English Language Arts · 1st Grade

Active learning ideas

Understanding Author's Point of View in Non-Fiction

Active learning helps first graders notice that non-fiction authors make choices, not just present facts. By sorting, discussing, and comparing, students see how words shape meaning in ways that are more than neutral.

• Common Core State Standards
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.1.6

• 15–20 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 20 min · Pairs

Inquiry Circle: Fact or Opinion Sort

Prepare a set of statement cards drawn from informational texts, mixing clear facts and clear opinions as well as some challenging cases. Pairs sort the cards into two piles and discuss each uncertain case. After sorting, pairs share their toughest decisions with the class and explain what made them hard to categorize.

Analyze how an author's feelings about a topic might show in their writing.

Facilitation Tip

During the Fact or Opinion Sort, circulate and ask guiding questions like, 'What word made you think that was an opinion?' to deepen reasoning.

What to look for

Provide students with three sentences about a familiar topic, like dogs. Two sentences should be facts (e.g., 'Dogs have fur.') and one an opinion (e.g., 'Dogs are the best pets.'). Ask students to label each sentence as 'Fact' or 'Opinion' and circle the word(s) that helped them decide.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Feeling Words Hunt

Give students a short informational text and highlighters. Students read independently for two minutes, highlighting any words that seem to express a feeling or judgment (wonderful, unfortunately, surprisingly). Partners compare their highlights and decide together which words show the author's opinion.

Differentiate between facts and opinions in an informational text.

Facilitation Tip

In the Feeling Words Hunt, model aloud how you notice emotional language in a sentence before partners share their own examples.

What to look for

Present students with a short paragraph from a non-fiction book about animals. Ask them to underline one sentence they think is a fact and put a star next to one sentence they think is an opinion. Then, ask them to briefly explain why they chose each sentence.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Inquiry Circle
• 20 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Two Authors, Same Topic

Present two short excerpts about the same topic, one written in a clearly neutral style and one with visible enthusiasm or concern. Small groups discuss: Does the author seem to like this topic? How can you tell? Groups share specific word choices that reveal author feeling, building a class list of perspective-signaling language.

Predict how a different author might present the same information.

Facilitation Tip

For Two Authors, Same Topic, assign pairs clearly and set a timer for quick reading so the discussion stays focused on perspective, not speed.

What to look for

Read two short, simple texts about the same animal, one written in a more neutral tone and the other with more enthusiastic language. Ask students: 'How did the authors talk about the animal differently? Which author seemed to like the animal more? How can you tell?'

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with simple opinion signal words first graders know, like 'best' or 'amazing,' then connect them to author purpose. Use anchor charts with sentence strips to visibly show how authors layer feeling with facts. Avoid overcorrecting students who confuse facts with opinions early on; instead, guide them to point to the language that signals a perspective.

Students will recognize that authors’ word choices reveal feelings or opinions, not only facts. They will point to specific words or phrases that show an author’s perspective and compare how two authors can describe the same topic differently.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Fact or Opinion Sort, some students may think that any sentence with a number or date is automatically a fact.

  During the Fact or Opinion Sort, ask students to read each sentence aloud and decide if it is telling something that can be checked or something someone believes. If they label a sentence as a fact, have them point to the part that could be verified or checked with another source.

• During the Think-Pair-Share Feeling Words Hunt, students may assume that any sentence with an adjective is an opinion.

  During the Think-Pair-Share Feeling Words Hunt, direct students to look for adjectives that show strong feeling like 'best,' 'worst,' or 'most,' and ask partners to explain whether the word is describing a feeling or giving a neutral detail.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share