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Reading Informational
Texts
Reading a magazine, an Internet page, or a textbook is not the
same as reading a novel. The purpose of reading nonfiction
texts is to acquire new information. On page M18 you’ll read
about some
Target Reading Skills that you’ll have a chance
to practice as you read this textbook. Here we’ll focus on a few
skills that will help you read nonfiction with a more critical eye.
Analyze the Author’s Purpose
Different types of materials are written with different purposes in mind. For example, a textbook
is written to teach students information about a
subject. The purpose of a technical manual is to
teach someone how to use something, such as a
computer. A newspaper editorial might be written
Distinguish Between
Facts and Opinions
It’s important when reading informational texts to read actively and to distinguish between fact and opinion. A fact
can be proven or disproven. An opinion
cannot—it is someone’s personal viewpoint or evaluation.
For example, the editorial pages in a
newspaper offer opinions on topics that
are currently in the news. You need to
read newspaper editorials with an eye for
bias and faulty logic. For example, the
newspaper editorial at the right shows
factual statements in blue and opinion
statements in red. The underlined words
are examples of highly charged words.
They reveal bias on the part of the writer.
112 Reading and Writing Handbook
to persuade the reader to accept a particular point
of view. A writer’s purpose influences how the
material is presented. Sometimes an author states
his or her purpose directly. More often, the purpose is only suggested, and you must use clues to
identify the author’s purpose.
More than 5,000 people
voted last week in favor of
building a new shopping
center, but the opposition
won out. The margin of
victory is irrelevant. Those
radical voters who opposed
the center are obviously
self-serving elitists who do
not care about anyone but
themselves.
This month’s unemployment figure for our area is
10 percent, which represents an increase of about
5 percent over the figure
for this time last year.
These figures mean that
unemployment is getting
worse. But the people who
voted against the mall
probably do not care about
creating new jobs.
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Identify Evidence
Before you accept an author’s conclusion, you
need to make sure that the author has based the
conclusion on enough evidence and on the right
kind of evidence. An author may present a series
of facts to support a claim, but the facts may not
tell the whole story. For example, what evidence
does the author of the newspaper editorial on the
previous page provide to support his claim that
the new shopping center would create more jobs?
Is it possible that the shopping center might have
put many small local businesses out of business,
thus increasing unemployment rather than
decreasing it?
Evaluate Credibility
Whenever you read informational texts, you need
to assess the credibility of the author. This is especially true of sites you may visit on the Internet.
All Internet sources are not equally reliable. Here
are some questions to ask yourself when evaluating the credibility of a Web site.
❑ Is the Web site created by a respected
organization, a discussion group, or
an individual?
❑ Does the Web site creator include his or her
name as well as credentials and the sources
he or she used to write the material?
❑ Is the information on the site balanced or biased?
❑ Can you verify the information using two other
sources?
❑ Is there a date telling when the Web site was
created or last updated?
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Writing for Social Studies
Writing is one of the most powerful communication tools you will
ever use. You will use it to share your thoughts and ideas with others.
Research shows that writing about what you read actually helps you
learn new information and ideas. A systematic approach to writing—
including prewriting, drafting, revising, and proofing—can help you
write better, whether you’re writing an essay or a research report.
Narrative Essays
Writing that tells a story about a personal
experience
1 Select and Narrow Your Topic
A narrative is a story. In social studies, it might
be a narrative essay about how an event affected
you or your family.
2 Gather Details
Brainstorm a list of details you’d like to include in
your narrative.
Main idea
Details
Significance
of narrative
RW2 Reading
Book Name
and Writing Handbook
3 Write a First Draft
Start by writing a simple opening sentence that
conveys the main idea of your essay. Continue by
writing a colorful story that has interesting details.
Write a conclusion that sums up the significance
of the event or situation described in your essay.
4 Revise and Proofread
Check to make sure you have not begun too many
sentences with the word I. Replace general words
with more colorful ones.
In my last year of college, I volunteered for
an organization called Amigos De Las
Americas (Friends of the Americas). I was
sent to a remote village in Brazil and worked
with villagers to improve the community’s
water supply and sanitation systems. The
experience made me realize I wanted to work
in the field of public health. When I went to
Brazil, I never imagined what an incredible
sense of purpose it would add to my life.
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Persuasive Essays
Writing that supports an opinion or position
1 Select and Narrow Your Topic
Choose a topic that provokes an argument and
has at least two sides. Choose a side. Decide which
argument will appeal most to your audience and
persuade them to understand your point of view.
