First grade students spent time during the 4th quarter learning how to read non-fiction literature. They began the school year "learning to read" and have now progressed to "reading to learn". Classroom discussions included features of non-fiction topics such as table of contents, index, glossary, fact boxes, picture captions, examining and reading diagram labels.
Each student put their non-fiction knowledge to work to research an animal of their choice and become an "expert". They read books on the topic, created a habitat, made display boards and gave oral presentations. Family and friends gathered at Westwood for "Ask the Expert" so each student could show off their final project and share everything they know about their animal.
