Author's Use of Text Features

Learning Objective

• We will analyze nonfiction text features.

• We will check out the purposes for text features.

Nonfiction Text Features

​Why do you think authors include such features/sections in nonfiction texts?

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​Allow time for group discussion.

​Authors include nonfiction text features/sections to help you better understand what you are reading, to highlight important information, or to give you extra information about the topic.

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​Always pay close attention to nonfiction text features!  You can learn some very surprsing things.

The title

identifies the topic of the text/tells what the text will be about.

Multiple Choice

Which of these tells you what the text will be about?

• Caption

• Glossary

• Title

Headings

divide the text into sections & explain what the sections will be about.

Multiple Choice

This feature helps the reader find information more closely when divided into sections

• Subheadings/sections

• illustration

• index

Photographs

show what something actually looks like (taken with a camera)

Map, Graphs, Diagrams

also help show readers a visual of the information

Captions

explain what a photograph or illustration is about

Multiple Choice

Why do authors include photos and illustrations in a text?

• To help the reader visualize the topic they are reading about

• To list out the meaning of difficult words

• To help the reader understand sports

• To explain how to pronounce words

Multiple Choice

The purpose of graphics (such as graphs, tables, pictures, or maps) is to ____________

• Help the reader visualize important information 

• Describe what is found in a photo or illustration 

• Separate text into sections based on main ideas 

• Show information that occurs in a certain order 

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Multiple Choice

If something is bolded, highlighted or in a different font, the information could be...

• should be ignored

• old

• important

• someone colored in the book

Read and analyze the text features.

Multiple Choice

The passage has questions in bold. The purpose of these questions is to—

• suggest that gravity is a difficult topic to understand

• tell readers of the questions they will be answering in the end at walmart

• draw readers to pay attention to important ideas in the passage

• GRAVITY!!!!!

Multiple Choice

Which section(bolded question) provided information about gravity creates wind on Earth?

• Do you know why they stay in their paths instead of flying away into space?

• Have you ever wondered why the planets do not fall into the Sun?

• Does Earth have gravity?

• The picture

Multiple Choice

Which word is a synonym for creates in paragraph 4?

• produces

• tastes

• destroys

• tingles

Multiple Choice

Which idea is supported by the photograph?

• Earth is the fourth planet from the Sun and has gravity.

• Jupiter is the closest planet from the Sun and has gravity.

• Neptune's gravity stronger than the Sun's.

• Earth is the third planet from the Sun and has gravity.

Multiple Choice

The author wrote this text mainly to-

• persuade the reader to like gravity.

• explain what gravity is and how it's important.

• to describe the Sun and Earth

• to tell and inform the reader about the solar system

Read and analyze the text features.

Multiple Choice

What information can be found in the section titled "The science behind the myth"

• People have different likes and dislikes.

• Purple and blue brain

• The tasks the left side and right side of the brain can perform.

• Art uses logic and math use logic.

Multiple Choice

The key words in italics in paragraph 3 tell the reader about

• a link to a Web site about a research.

• important ideas in the passage.

• what the diagram is about.

• what each paragraph is about.

Multiple Choice

Which feature/section from “A myth: The Right-brained or the Left-brained” discusses how the scientists did a study in some patients?

• Fact box/sidebar

• The myth

• Diagram

• The problems with the myth

Multiple Choice

The caption under the diagram explains-

• the brain.

• the two halves of the brain.

• the blue brain.

• the purple brain.

Multiple Choice

To learn how one half of the brain is not stronger than the other, the reader should refer to-

• the diagram

• paragraph 2

• the fact box/sidebar

• paragraph 4

Poll

How do you feel about your ability to use text features to better understand nonfiction text? Be honest, your answers will help me know how to help you prepare for the test.