The new Common Core State Standards mean major changes for language arts teachers, particularly the emphasis on “informational text.” How do we shift attention toward informational texts without taking away from the teaching of literature? The key is informational texts deeply connected to the literary texts you are teaching.Preparing informational texts for classroom use, however, requires time and effort. Using Informational Text to Teach Literature is designed to help. In this volume, we offer informational texts connected to Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Readings range in genre (inaugural address, historical analysis, autobiography, etiquette book, newspaper editorial, and Supreme Court decision) and topic (the Depression, entails, etiquette, the right to a lawyer, stereotypes, lynching, miscegenation, and heroism).Each informational text is part of a student-friendly unit, with reading strategies and activities.Teachers need to incorporate nonfiction in ways that enhance their teaching of literature.The Using Informational Text to Teach Literature series is an invaluable supportive tool.
