Understanding
Nonfiction
Text
How well do you know
Text Features?
What are text
features?
When can I use Text
Features?
How can Text
Features Help?
Where can I find Text
Features?
1. What’s the truth
about Text Features?
A. Authors include text features to help the reader
better understand what they have read.
B. Text features provide information that may not be
written in the text itself.
C. Text features can be found in textbooks, magazine
articles, newspapers, reports, web pages, and
other forms of nonfiction text.
D. Only A and C
E. A, B, and C
2. Name this
Text Feature.
_______
A
Abu Simbel, temple of,
p73
Acadia, Canada, 212-213
Acid rain, 396, c396-c397,
396-397
Animal Adaptations p1
Animal Food p2
Animal Habitats p3
Animal Homes p5
• An alphabetical
listing of the key
names, terms,
events, and topics
with page numbers.
• Helps to find pages
that contain specific
information.
3. Name this Text
Feature.
________
A
Acid rain (AS ihd rayn) rain
that carries certain kind of
pollution.
Adapt (uh DAPT) to change in
order to survive in new
environments
• A list of key terms in
alphabetical order.
• Each key word is
defined.
• Sometimes gives how
to pronounce a word.
4. Name this Text
Feature.
________
• Tells the reader the
topic of the text.
• Shows the main idea of
the text.
• Helps the reader by
letting them know what
they are about to read.
5. Name this Text
Feature.
_________
Helpful Ants
• Divides the text into
Although ants are frustrating
sections.
when they get in homes, ants do
help the environment. They help • Tells the main idea of
control the population of
each section of text.
damaging pests such as
termites.
• Printed in large or bold
type to make them
Types of Ants
stand out.
Types of ants include fire ants,
which cause a painful sting, and
carpenter ants, which damage
• Helps the reader to
wood structures while nest
locate information in
building. Other types of ants
the text by telling
include honey, pharaoh, house,
them where to look.
Argentine, and the thief ant.
6. Name this Text
Feature.
______________
The Wetlands of the South • A style and color of the
Why are the South’s wetlands
so important?
The Okefenokee (oh kuh fuh
NOH kee) Swamp is a large
wetland in the South. A
wetland is a place where the
ground is soaked with water for
at least part of the year.
text that signals how to
read the content.
• Helps certain words to
stand out.
• Draws the reader’s
attention to important
information.
7. Name this
Text Feature.
_________
• Provides information
in a visual way.
• Works with the words
and headings to help
teach material.
• Helps the reader
understand an idea
from the text that was
unclear.
8. Name this
Text Feature.
________
• Explains
what is
shown in a
picture or
illustration.
Photo by MARCIN SZCZEPANSKI
These gold coins were found on
the ocean floor!
• Helps to
understand
information
that may or
may not be
in the text.
9. Name this Text
Feature.
_______
• Drawings that show the
basic shape of the land
and other geographical,
political, or historical
features.
• Present information in a
visual form.
• Helps the reader
understand where an
event happens.
10. Name this Text
Feature.
________
• A drawing that shows
or explains something.
• Helps the reader
understand steps, how
objects are made, or
information in the text.
11. Name this Text
Feature.
________
• Organizes large
amounts of
information in a small
space.
• Presents all kinds of
data, from numbers
and amounts, to
calendars and menus.
• Hels the reader
compare information
in the text.
12. Name this Text
Feature.
________
• Show important
events in
chronological order
or time order.
• Helps the reader
better understand
the order of events
and how one event
may have lead to
another.
How well
did you
do?
The Truth about
Text Features
A. Authors include text features to help the reader
better understand what they have read.
B. Text features provide information that may not be
written in the text itself.
C. Text features can be found in textbooks, magazine
articles, newspapers, reports, web pages, and
other forms of nonfiction text.
D. Only A and C
E. A, B, and C
2. Index
A
Abu Simbel, temple of,
p73
Acadia, Canada, 212-213
Acid rain, 396, c396-c397,
396-397
Animal Adaptations p1
Animal Food p2
Animal Habitats p3
Animal Homes p5
• An alphabetical
listing of the key
names, terms,
events, and topics
with page numbers.
• help find pages that
contain specific
information.
3. Glossary
A
Acid rain (AS ihd rayn) rain
that carries certain kind of
pollution.
Adapt (uh DAPT) to change in
order to survive in new
environments
• A list of key terms in
alphabetical order.
