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4th-5th Grade - Animal-Focused - Nonfiction Reading Comprehension Summer Camp

Is your child building their nonfiction reading skills? This 4-day reading summer camp explores nonfiction about amazing animals -axolotl, blobfish, capybara & more - while mastering main idea & key details for 4th and 5th graders.
AJ Crocker
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(46)
Rising Star
Class

What's included

4 live meetings
3 hrs 40 mins in-class hours
Homework
1 hour per week. Each session will have a coordinating assignment, for students who want extra practice
Certificate of Completion
Students will receive a certificate of completion after the end of their class

Class Experience

US Grade 4 - 5
Does your child love animals? In this engaging 4-day reading summer camp, students will strengthen their reading comprehension skills by learning to identify the main idea and key details—all while reading about some of the world's most fascinating creatures!

Each day, we'll read and analyze an article about a unique animal. Through discussion, interactive activities, and guided practice, students will learn how to determine the main idea and pick out key details to support it.

🔍 What We’ll Cover Each Day:
✅ Read an engaging, grade-level article about the day’s animal
✅ Identify the main idea and supporting details
✅ Learn strategies for summarizing nonfiction texts
✅ Discuss fun facts about each animal
✅ Complete a comprehension activity or graphic organizer

Class Structure:
- Welcome & Warm-Up (10 min): Fun animal-related discussion or question of the day
- Reading Time (15 min): Read and analyze an article together
- Main Idea & Key Details Practice (20 min): Guided strategies and interactive discussion
- Activity (10 min): Graphic organizer, comprehension questions, or a creative task
- Wrap-Up & Animal Fun Fact (5 min): Review key takeaways and end with a cool fact!

Teaching Style:
I use an engaging, discussion-based approach that encourages students to share their thoughts, ask questions, and build confidence in reading comprehension. My goal is to create a supportive learning environment where students feel excited to explore reading through their love of animals!

Learning Goals

RI.4.1 / RI.5.1 – Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences.
RI.4.2 / RI.5.2 – Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
learning goal

Syllabus

Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum
Standards
Aligned with Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
4 Lessons
over 1 Week
Lesson 1:
Topic vs. Main Idea - Axlotls
 We begin our class with a fun passage on one of the world's coolest salamanders - the axlotl! We will explore a virtual task card game, a nonfiction passage, and several graphs and charts to guild our understanding of main idea and topic. 
55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Text Structure and Main Idea - Blobfish
 Today is focused on using text structure to identify the main idea. Students will be introduced to the various text structures, and learn how identifying text structure can help them find the main idea - all while exploring information about blobfish! 
55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Key Details - Capybara
 In today's lesson, students will go hunting for key details on capybara in a nonfiction passage. They will keep strict notes and do their best to identify key details over the other interesting details presented. 
55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Putting it all together - Giant Panda
 On the final day, students will complete a virtual nonfiction book report on Giant Pandas, using several nonfiction passages and identifying their main idea, key details, and text structure in the process! 
55 mins online live lesson

Other Details

Learning Needs
I am experienced and comfortable accommodating and adjusting to meet everyone's needs. Please let me know ahead of time if there is anything specific you need me to differentiate or adjust to support your learner.
Pre-Requisites
📖 Students should be comfortable reading at a late 3rd to 5th-grade level. ✍️ No prior experience with main idea & key details is necessary—this class is designed to introduce and reinforce these skills!
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined April, 2023
4.9
46reviews
Rising Star
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Colorado Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education
Master's Degree in Education from Colorado State University
I am a seasoned classroom teacher with over a decade of experience teaching in upper elementary, 8 years as an art teacher, and the last 2 spend as an elementary librarian (best. job. ever.) Reading and research my main passion, and I love to share the joys of reading comprehension with students of all ages. I hold a M.A. in International Comparative Education from Teachers College. Columbia University and an M.S. in Teaching & Learning from Colorado State University, as well as a B.A. in Political Science. I am certified K-6 Elementary Education and 7-12 Social Studies in Colorado. 

Reviews

Live Group Course
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$60

for 4 classes

4x per week, 1 week
55 min
Completed by 1 learner
Live video meetings
Ages: 8-11
4-11 learners per class

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