Reading Grade 4 Informational Texts
A 40-minute Grade 4 lesson on reading history, science and technical texts in the grades 4-5 band with growing independence.
Reading Grade 4 Informational Texts is a free 40-minute Grade 4 English lesson plan for Common Core standard RI.4.10 — read and understand Grade 4-5 information texts by the year's end. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 4
- Length:
- 40 minutes
- Standard:
- RI.4.10
Grade 4 · Reading: Informational Text
RI.4.10
By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Objective
Students will be able to read a demanding subject text independently and produce notes another reader could use.
Students are successful when they can
- Reads a full text independently.
- Produces notes organised by structure.
- Says which part was hardest and why.
What you need
- A grades 4-5 subject text
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — name the structure first
5 min- Skim the headings and name the likely structure.
- That structure decides how the notes should be shaped.
Teach — notes shaped by structure
13 min- For a cause-and-effect text, show notes in two columns rather than a list.
- For a chronology, a timeline.
- Take the text and set up the right note shape before reading.
- Read a section and fill it.
- Say why: notes shaped like the text are far easier to use afterwards.
“Set the notes up like the text is built. Then filling them is just reading.”
Guided practice — read and shape
12 min- Students set up notes to match the structure, then read the whole text.
- They mark the hardest section and say what made it hard.
- Pairs swap notes and try to answer a question from the other's.
Independent practice
8 min- Students complete the reading page.
- They read the passage themselves.
Close
2 min- Take one note shape and why it matched the text.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Uses a bullet list for every text.
Why: It is the default note shape.
Fix: Match the shape to the structure. A cause-and-effect text in a flat list loses the causes.
Notes that only the writer can read.
Why: The meaning was obvious at the time.
Fix: The swap test. Notes a partner cannot use will not serve their author in a week either.
Reads first and shapes the notes afterwards.
Why: The structure only became clear at the end.
Fix: Skim the headings first. Ten seconds of skimming decides the shape.
If they are not there yet
- Give the note shape.
- Half the text.
If they finish early
- Reshape another student's notes.
- Note a text with two nested structures.
- Turn the notes into a summary paragraph.
Exit ticket
What shape did you use for your notes, and why did it match the text?
What to look for: A structure-based reason. A bullet list with no reason means the skim-first step needs enforcing.
Printable practice for RI.4.10
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Reading a Grade 4 Fact TextRead the text, then answer the questions.
Questions about Reading Grade 4 Informational Texts
How long does the Reading Grade 4 Informational Texts lesson take?
40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Reading Grade 4 Informational Texts teach?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.10 — RI.4.10, Reading: Informational Text for Grade 4: “By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.” In plain terms, read and understand Grade 4-5 information texts by the year's end.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
A grades 4-5 subject text and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: uses a bullet list for every text; notes that only the writer can read and reads first and shapes the notes afterwards. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “What shape did you use for your notes, and why did it match the text?.” A structure-based reason. A bullet list with no reason means the skim-first step needs enforcing. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Reading Grade 4 Informational Texts?
Yes — 1 printable RI.4.10 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Reading Grade 4 Informational Texts free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to RI.4.10 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.