• Each key word is
defined.
• Sometimes gives how
to pronounce a word.
4. Titles
• Tells the reader the
topic of the text.
• Shows the main idea of
the text.
• Titles help the reader
by letting them know
what they are about to
read.
5. Subheadings
Helpful Ants
• Divides the text into
Although ants are frustrating when
sections.
they get in homes, ants do help the
environment. They help control the
population of damaging pests such as • Tells the main idea of
each section of text.
termites.
Types of Ants
Types of ants include fire ants, which
cause a painful sting, and carpenter
ants, which damage wood structures
while nest building. Other types of
ants include honey, pharaoh, house,
Argentine, and the thief ant.
• Printed in large or
bold type to make
them stand out.
• Subheadings help the
reader to locate
information in the
text by telling them
where to look.
6. Bold Print and
Italics
The Wetlands of the South • A style and color of the
Why are the South’s wetlands
so important?
The Okefenokee (oh kuh fuh
NOH kee) Swamp is a large
wetland in the South. A
wetland is a place where the
ground is soaked with water for
at least part of the year.
text that signals about
how to read the
content.
• Helps certain words to
stand out.
• Draws the readers
attention to important
information.
7. Photographs &
Illustrations
• Provides information
in a visual way.
• Works with the words
and headings to help
teach material.
• Helps the reader
understand an idea
from the text that was
unclear.
8. Captions
• Explains
what is
shown in a
picture or
illustration.
Photo by MARCIN SZCZEPANSKI
These gold coins were found on
the ocean floor!
• Helps to
understand
information
that may or
may not be
in the text.
9. Maps
• Drawings that show the
basic shape of the land
and other geographical,
political, or historical
features.
• Present information in a
visual form.
• Helps the reader
understand where an
event happens.
10. Diagrams
• A drawing that shows
or explains something.
• Helps the reader
understand steps, how
objects are made, or
information in the text.
11. Tables
• Organizes large
amounts of
information in a small
space.
• Presents all kinds of
data, from numbers
and amounts, to
calendars and menus.
• Hels the reader
compare information
in the text.
12. Time Line
• Show important
events in
chronological order
or time order.
• Helps the reader
better understand
the order of events
and how one event
may have lead to
another.
Now Let’s Apply What We
Know!
You will do a close read
on 2 chapters from the
book with your partner.
You and your partner
will use text features to
teach the class about
your chapters.
Helen Keller:
A Phot0biographic Story of a Life:
chapter 1: A Remarkable Life
Main Ideas and Supporting Details
1. Accomplishments
a. Spoke and Read 4 Languages
b. Typed on a Braillewriter
c. Educated in an excellent university
d. Spoke out for women’s rights, unions, unfair work
practices
Helen Keller:
A Phot0biographic Story of a Life:
chapter 1: A Remarkable Life
Main Ideas and Supporting Details
2. Goals
a. Wanted to be accepted as no different than
others
b. Wanted to show that people with disabilities
could accomplish many things
Helen Keller:
A Phot0biographic Story of a Life:
chapter 1: A Remarkable Life
Main Ideas and Supporting Details
3. Annie Sullivan
a. Helen called her “Teacher” her whole life
b. Both Helen and Annie accepted challenges
c. Helen considered Annie her “Miracle Worker”
What Factors Forged Helen Keller’s
Identity in Chapter 1?
Religion: Helen began and ended her days by
reading her Braille Bible.
This gave her strength and encouragement to
face her challenges.
Trials: Helen was blind and deaf from the
age of 19 months
The trials of being blind and deaf forced
Helen to learn differently and to challenge
herself to accomplish great things for herself
and for others with disabilities.
Text Features
Text Feature
Photographs
Location
in Text
How Will This Help the Reader?
p. 6
Exemplifies Helen’s influence around the
world.
p. 8
Better understand what a Braille Bible
looks like.
Quotations
p. 8
A direct quote from Helen proves that
her goal was to accomplish what had
never been done before,
Captions
p. 6
The caption explains why Helen is
dressed in clothes from India . It
further illustrates her worldly influence.
Photographs
Real photographs of Helen
Keller at an older age help me
to visualize what it must have
been like to be blind and deaf.
These photographs also
demonstrate that Helen enjoyed
life to the fullest.
Now It’s Your Turn!
The End