Determining Importance in Nonfiction Texts

This video tutorial focuses on determining the importance of information in nonfiction articles. It uses a dinosaur article to teach students how to identify key points in each paragraph. The lesson progresses from basic identification to more advanced skills, such as distinguishing facts from opinions and understanding the writer's purpose. The tutorial concludes with advice on applying these skills in writing nonfiction.

What is the purpose of breaking the text into paragraphs?

• To make it look longer

• To organize the information logically

• To confuse the reader

• To add more pictures

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CCSS.RI.2.5

CCSS.RI.1.5

CCSS.RI.K.5

What is the main topic of the first paragraph?

• The diet of dinosaurs

• The definition of a dinosaur

• The habitat of dinosaurs

• The extinction of dinosaurs

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CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

Which dinosaur is discussed in the second paragraph?

• Triceratops

• Apatosaurus

• Stegosaurus

• T-Rex

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CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

What is the focus of the third paragraph?

• Dinosaurs that lived in water

• Dinosaurs that didn't eat meat

• Dinosaurs that were small

• Dinosaurs that could fly

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CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

What does the fourth paragraph discuss?

• Dinosaur extinction

• Dinosaur eggs and small dinosaurs

• Dinosaur fossils

• Dinosaur habitats

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CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

What is the main point of the fifth paragraph?

• How dinosaurs evolved

• How dinosaurs went extinct

• How dinosaurs hunted

• How dinosaurs communicated

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CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

What is the main point of the first paragraph according to the summary?

• Dinosaurs were reptiles who lived millions of years ago

• Dinosaurs were the first animals on Earth

• Dinosaurs could fly

• Dinosaurs were mammals

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

What is the main point of the second paragraph according to the summary?

• The T-Rex was the smallest dinosaur

• The T-Rex was the biggest and fiercest meat-eater

• The T-Rex could fly

• The T-Rex was a herbivore

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CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

What advanced skill might you be asked to do as you get better at determining importance?

• Memorize the entire article

• Determine which parts of the article are facts and which are opinions

• Write a fiction story

• Draw a picture of a dinosaur

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

What tool can help you determine the writer's purpose?

• A thesaurus

• A calculator

• A graphic organizer

• A dictionary

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CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RI.8.9

CCSS.RI.6.9

CCSS.RI.8.6