2 Gather Evidence
Create a chart that states your position at the top
and then lists the pros and cons for your position
below, in two columns. Predict and address the
strongest arguments against your stand.
Main Idea
Supporting (pro) argument
Opposing (con) argument
3 Write a First Draft
Write a strong thesis statement that clearly states
your position. Continue by presenting the
strongest arguments in favor of your position and
acknowledging and refuting opposing arguments.
4 Revise and Proofread
Check to make sure you have made a logical
argument and that you have not oversimplified
the argument.
It is vital to vote in elections. When people
vote, they tell public officials how to run the
government. Not every proposal is carried
out; however, politicians do their best to listen to what the majority of people want.
Therefore, every vote is important.
Transition words
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Expository Essays
Writing that explains a process, compares and
contrasts, explains causes and effects, or explores
solutions to a problem
1 Identify and Narrow Your Topic
Expository writing is writing that explains something in detail. It might explain the similarities
and differences between two or more subjects
(compare and contrast). It might explain how one
event causes another (cause and effect). Or it
might explain a problem and describe a solution.
2 Gather Evidence
Create a graphic organizer that identifies details to
include in your essay.
Cause 1
Most people in
the Mexican
countryside work
on farms.
Cause 2
The population in
Mexico is growing
at one of the
highest rates in
the world.
Cause 3
There is not
enough
farm work
for so many
people.
Effect
As a result, many rural families are moving from
the countryside to live in Mexico City.
3 Write Your First Draft
Write a topic sentence and then organize the essay
around your similarities and differences, causes
and effects, or problem and solutions. Be sure to
include convincing details, facts, and examples.
4
Revise and Proofread
Research Papers
Writing that presents research about a topic
1 Narrow Your Topic
Choose a topic you’re interested in and make sure
that it is not too broad. For example, instead of
writing a report on Panama, write about the construction of the Panama Canal.
2 Acquire Information
Locate several sources of information about the
topic from the library or the Internet. For each
resource, create a source index card like the one at
the right. Then take notes using an index card for
each detail or subtopic. On the card, note which
source the information was taken from. Use quotation marks when you copy the exact words from
a source.
RW4 Reading and Writing Handbook
Source #1
McCullough, David. The Path Between
the Seas: The Creation of the Panama
Canal, 1870-1914. N.Y., Simon and
Schuster, 1977.
3 Make an Outline
Use an outline to decide how to organize your
report. Sort your index cards into the same order.
Outline
I. Introduction
II. Why the canal was built
III. How the canal was built
A. Physical challenges
B. Medical challenges
IV. Conclusion
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Introduction
Building the Panama Canal
Ever since Christopher Columbus first explored
the Isthmus of Panama, the Spanish had been
looking for a water route through it. They wanted
to be able to sail west from Spain to Asia without
sailing around South America. However, it was not
until 1914 that the dream became a reality.
Conclusion
It took eight years and more than 70,000
workers to build the Panama Canal. It
remains one of the greatest engineering
feats of modern times.
4 Write a First Draft
Write an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
Leave plenty of space between lines so you can go
back and add details that you may have left out.
5 Revise and Proofread
Be sure to include transition words between sentences and paragraphs. Here are some examples:
To show a contrast—however, although, despite.
To point out a reason—since, because, if.
To signal a conclusion—therefore, consequently,
so, then.
Evaluating Your Writing
Use this table to help you evaluate your writing.
Excellent
Good
Acceptable
Unacceptable
Purpose
Achieves purpose—
to inform, persuade,
or provide historical
interpretation—
very well
Informs, persuades,
or provides historical interpretation
reasonably well
Reader cannot
easily tell if the purpose is to inform,
persuade, or provide historical interpretation
Purpose is not clear
Organization
Develops ideas in a
very clear and logical way
Presents ideas in a
reasonably wellorganized way
Reader has difficulty following the
organization
Lacks organization
Elaboration
Explains all ideas
with facts and
details
Explains most ideas
with facts and
details
Includes some supporting facts and
details
Lacks supporting
details
Use of
Language
Uses excellent
vocabulary and sentence structure with
no errors in
spelling, grammar,
or punctuation
Uses good vocabulary and sentence
structure with very
few errors in
spelling, grammar,
or punctuation
Includes some
errors in grammar,
punctuation, and
spelling
Includes many
errors in grammar,
punctuation, and
spelling
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