Informational Text Detectives
What is the primary purpose of an informational text?
To communicate factual information about a topic.
What does text organisation refer to?
The way an author arranges information and ideas in a text.
What is research?
The process of gathering and examining information to answer a question or learn about a topic.
What is plagiarism?
Presenting another person's words, ideas, or work as one's own without proper acknowledgement.
What is the purpose of an introduction?
To introduce the topic, engage the reader, and prepare the reader for the main ideas of the essay.
What is a central idea?
The main point or message that an informational text communicates about its topic.
Which organisational pattern explains why something happens and what results from it?
Cause and effect.
What is a credible source?
A source that provides information that can be trusted because it has appropriate authority, evidence, and reliability.
What is a citation?
A reference that acknowledges the source of information, ideas, or quotations used in a piece of writing.
What is a thesis statement?
A sentence that communicates the essay's main claim, controlling idea, or focus.
What is the difference between a topic and a central idea?
A topic is the subject being discussed, while the central idea explains the main point the author makes about that subject.
Which organisational pattern identifies a problem and explains one or more ways to address it?
Problem and solution.
Name two things you should check when deciding whether an online source is credible.
The author's qualifications or authority and the quality of the evidence provided.
What should a writer do when using the exact words from a source?
Use quotation marks where appropriate and provide a citation identifying the source.
What is the purpose of a body paragraph?
To develop one main idea using relevant details, evidence, and explanation.
How can headings and subheadings help a reader understand an informational text?
They organise information into sections and help readers locate important ideas.
An article describes a shortage of school books and proposes a book-sharing programme. Which organisational pattern does it use?
Problem and solution.
You find conflicting information on a personal blog and a government website. What should you do before deciding which information to use?
Examine the authorship, evidence, date, and purpose of both sources, and verify the claims using additional reliable sources.
Why is a Works Cited page included in an essay?
It lists the sources cited in the essay so readers can identify and locate them.
What should a writer include after presenting evidence in a body paragraph?
An explanation of how the evidence supports the paragraph's main idea and the essay's thesis.
A text explains how plastic waste enters rivers, harms wildlife, and affects nearby communities. What is one possible central idea?
Plastic pollution harms the environment and communities in several connected ways.
Why is it important to organise a problem-and-solution essay logically?
Logical organisation helps readers understand the problem, evaluate the proposed solution, and follow the explanation of how the solution may help.
Why should a researcher use more than one reliable source when investigating a topic?
Multiple sources can help verify facts, reveal different perspectives, and reduce the risk of relying on inaccurate or incomplete information.
A student changes a few words from an online article but does not acknowledge the source. Is this acceptable? Explain your answer.
No. Changing a few words does not remove the need to acknowledge the original source. The student should paraphrase genuinely in their own words and cite the source.
A student writes, “Schools have a litter problem. They should add more rubbish bins.” What could the student add to develop this into a stronger problem-and-solution thesis?
The student could explain the specific litter problem and identify how adding accessible rubbish and recycling bins could help reduce it.