Concise high-interest informational articles are not only excellent to use in building students' non-fiction reading comprehension strategies, but also as models of expository writing. They help students to connect with their local, state, national and global communities and can be useful for classroom inquiry & research too.
Here are a few great sources:
- DOGO News: is a safe friendly environment for young kids to stay informed about current events. 'Dogo' means small or young in Swahili. Articles are short and focused with interactive videos and an integrated dictionary. (Sample Article: If the World Were a Village of 100 People...)
- Wonderopolis offers terrific inquiry-based models of this genre. Browse 'wonder' categories along the right-hand side of each page or explore their awesome archive of past wonders. Notice the structure that kids could adapt and draw upon to inspire both their research and writing organization. Questions grab the reader's attention and are always followed by an explanation and some how-to advice. 'Words to know and use' help to build understanding and increase vocabulary. (Sample Article: Why Do Airplanes Leave Tracks in the Sky?)
- KidsPost is a kid-friendly extension of the Washington Post. (Sample Article: Ever Wonder...How Animals Clean Themselves?)
- Tween Tribune is updated daily with articles on high-interest topics for upper elementary and middle schoolers. All comments are screened in this interactive community. (Sample Article: Do we need Cursive Handwriting anymore?)
- A Smart Exchange keyword search for expository writing is another great source. There are many notebook files to download & adapt that will build student's conceptual understanding.
- Find more resources on the ROE Tech. Toolbox and ROE Library Magazines pages. Also, do a keyword search of the Searchasaurus database. Many articles from kid's magazines are available in both PDF and HTML formats.
Resources for Teachers:
> 25 Great Ideas for Teaching Current Events> 10 Ways to Use Current Events in the Classroom (Big Universe)
> Article of Week with Middle Schoolers (adaptable for elementary students)
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