Intro to Informational Text

• the reason an author writes about a particular topic; the author’s message

Controlling idea/key idea/thesis: the message

• author's purpose/craft

• text features

• graphic features

• evidence

the main point of the writing that helps the reader understand the author's topic

• print features

• evidence

• summary

• controlling idea/key idea/thesis

specific details or facts that support the author's controlling idea

• key idea

• thesis

• paraphrase

• evidence

any characteristic of the text outside of the main body that helps convey meaning

• text, print, or graphic features

• rhetorical question

• evidence

• organizational pattern/text structure

the patterns authors construct as they organize their ideas and provide supporting details

• summarize

• paraphrase

• organization pattern/text structure

• rhetorical question

to reduce large sections of text to their main idea and their essential supporting details

• paraphrase

• evidence

• summarize

• thesis

to restate the meaning of something in different words; paraphrasing changes the exact wording of a text without evaluation or interpretation

• paraphrase

• rhetorical question

• key idea

• summarize

• a question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer

• summarize

• text feature

• rhetorical question

• main idea

These words signal a cause and effect text structure

• As a result, this causes, one effect, consequently, because, since, due to

• First, finally, next, last, later, after

• Issue, this solves, proposed solution, one problem, a solution is

• Alike, similar, different, unlike, because, neither

These words signal a chronological/sequence text structure

• As a result, this causes, one effect, consequently, because, since, due to

• First, finally, next, last, later, after

• Issue, this solves, proposed solution, one problem, a solution is

• Alike, similar, different, unlike, because, neither