Stories and Information Books
A 40-minute Grade 1 lesson on the major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information.
Stories and Information Books is a free 40-minute Grade 1 English lesson plan for Common Core standard RL.1.5 — explain how a storybook is different from a book of facts. 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 1
- Length:
- 40 minutes
- Standard:
- RL.1.5
Grade 1 · Reading: Literature
RL.1.5
Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide reading of a range of text types.
Objective
Students will be able to say whether a book tells a story or gives information, and give a reason from the text.
Students are successful when they can
- Names the kind of text.
- Gives a reason from inside the book, not from the cover.
- Says what each kind is for.
What you need
- A story and an information book on the same subject
- A two-column comparison chart
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — same subject, two books
5 min- Show both books. Both are about bees.
- Ask what is different about them without opening either.
Teach — what is inside each one
13 min- Read a page of each. Fill the chart: characters, facts, contents page, 'once upon a time'.
- Ask what only the story has, and what only the information book has.
- Ask the deciding question: could this have happened?
- Then a harder case: a story about a real historical person. Let them argue it.
- Name the two purposes: one takes you somewhere, one teaches you something.
“It is not about what it is about. Both of these are about bees.”
Guided practice — sort and justify
12 min- Pairs sort six books, and for each write one reason from inside it.
- Reasons from the cover do not count.
- Take feedback on the hardest one.
Independent practice
8 min- Students complete the text-types page.
- Read each question aloud if needed.
Close
2 min- Read one sentence aloud from an unidentified book. Ask which kind it came from.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Sorts by subject.
Why: Subject is the most obvious property and is what adults usually ask about a book.
Fix: Use two books on one subject. Sorting by subject puts them together, which is visibly wrong.
Says information books have no pictures.
Why: Story pictures are drawn and information pictures are often photographs, so the child has categorised by kind of picture rather than presence.
Fix: Show an illustrated information book and a photographic storybook. Both exist.
Treats a story about a real thing as an information book.
Why: It contains true things, which is the test they have been given.
Fix: Ask whether the conversations happened. A story invents dialogue even when the events are real, and that is the reliable line at this age.
If they are not there yet
- Sort two books rather than six.
- Give the reason and ask which book it belongs to.
If they finish early
- Find a book that is genuinely hard to sort and explain the difficulty.
- Say what each book tells you that the other does not.
- Write one sentence in each style about the same thing.
Exit ticket
Is this book a story or an information book? Give a reason from inside it, not from the cover.
What to look for: A reason from the text. 'Because it has a picture of a bee' is a cover reason and does not settle it.
Printable practice for RL.1.5
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Story Book or Fact Book?Tick the right answer.
Questions about Stories and Information Books
How long does the Stories and Information Books 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 Stories and Information Books teach?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.5 — RL.1.5, Reading: Literature for Grade 1: “Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide reading of a range of text types.” In plain terms, explain how a storybook is different from a book of facts.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
A story and an information book on the same subject, a two-column comparison chart 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: sorts by subject; says information books have no pictures and treats a story about a real thing as an information book. 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: “Is this book a story or an information book? Give a reason from inside it, not from the cover.” A reason from the text. 'Because it has a picture of a bee' is a cover reason and does not settle it. 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 Stories and Information Books?
Yes — 1 printable RL.1.5 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 Stories and Information Books 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 RL.1.5 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.