Text Features
Text Structures
Main Idea
Informational Texts
100
Using text features helps the reader __________ the text better.
comprehend/understand
100
What are cause/effect relationships?
When an event happens that makes a chain reaction and creates another event to happen.
100
What is a main idea?
What the text is mostly talking about.
100

What is the author's purpose of informational texts?

To inform the reader by giving true facts.

200
What is the purpose of subheadings?
To let the reader know that a new topic is starting.
200
What kind of text structure is this: Many pioneers who settled the Great Plains lived in sod houses built from thick-rooted prairie grasses. This was because the prairie lacked standard building materials, such as wood or stone.
Problem and Solution
200
IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA: The Pennsylvania Railroad Company was set up in 1846. Originally, it was supposed to run between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. At first, it only had freight trains which carried goods and supplies. Then in 1848, it began running a passenger train. By 1856, the Pennsylvania Railroad went to Chicago, Illinois. After the Civil War, it went to Washington, D.C., St. Louis, Missouri, New York City, and other large cities.
The main idea is how the Pennsylvania Railroad Company was set up.
200

What is a topic sentence?

A sentence that informs the reader about what the paragraph will be about.

300
Name three examples of text features.
title/headings, bold words, italic words, underlined words, table of contents, glossary, index, captions, sidebars, photographs, captions, timelines, maps, charts, graphs, or diagrams
300
Why is text structure important for the reader?
To make information easier to understand, organizes information, helps connect ideas in a text, and to better understand how parts of the text relate to the whole passage
300
IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA: It is estimated that over twenty million pounds of candy corn are sold in the US each year. Brach’s, the top manufacturer, sells enough candy corn to circle the earth 4.25 times if each piece were laid end to end. That’s a lot of candy corn, but that’s nothing compared to Tootsie Roll production. Over 64 million Tootsie Rolls are produced every day! But even Tootsie Rolls have got nothing on the candy industry’s staple product, chocolate. Confectioners manufacture over twenty billion pounds of chocolate in the United States each year. Now that’s a mouthful!
The main idea is that there is a lot of candy produced in the United States each year.
300
True or False: All informational texts will have a glossary.
False
400
What do the bold or underlined words/phrases mean?
They let the reader know important vocabulary words or phrases in order to understand the text.
400
What kind of text structure is this: Pluto was once the ninth planet in our solar system. Then, in 2006, scientists defined a planet as an object with a clear orbit around a star. Since Pluto does not have a clear orbit, it was reclassified. Today it is classified as a dwarf planet.
Chronological Order
400
IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA: Remember, if something is worth doing, it is worth doing correctly. That said, the key to making perfect cookies is merely a matter of preparation and precision. To begin with, read your cookie recipe thoroughly before baking and make sure that you have all of the necessary ingredients. Next, use good tools and utensils. By using good tools you can minimize mistakes and improve the quality of your product. Lastly, you should use top quality ingredients. If you use poor quality materials, you’ll create an inferior product. So, to make perfect cookies you should use the highest quality materials available.
The main idea is how to make perfect cookies.
400

Name all the text structures

problem/solution, description, cause/effect, sequence, compare/contrast

500
What are the three overall categories of text features?
Print features, graphic aids, and organizational aids
500
What kind of text structure is this: Most reptiles lay eggs. The shell of a reptile egg is not hard like the shell of a bird's egg. Instead, a reptiles's egg is soft and leathery.
Compare and contrast
500
IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA: Mark Twain is one of America's most famous writers. His real name was Samuel Clemens. He was born in Missouri in 1835. When he was eighteen, Mark Twain left Missouri and worked as a printer in different cities. He wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
The main idea is Mark Twain is one of America's most famous writers.
500

What are three examples of informational texts that you might find in the real world? (Books do not count)

Examples: newspaper articles, menus, recipes, instructions/directions, ads, catalogs

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