Informational Text Breakdown

Informational Text Breakdown

by Mrs. McNally

​8th Grade English Language Arts

​What is Informational Text?

​ You are living in an age of information. In a matter of minutes, you can find magazine articles, Web sites, and blogs on just about any topic, from global warming to cell-phone technology. But how can you be sure you’re getting the most out of what you’re reading? What’s the best way to wade through all those facts and figures? Learning a few strategies can help you navigate through a sea of information, find answers to your questions, and remember what you’ve learned.

Multiple Select

Informational Texts are a subgenre of nonfiction.

• True

• False

Multiple Select

These are some examples of informational texts:

• Newspaper

• Magazine Articles

• Short Stories

• Encyclopedias

​Text Features

​It is important to find information quickly when searching through web sites, books, and magazines. One way to locate useful information at a glance is to notice the text features writers use.

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Text Features include titles, subheadings, captions, sidebars, boldfaced words, bulleted lists, and likes. These elements allow you to see the most important ideas without having to read every word.

1. The TITLE reveals the topic of the article- the history of hot dogs.

2. Subheadings highlight what each section of the article is about.

3. A SIDEBAR provides more information.

4. a BULLETED LIST presents information in an easy-to-read format.

Multiple Choice

Where would you find a caption?

• Close to a picture
• At the top of a section
• On the table of contents
• In the glossary

Multiple Choice

What is the arrow pointing to?

• Heading
• Picture
• Caption
• Bold Word

Multiple Choice

What text feature is used on the list to the left?

• numbered list
• white space
• captions
• bulleted list

​​Identifying Main Ideas

​The topic of a piece of nonfiction is what the text is about. The main idea is the most important idea that a writer wants to share about a topic, and is usually stated in a sentence.

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When the main idea is directly stated in a sentence it is called a topic sentence. This is usually done in the first or last sentence in the paragraph or section. If it is not stated then then it is implied, which means the reader must using the supporting details to infer the main idea. Supporting details are facts, examples, and other kinds of information that reinforce or support the main idea or message.

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Multiple Choice

What does the main idea of a story tell the reader?

• a specific detail from the story

• The conflict of the story

• What the story is about

• The universal truth, moral, or idea the author wants to express

Multiple Choice

Which supporting detail best supports this topic sentence?

Dora the explorer is an educational show for kids.

• She has a really cute monkey named Boots.

• Dora's purple backpack holds all of her tools.

• Dora helps teach kids Spanish words.

• She usually stops Swiper from swiping.

Multiple Choice

One the most popular musical instruments is the piano. In the traditional musical instrument classification system of string, woodwind, percussion and brass, the piano falls into two categories. It is considered a string instrument because the sound comes from the strings inside the piano. It is also considered a percussion instrument, since the player strikes the keyboard, which signals an internal hammer to strike the strings.

What is the author's main point?

• The piano is both a string and percussion instrument.

• The piano is a string instrument.

• The piano is a popular instrument.

• The strings of a piano makes the sound.

​Evaluating Texts

The next important step in reading informational text is evaluating it. After all, just because the text is about real people, places, and events does not mean that it is true or even well written. To evaluate a text ask yourself the following questions:

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​ * Is this information accurate, reliable, and trustworthy? If your not sure, learn how to determine credibility on pages 1071-1074 in literature book.

​* Does the text have unity? In other words, do all the details in each paragraph support its main idea? Do all the paragraphs support the larger main idea?

*Is the writing coherent? Specifically, do the sentences connect smoothly and logically? Do text features and the text structure make it easy to navigate?

* Does this writing have internal consistency? Internally consistent text has a clear structural pattern. It also uses transitions that make sense together, such as first, later, and afterwords.

* Is the writing logical, or can you spot logical fallicies? if you're not sure how to recognize logical fallacies, you can learn more on page R24 in your lit book.

Multiple Choice

Which is NOT something to look for when Evaluating Text?

• Is the writing coherent?

• Is the information accurate, reliable, and trustworthy?

• Does this writing have internal consistency?

• Is the article interesting and attention getting?

NOTE TAKING​

Have you ever read an article on a fascinating subject- life-saving poisons, for example- and later realized that you couldn't recall a single thing about it? Taking notes as you read can help prevent that. You can use any number of formats for notes- outline, bulleted list, even a Y-chart. Just use a format that will help you quickly recognize what's most important when you glance back over your notes.

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SUMMARIZING

Summarizing is the art of briefly retelling in your own words the main ideas and most important details of something you read, heard or saw. To summarize a text, begin by taking clear and thorough notes- preferably in your own words. Then, restate the main ideas of the most important details in two or three complete sentences.

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