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INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION

TO NONFICTION TO NONFICTION

TEXT FEATURESTEXT FEATURES

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f te

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re• definition • Notes

TEXT FEATURESTEXT FEATURES

Text Features Help Students Understand Nonfiction Text

INSIDE:Examples of Text

FeaturesWith Definitions

Explanations for How Text Features

Help Readers

UnderstandingUnderstandingNonfiction Nonfiction

TextText

TEXT FEATURES TEXT FEATURES ARE THE PARTS OF A NONFICTION BOOK THAT HELP YOU FIND

INFORMATION EASILY OR TELL YOU MORE ABOUT THE TOPIC.

oTitles

oTable of Contents

oHeadings/Subheadings

oPhotographs

o Illustrations

oDiagrams

oText BOX

oMAPS

oCaptionsoBold wordsoGlossaryoIndexoElectronic MenuoIconsoTimelines

text

featu

reofeatures to help the reader better understand what they have read

oprovide information that may not be written in the text itself.

o found in textbooks, magazine articles, newspapers, reports, web pages, and other forms of nonfiction text.

WHAT ARE TEXT FEATURES?WHAT ARE TEXT FEATURES?

ofeatures to help the reader better understand what they have read.

oprovide information that may not be written in the text itself.

ofound in textbooks, magazine articles, newspapers, reports, web pages, and other forms of nonfiction text.

TITLETITLE: THE NAME OF THE : THE NAME OF THE BOOK/ARTICLEBOOK/ARTICLE

otell the topic of the text.

oshow the main idea of the text.

ohelp the reader by letting them know what they are about to read.

ofocus the reader on a topic so they can make connections between what they already know and the text.

titl

eoTHE NAME OF THE NAME OF

THE THE

BOOK/ARTICLEBOOK/ARTICLE

o tell the topic of the text.

oshow the main idea of the text.

ohelp the reader by letting them know what they are about to read.

o focus the reader on a topic so they can make connections between what they already know and the text.

Table of ContentsTable of Contents:gives the heading and beginning page number for each section of the book

oLists the major parts of a book along with their page numbers.

oOutlines the main topics or main points.

oHelp locate information in the book and see how everything is organized.

Table of Contents

Flowers………………..…………..3Vegetables………………..……....9Fruit………………………............12Trees…………………………….15Glossary………………………...20Index……………………………24

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ogives the heading and beginning page number for each section of the book

oLists the major parts of a book along with their page numbers.

oOutlines the main topics or main points.

oHelp locate information in the book and see how everything is organized.

HEADINGS/SUBHEADINGS: HEADINGS/SUBHEADINGS: DIVIDE THE TEXT INTO SECTIONSDIVIDE THE TEXT INTO SECTIONS

oHEADINGS tell the main idea of each section of text.

oSubheadings chunk text into smaller pieces under a heading.

oBOTH are printed in large or bold type to make them stand out.

oBOTH help the reader to locate information in the text by telling them where to look.

Helpful AntsAlthough ants are frustrating when they get in homes, ants do help the environment. They help control the population of damaging pests such as termites.

Types of AntsTypes of ants include fire ants, which cause a painful sting, and carpenter ants, which damage wood structures while nest building. Other types of ants include honey, pharaoh, house, Argentine, and the thief ant.

PHOTOGRAPHS: PHOTOGRAPHS: A PICTURE TAKEN WITH A CAMERA THAT

SHOWS HOW SOMETHING LOOKS IN REAL LIFE

o GIVES INFORMATION IN A VISUAL WAY.

o HELP TELL THE STORY. o WORKS WITH THE WORDS

AND HEADINGS TO HELP TEACH MATERIAL.

o HELPS THE READER UNDERSTAND AN IDEA FROM THE TEXT THAT WAS UNCLEAR.

IllustrationsIllustrations: a hand-drawn picture

oILLUSTRATIONS HELP THE READER “SEE” WHAT IS BEING TALKED ABOUT IN THE TEXT.

DiagramsDiagrams: a drawing that shows the part of

somethingoDiagrams help the reader understand steps, how objects are made, or information in the text.

oTo understand a diagram the reader should read the titles, labels, captions, and numbered parts.

