Can Microbes Eat Plastic?: Article of the Week Nonfiction Reading (RI.6.9, Grade 6)

Nonfiction article + activity pack · Grades 6 (great for 5–7) · PDF (30 pages) + PowerPoint · $3

Tiny holes in a buried strip of plastic led scientists to a hungry enzyme. This original, high-interest nonfiction article comes in an on-level and a modified version with matching paragraph numbers, so the whole class can discuss the same evidence.

The focus standard is RI.6.9 (comparing two authors' presentations; TEKS 6.5(E), 6.5(H)). Every pack also builds central idea, inference, text evidence and critical thinking, with an original second source to integrate and a Four Corners debate on: "Replacing plastic is more important than finding plastic-eating microbes."

This article is part of the 30-article Article of the Week bundle, which also includes a teacher guide and a pre-test, midterm and final. Get the bundle to save.

What's included

• Teacher page with a five-day plan, CCSS and TEKS
• Before You Read: poll, quick write and 4 vocabulary cards
• On-level and modified article
• Comprehension Check, Evidence Hunt A (annotate) and B (Part A/Part B)
• Central Idea Builder, Inference Lab and a Skill Focus page for RI.6.9
• Integrating Sources with an original Source 2 and two-source writing
• Four Corners debate, Skills Test, short response and Modified Skills Test
• Answer keys for everything
• 15-slide PowerPoint with teacher script in the speaker notes

How teachers use it

• One week of nonfiction reading in grade 6 ELA (also grades 5 and 7)
• Teaching or reteaching RI.6.9
• Small groups, intervention, ESL/EB and sub plans

Topics: bilingual, spanish, ell, esl, intervention, rti, mtss, sped, slides, powerpoint, presentation, bundle, value, pack, elementary, middle, school, grade, 5, 6, 7