Text Feature Surgery for Elementary Students

Classroom transformations are a legit GAME CHANGER! Last school year, I started experimenting with room transformations, and this nonfiction text feature surgery was one of my absolute favorites.

Text features are such an important part of understanding informational texts, but let’s be honest – they can be challenging for students to grasp. I’m sharing everything you’ll need to take engagement to the next level and make surgery come to life in your classroom!

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Text Feature Surgery Supplies

• Text Feature Surgery Printable (Editable) – Pocketful of Primary’s TPT Shop, $1.50
• White Doctor’s Coat – $17.95, Amazon (If you really want to get into character!)
• Band-Aids – Dollar Tree, $1 per package (8 band-aids per student)
• Gloves – Dollar Tree, $1 per package (don’t forget each student needs 2 gloves)
• Shower Caps – Dollar Tree, $1 per package
• Face Mask – Dollar Tree, $1 per package
• Nonfiction Texts (Your Students Can Cut) – I used Scholastic News Weekly Readers!
• Nonfiction Text Feature Posters & Examples (Photos Below)
• Scissors
• Writing Utensil

My students completed this activity in the middle of our nonfiction reading unit. We had been discussing informational texts and text features for about a month when this took place.

Prep

The printable I purchased from Teachers Pay Teachers is editable which is awesome! I was able to choose four text features I thought were appropriate for 1st grade. The text features I chose were photographs, captions, labels and headings.

I wanted the children to have visual supports, so I made sure my board displayed the following:

• “I Can…” Statement

• Each text feature, its definition and multiple examples

I cut the examples out of the BIG Scholastic News Weekly Reader. You could also print text feature examples online or cut them out of a magazine. Students were allowed to go up to the board during the activity to reference the visuals!

The Lesson

We started by gathering at the rug to review the four text features. I was all dressed up in my doctor attire as we discussed photographs, captions, labels and headings.

Then, I modeled the activity for the class. I perused through a Scholastic News, identified a specific text feature, cut it out and attached it to the paper using two band-aids.

Students were then given all their supplies to transform into DOCTORS!

I placed several Scholastic News Weekly Readers on the back table and the children chose their nonfiction text from that selection. Make sure the text has ALL of the items students must search for!

Here’s my last bit of advice… EMBRACE THE CHAOS! There will be scraps and band-aid wrappers everywhere, but guess what? Your students will be ENGAGED and LEARNING!

If you’re interested in trying other room transformations, you can read all about how I hosted a fiction book tasting with my 1st graders here!