper Bag Puppet character is an expert in his field. They comes to visit the classroom to help the students understand the 6 different comprehension skills needed when working with informational text.

How the lesson plan works for 1st grade:

• Introduce the Skill: Hang the puppet and poster in your classroom to get your student curious about what they are going learn.
• The Anchor Chart: Use the anchor chart pieces to introduce the skill by creating an anchor chart. The anchor chart is composed of the same content as the thinking stems.
• Mentor Text: Grab a book to read from the Mentor Text List or use your special book.
• Introducing the Puppet: Use the colored teacher puppet to get the kids excited about creating theirs.
• The Script: A script is provided along with example nonfiction text.
• Nonfiction Text Examples: No need to scour through books to find the examples needed for teaching these lessons. The text features that are modeled in these examples are: photographs, captions, labels, bold text, headings, and glossary. They are also used for finding facts, author's purpose, inferring and main idea.
• The Poster: Each set has a poster with a message from the puppet character. Hang in your classroom and refer to as needed.
• Nonfiction Question Stems: Each skill has a set of thinking stems for students to use as they read their nonfiction books. The thinking stems will be attached to the back of the paper bag. See preview if you are a visual learner like me. :)
• Making the Puppets: Allow students to make their puppet. They will need scissors, crayons and glue.
• Independent/Partner Work: Partner students or allow them to read to self using the puppet and thinking stems. As they read, they will look for text features within the informational text.
• Strategy Sticks: A strategy stick is like the puppet but using a popsicle stick. The character is on the front and the poster and thinking stems are on the back. Example Homework Assignment: Read for 20 minutes using your strategy stick for questioning. They love this assignment!
• Graphic Organizers Worksheets: 2 Graphic Organizers are included for each skill. These are helpful when working with informational text. Determine a time when you feel your students are ready to compete the assignment. You can also model one with your guided reading group or as a whole class assignment.

What's Inside:

• Anchor Charts
• Mentor Text Lists
• Graphic Organizers
• Posters
• Paper Bag Puppets in Color / BW
• Thinking Stems for Back of Puppets
• Bulletin Board Ideas
• Strategy Sticks - To Take to Parents and share what they learned

I hope your students fall in love with this puppet like mine did!

FAQ:

• Can I use this resource if I'm using Lucy Calkins' Reader's Workshop? Yes. You may not be able to use it the way I've laid it out here, but you could fit it in in different ways. See suggestions below.
• I don't have much time for resources like this, but I really want to do this in my class. How can I fit it in? This is a great question.

Here are some suggestions.

1. Model with your read aloud then assign the puppet home for homework. Your students can then read their book to their parents using the puppet or strategy stick.
2. Have students complete the puppet during literacy centers and practice during independent reading time.

• When do I send the puppets home? I like to have the students keep the puppets in their reading folder until we have finished all of them. This way we can easily spiral reading skills that have been previously taught.
• How can I use the puppets during guided reading? Since guided reading is usually based on the skill level of the students, you could teach the skill that is most needed with your group. Each group might be learning a different skill with a different puppet. Or... You could have them all on the same skill, but have more difficult text for differentiation.
• Would this resource work for a sub packet? Sure. The puppets are an easy reading craft that could be used as morning work, early finishers work, literacy centers, etc.