Biographical Text
Text Features
Informational Text
Strategies
Signposts
100

Three Characteristics of Biographical Texts

What is ...

• Gives facts about the person’s life

• Told in chronological order

• Can use illustrations or photographs

• Can have some of the same text features as informational texts

• Often includes an author’s note to give more facts or background knowledge

100

Feature that help us learn where things are located in the world.

What is a map?

100

The reason we read information text

What is to gather information?

100

Strategy used to preview text

What is...

1. Read/study the text features.

2. Think, “What do I know about this?”

3. Predict, “What do I expect to learn?”

4. Wonder, “What do I want to find out?”

100

When you are reading and you notice the author uses language that leaves no doubt, exaggerates, or pushes to the limit…

What is Extreme and Absolute Language?

200

Similarities between biographical texts and informational texts?

What is...

• Provides factual information 

• Can use illustrations or photographs

• May use similar text features

• Conveys a larger message

200

Feature that helps the reader understand the definitions of important words.

What is a glossary?

200

Authors place these throughout the text to help reader deepen their understanding of the text. 

What are Text Features?

200

Strategy used to determine the main idea/key idea to a section.

What is...

1. Read the subheading (or scan the part of the

text if no subheading) to determine the topic

2. Highlight or understand important details

connected to the topic (What about it?)

3. Think about how they are all connected

4. Write a key/main idea in your own words on

a sticky notes

200

When you are reading and you notice specific numbers, number words or amounts…

What is number and stats?

300

Differences between biographical texts and informational texts

What is...

• About a real person

• Gives facts about the person’s life

• Told in chronological order



300

Feature that lists important dates in chronological order.

What is a timeline?

300

3 Characteristics of Informational Text

What is...

• Provides factual information about a topic

• Information is presented with a clear organizational structure (not a story)

• Has a major topic and supporting details

• Can use illustrations or photographs

• Has tools to help you find information and gain information

• Conveys a larger message

300

Strategy used when you approach an unknown word

What is...

Brainstorming Bubble (Synonyms)

What's the word's job? (Word purpose in sentence)

Stick to the Story (Reread and dig deeper)

300

When you are reading and notice the author quoted a Voice of Authority, a Personal Perspective, or cited Other’s Words…

What is Quoted Words?

400

Difference between literary biographies and traditional informational biographies

What is...

Literary nonfiction (biographies) reads like fiction, which means it has elements of a story, which includes characters, setting and plot. However, in nonfiction these elements must be real and not imaginary. The stories are meant to amuse the reader, as well as inform on true stories.

400

A drawing that shows or explains how something works.

What is a diagram?

400

When you __________, you tell the key ideas and leave out the ideas that are not as important.

What is summarize?

400

Strategy used to summarize a section of informational text. 

What is...

What is the key idea of the section?

What is the organizational pattern?

What are the important details? (in order)

400

When you are reading and the author uses a word or phrase you don’t know…

What is Word Gaps?

500

Biographies are written in third person.

True or False. Support your thinking.

What is...

True.

500

slanted writing

What is italics?

500

If you are feeling sad, you can make yourself feel better by doing a few simple things. You can take a walk (or get another form of exercise), you can talk to a friend, or you can write down your feelings. Writing down the good things in your life will help too. Doing something good for someone else will also help you feel better. If you still feel a little sad, act happy. It works like magic to make you feel better! 

The main idea of this selection is...

What is...

There are many ways to make yourself feel better.

500

Strategy used to summarize the entire informational text.

What is...

* What is the topic of the text?

* How is the text or section organized?

* What are the key ideas/main ideas throughout the text (beginning, middle, end)?

* Put the main ideas/key ideas together in order to write my summary.

500

When you are reading and the author shows you a difference between what you know and what is happening in the text…

What is Contrasts and Contradictions?

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