• .

CAPTIONS: CAPTIONS: THE WORDS NEXT TO OR BELOW A PICTURE THAT TELL WHAT IT IS OR WHAT IT IS ABOUT

oA caption explains what is shown in a photograph or illustration.

oCaptions help the reader understand information that may or may not be in the text.

How does this caption help the reader How does this caption help the reader understand the picture? If this article was understand the picture? If this article was

about finding treasure, how would this about finding treasure, how would this caption help the reader understand the caption help the reader understand the

text?text?

Photo by MARCIN SZCZEPANSKI

These gold coins were found on the ocean floor!

BOLD WORDSBOLD WORDS: : IMPORTANT WORDS THAT ARE IMPORTANT WORDS THAT ARE

DARKER THAN THE TEXT AROUND DARKER THAN THE TEXT AROUND THEMTHEM

oBOLD WORDS TELL THE READER TO PAY ATTENTION – THESE WORDS ARE IMPORTANT!

oBOLD WORDS CAN BE USED FOR TITLES, HEADINGS, AND KEY WORDS LIKE IMPORTANT VOCABULARY WORDS.

oSOMETIMES THE IMPORTANT WORDS WILL BE A DIFFERENT COLOR OR IN ITALICS.

oSOMETIMES THE MEANING OF THE IMPORTANT WORDS CAN BE FOUND IN THE GLOSSARY.

Text (Bold, Color, & Italics)

• The style and color of the text sends the reader signals about how to read the content.

• Key words to notice are in bold or in color.

• Text in italics is used in picture captions, book titles, and any other element that needs to stand out.

• Text in bold, color, or italics draw the readers attention to important information.

The Wetlands of the SouthWhy are the South’s wetlands so important?The Okefenokee (oh kuh fuh NOH kee) Swamp is a large wetland in the South. A wetland is a place where the ground is soaked with water for at least part of the year.

How do the words in italics help the reader understand the text?

The words in italics help the reader by focusing the reader on the answer to a question.

GLOSSARY: GLOSSARY: TELLS WHAT IMPORTANT WORDS MEAN

oA glossary is like a small dictionary of words. It tells or shows what words mean.

owords are in alphabetical order.

o The words in the glossary were used in the book.

o usually found at the end of the book or near the back.

Glossary

flower: the part of the plant that makes new seeds

fruit: the part of the plant that holds the seeds

seed: the part of the plant that can grow into a new plant

IndexIndex: a list of the topics and people in the

textolisted in alphabetical order.ofound at or near the end of a textoLists the key names, terms, events, and topics with page numbers.

oUse the index to help find pages that contain information they are looking for.

Index

butterfly food………………………..10 life cycle…………………...... 7 types of....…………………..12

caterpillars…………………….6

Gibbons, Gail…..…………...…1

Electronic MenuElectronic Menu: a list of things you can choose from to do something on the computer

ogives you options, just like a menu at your favorite place to eat.

o lists all of your options. It helps the user know what is on the computer program or website.

ohelps you navigate, or find your way, around a program or website.

IconIcon: a picture that represents something else

oused to find information in a computer program or website.

oThe picture in the icon represents the information that you can find or the task that you can do.

MapsMaps: : drawings that show the basic shape of the land and other

geographical, political, or historical features

opresent information in a visual form.

ohelp the reader understand where an event happens.

ohelp the reader understand how far away an event took place.

How would a map of the How would a map of the United States help the United States help the reader understand an reader understand an article about Texas?article about Texas?

TimelinesTimelines: show important events in chronological order or time order.

ohelp the reader better understand the order of events and how one event may have lead to another.

Tables/ChartsTables/Charts: organize large amounts of information in a small space

opresent all kinds of data, from numbers and amounts, to calendars and menus.

ohelp the reader compare information in the text.

How would a table about How would a table about volcano eruptions help the volcano eruptions help the

reader understand reader understand volcanoes?volcanoes?

WHY ARE TEXT FEATURES WHY ARE TEXT FEATURES IMPORTANT?IMPORTANT?

oText features help the reader to quickly find important information.

oText features teach the reader about the topic.

oText features can help the reader answer questions about a topic and the text they are reading.