What kind of information do I find in a table of contents?

A list of the different topics and the page number where we can find them

a list of subheadings and important words in alphabetical order

What is the purpose of a fact box?

to give additional information about the topic

to tell the main idea of the heading

to explain the meaning of an important word

Why is some information listed as bullet points?

to organize important information in a summarized list

to list the materials to make something

to help the reader remember the meaning of important words

Why do informational texts have illustrations?

to help the reader visualize the text

to make the pages look interesting

so that the author can add his/her favorite drawings and photos

What does a table of information show in a nonfiction book?

it shows a visual chart and it usually compares things

it shows illustrations of important words to understand the topic

it shows diagrams and captions to explain the main idea

What is the purpose of a graph?

to show the information in a visual way so it's easier to understand

to show important ideas in a colorful way

to show data with numbers about the topic

Why do we study non-fiction text structure?

Each passage is built different in order to get its point across.

We try to understand the lesson the author has learned.

All stories have different characters and settings.

What is the main idea of a passage?

the most important point the writer is trying to make

the most difficult idea the author is trying to explain

Swimming is one thing that can be done at the beach. Snorkeling is another thing that can be enjoyed. Playing beach volleyball can be a lot of fun. It is also fun to look for shells. Some people simply like to sunbathe. There are many fun things to do at the beach. What is the main idea?

There are many fun things to do at the beach.

It is also fun to look for shells.

Some people simply like to sunbathe.

Going to the beach to swim can be fun.

Elephants use their trunks for many things. Elephants use their trunks to smell. In fact, elephants can smell better than bloodhounds. Baby elephants sometimes suck their trunks to soothe themselves the way human babies suck their thumbs. Elephants do not drink with their trunks. They use their trunks to suck up water and then pour it in their mouths. Elephants also greet each other with their trunks the way humans do by shaking hands. What is the main idea?

Elephants use the their trunks for many things.

Elephants use their trunks to smell.

Can you imagine not having a television? Before the 1920’s there were no televisions. The first television set was invented by a 21 year old man named Philo Farnsworth. Farnsworth demonstrated the first moving picture in San Francisco in 1927. Even though it was only a simple, straight line, this was the beginning of electronic television as we know it. What is the main idea?

Philo Farnsworth invented the first television.

There are several ways to tell the difference between an alligator and a crocodile. Crocodiles are bigger than alligators and have pointed snouts. Alligators have wide snouts. Wild crocodiles are found all over the world, but wild alligators are only found in the United States and China. Another way to tell the difference is to look at their mouths. When a crocodile’s mouth is closed, the fourth tooth sticks out of its mouth. What is the main idea?

Differences in crocodiles and alligators

Dangers of crocodiles and alligators

Crocodiles are bigger than alligators.

Sharks can lose up to 30,000 teeth in their lifetime. Sharks have teeth arranged in rows inside their mouths. These teeth do not have roots like human teeth do, so they fall out easily. When a shark takes a powerful bite into its food, several teeth are lost. When these teeth are lost, new ones push forward from the back rows to replace them. Luckily, sharks continually grow new teeth to replace the thousands they lose. What is the main idea?

Sharks lose many teeth over their lifetime.

Sharks are carnivorous predators.

Do you ever wonder what makes gum so chewy? Gum has been around for about 3,000 years. Until the 1940’s, gum was made out of chicle, a type of tree sap. Flavorings were added during the 1860’s to make gum taste better. Now, gum makers use a soft, chewy, and edible type of rubber-like substance to make gum. What is the main idea?

Flavorings were added in the 1860s.

Weather reporters have to give out a lot of information. That's why they use pictures. The pictures help them tell us about the weather without using so many words. Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is. They need to know where the warm air is. They have to know where it is raining and what types of clouds are in the area. Their reports need to be correct, but they also need to be short. The pictures help weather reporters get the information out in a fast way. Which sentence best describes the main idea of the paragraph?

Pictures help weather reporters get information out in a fast way

Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is

Their reports need to be correct, but they also need to be short

They have to know where it is raining and what types of clouds are in the area

Seated on his throne, King Midas wore a golden crown. He had golden rings on each finger and held a golden scepter. His vest was embroidered with golden thread and even his shoes had golden ornaments. He had a golden box filled with gold coins. He named his daughter Marigold. What is the main idea of this paragraph?

King Midas had a heart of gold.

Native Americans dried strips of meat, pounded it into a paste, and then mixed it with fat. Sometimes they added berries and sugar. Then they pressed it into small cakes. They called these cakes pemmican . Pemmican didn't spoil, and it provided lots of energy for people traveling or going hunting. Today explorers still carry and eat this food. What is the passage mostly about?

how pemmican was prepared by Native Americans.

Were you born after 1985? If so, how long do you expect to live? Most people born after 1985 can expect to live more than 70 years. Of course, this is just a guess based on past records. By the way, females can expect to live about six years longer than males. That’s taken from past records too! What is the paragraph mostly about?

how long you might expect to live

tells that people live to be 100

Informational Reading Skills

Authored by Kalli Queen

English

4th - 6th Grade

37 Questions

CCSS covered

Used 27+ times

AI Actions

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Content View

Student View

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

1 min • 1 pt

How do captions help us understand pictures/photos?

describe and explain the illustrations

they tell the title

tell the meaning

Tags

CCSS.RI.1.5

CCSS.RI.2.5

CCSS.RI.K.5

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

1 min • 1 pt

What is the purpose of a diagram?

to show a picture

to show the parts of something on an illustration

to list facts

Tags

CCSS.RI.1.5

CCSS.RI.2.5

CCSS.RI.K.5

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

1 min • 1 pt

What is a heading?

the meaning of an important word

a kind of summary

a feature that tells the reader what the section is about

Tags

CCSS.RI.1.5

CCSS.RI.2.5

CCSS.RI.K.5

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

1 min • 1 pt

Why are some words typed using bold print?

darker print shows how to use the word in a sentence

darker print tells about the illustrations

darker print emphasizes important words

Tags

CCSS.RI.1.5

CCSS.RI.2.5

CCSS.RI.K.5

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

1 min • 1 pt

How does a subheading help the reader?

it summarizes the main idea of the text

it helps 'chunk' the text into a smaller parts to understand the big idea in the heading

it explains the illustrations

Tags

CCSS.RI.1.5

CCSS.RI.2.5

CCSS.RI.K.5

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

1 min • 1 pt

What kind of information does the index show?

an alphabetical -a-b-c- order list of important topics and the page number where they are located

the titles of the topics in the informational book

the meaning of important words and the page number to find the words

Tags

CCSS.RI.1.5

CCSS.RI.2.5

CCSS.RI.K.5

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

1 min • 1 pt

How does a glossary help us better understand informational texts?

listing important words in alphabetical order to find new words

it lists important words and explains the meaning of expert terms

it summarizes main ideas and supporting details about the topic

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RI.4.5

CCSS.RI.5.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

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