Informational Text


Image result for picture of an informational text

<ul><li>Informational text gives factual information on a specific topic or event.  Self-help books, as the name implies, ...
<ul><li>To acquire information </li></ul><ul><li>To satisfy curiosity </li></ul><ul><li>To understand our world more fully...
<ul><li>Informational text uses a number of forms of organization including: </li></ul><ul><li>Sequence of events </li></u...
<ul><li>gives information, </li></ul><ul><li>gives necessary explanations to understand the information, </li></ul><ul><li...

Text Structures in Informational Text
See comments for more information on text structures

Text Features  

All the components of a story or article that are not the main body of text. These include the table of contents, index, glossary, headings, bold words, sidebars, pictures and captions, and labeled diagrams. ... The content of a text is what we want students to learn. 



Table of Contents


Graphics


Key



Report
Lists chapters and their pages; helps the reader to know how the book is organized

Charts, graphs, or figures used to help understand what the author is saying

Something that is crucial for explaining; a list of words or phrases that explains symbols or abbreviations

Describes a subject factually.
Title/Subtitles


Title Page
Gives reader a clue as to what the article is about

States title, author, illustrator, publisher
                        Headings
Define the chapter's content; direct readers' attention to big ideas
Subheadings
Break out the important concepts in the chapter; direct reader's attention to big ideas
Special Print
When a word is bold, italicized, or underlined, the reader should pay attention because it is an important word.

Captions
Text that explains a picture.
Illustrations/Photographs
Shows details of what subject looks like.
Index
Lists subjects alphabetically so the reader can easily find a specific topic or word.

Diagram or cut-away
Shows detail that might not ordinarily be seen.
Labels
Helps the reader identify specific parts
Glossary
Defines key words in text
Preface

Maps

Introduces the book

Shows the location of places in the world

Comments

  1. The vast majority of texts, if not all texts, are written for one or more of these three purposes:

    • To make an argument
    • To inform
    • To tell a story

    To achieve these purposes, authors use one or more of the following 5 text structures:

    • Description
    • Sequence/Instruction/Process
    • Cause/Effect
    • Compare/Contrast
    • Problem/Solution

    Students need to be able to unpack these 5 text structures and understand their components in order to fully understand and analyze the informational text they read, whether they're reading textbooks, news articles, or works of literary nonfiction.

    ReplyDelete
  2. 1. Description
    This is a pretty straightforward informational text structure — texts that use this structure simply describe something. With few exceptions, these texts also present plenty of details about what they're describing.

    Descriptive texts are everywhere — in novels, works of literary nonfiction, news articles, science textbooks — and description is the basis for many informational texts, which makes sense because the entire point of description is to present information.

    ReplyDelete
  3. 2. Sequence/Instruction/Process
    This text structure covers a few purposes:

    • Sequential instructions (Step 1, Step 2, Step 3; Do this, then do that, and finally do this)
    • Chronological descriptions of events (This happened, then this happened, etc.)
    • Logical arguments
    • Arguments that use evidence to support a claim (presenting evidence from least to most convincing)

    When students read or write a text with this structure, they need to remember that order is its most important aspect. Texts that use this structure usually don't present any event or instruction out of order — doing so would weaken the text or make its directions more difficult (if not impossible) to follow.

    As a ludicrous example, imagine a cake recipe in which preheating the oven was the last step. It wouldn't make sense. It would just be confusing and odd, and you probably wouldn't even try to make sense out of it. Poorly written instructions just aren't worth your time.

    Key words to indicate sequence: first, after, finally, before, during, next, last

    ReplyDelete
  4. 3. Cause and Effect

    Cause and Effect explains the reasons why an event or something happens. For example, earthquakes, landslides, or volcanic eruptions can trigger or cause a tsunami. Cause and effect also explains the consequences or effects of an event or situation. For example, tsunamis destroy houses and take lives.

    Key words: because, cause, led to, reason, effect, result, consequences

    ReplyDelete
  5. 4. Compare/Contrast

    This text structure examines similarities and differences between two or more things.

    Key words: similarly, like, also, in common, while, whereas, but, on the other hand

    ReplyDelete
  6. 5. Problem/Solution

    This text structure involves two parts:

    • The author identifies something he/she considers a problem
    • The author details a solution to this problem.

    For example, the author might state that pollution is a serious problem and explain why it is a serious problem. Then he might explain how this problem can be alleviated or solved.

    ReplyDelete
  7. "Very insightful! Informational text truly helps in broadening our understanding of various topics. Great explanation!"
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  8. "I appreciate the breakdown of text features. It’s so important to recognize how these elements enhance learning."
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  9. "The use of different text structures like sequence and cause-effect makes informational texts more engaging. Thanks for explaining this!"
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  10. "Self-help books as a form of informational text was an interesting inclusion. Never thought of it that way!"
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  11. "The section on text features like glossaries and sidebars is super helpful for understanding non-fiction texts."
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  12. "I liked how you highlighted the purpose of informational text—acquiring information and satisfying curiosity. Well put!"
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  13. "This blog is a great resource for students trying to understand the basics of informational text. Thank you
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  14. "Understanding the organization of informational texts makes it so much easier to analyze and retain information."
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  15. "I found the explanation of text structures very clear and easy to follow. A great read for educators too!"
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  16. "The inclusion of labeled diagrams and bold words really makes informational texts stand out. Thanks for pointing this out!"
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