Text Feature Scavenger Hunt (Informational Text)

You’re going to enjoy this new product line – Nonfiction Text Feature Scavenger Hunts! They are engaging, active, and focused on text evidence.

In this post, you will see:

• How the Scavenger Hunt Increases Learning.
• When to Use the Scavenger Hunt.
• What’s in the Text Feature Scavenger Hunt?

Here’s a quick overview video, and then we’ll get into the details.

Text Feature Scavenger Hunt

Increase Learning with the Scavenger Hunt

Students love scavenger hunts! If your students have experienced a well-made scavenger hunt, you know how engaging they can be.

In a scavenger hunt, students are out of their seats, moving around, talking about the content and skills, and energetically participating in learning. You’ll never catch a student yawn in a scavenger hunt!

In addition to the active participation, student learning is increased in this scavenger in two important ways:

1. Scaffolding: The questions on the first day of the scavenger hunt are simpler and really focus on using text features to locate information.
2. Application: The second day gives students the benefits of repeated reading, but they face more challenging application-level questions.

How to Use the Scavenger Hunt

There are 8 unique informational texts in this nonfiction text feature scavenger hunt. You can use the hunt in a single day if you choose. This will work well after a text feature mini-lesson. There are two pages of student questions, totaling 16 text feature tasks.

However, your students will benefit most if you plan for two days of scavenger hunts.

Here’s how:

• Group students in 2-4.
• Post scavenger hunt pages 1-8 around the room or in a hallway.
• Pass out the student answer page 1.
• Assign each group to one of the 8 pages. This is their starting point.

The purpose in the scavenger hunt is to complete the task on one page/card. Then the students self-check their work by locating the answer on another page/card around the room. This also informs them which order to work the questions.

• They read the page and answer the corresponding question on the student answer page.
• After choosing the answer on the student page, the group goes around the room searching for their answer [the answers are in “answer boxes” on the bottom of each page].
• When they find their answer, they can confirm it was correct.
• Then they work that page and continue until all pages are complete.

If groups cannot find their answer, then they know it was incorrect and must retry.

On the second day, repeat the scavenger hunt with pages 9-16.

What’s Included in the Text Feature Scavenger Hunt?

Included in the Nonfiction Text Features Scavenger Hunt #1 [STAAR]:

• 16 Scavenger Hunt Cards (8.5″ x 11″)
• 8 unique nonfiction texts with graphics
• 16 unique text feature questions
  • The first 8 questions focus on using text features to locate information.
  • The last 8 questions (with repeated reading) are more challenging and focus on comprehension using text features.
• Directions on how to use as two separate scavenger hunts
• Two student answer pages
• Teacher answer keys

The informational texts are written on high-interest topics: basketball, gymnastics, soccer, baseball, camping, archery, hiking, and gardening. They are written above-level at reading ranges 700-800 (Reading Levels 4.7-5.7).

Preview the Text Feature Scavenger Hunt

You can download the free preview at TeachersPayTeachers, Text Feature Scavenger Hunt.