Informational Text Features

Print Features, Graphic Aids, and Organization

Why do we need to know about

informational text features?

They provide the reader with information in various forms. We must know what to look for so we don’t miss something important.

Text Feature: Types of PrintBold print, colored print, italics

Purpose: Help the reader by signaling, “Look at me! I’m important!”

Text feature: Titles and Headings

• Purpose: They announce the topic that will be covered.

Text Feature: LabelsPurpose: Help the reader identify a picture or photograph and/or its parts.•Example:

Text Feature: Captions

• Purpose: Help the reader better understand a picture

• Example:

Dema, a baby Sumatran tiger, licks Nia, a baby orangutan.

Text Feature: Bullets

• Purpose: Helps readers identify items in a list.

Text Feature: Fact Boxes• Purpose: Gives the reader

additional information about the topic and puts it in a box so it catches your eye.

• Example:

FACTBullfrogs got their name because someone thought the male's deep call sounded like a bull mooing. These frogs can be huge, sometimes growing as big as eight inches (20 centimeters) and weighing up to 1.5 pounds (0.6 kilograms).

Text Feature: Diagrams

• Purpose: It is a drawing or plan that helps the reader understand how something works.

• Example:

Text Feature: Flow Diagram

• Purpose: Help the reader understand the sequence (order) of steps.

• Example:

Text Feature: Size Comparisons

• Purpose: Help the reader understand the size of one thing by comparing it to the size of something familiar.

• Example:

Text Feature: Magnification/Close ups

• Purpose: Help the reader see details in something small.

• Example:

Text Feature: Photographs and

IllustrationsPurpose: Help the reader understand exactly what something looks like.

Example:

Text Feature: Cross Section/Cut Away

Purpose: Help the reader understand something by looking at it from the inside.

Example:

Text Feature: GraphsPurpose: Use pictures and

symbols to show information and to make a point.

Example:

Text Feature: TablePurpose: Helps the reader view

facts by placing them in parallel columns.

Example:

Text Feature: TimelinePurpose: To represent

key historical events in order.

Example:

Text Feature: MapsPurpose: Help the reader

understand where things are in the world.

Example:

Text Feature: Table of Contents

Purpose: Help the reader identify key topics in the book in the order they are presented.

Example:Table of Contents

Chapter Page

1Becoming a Writer 82Habits That Enhance Writing 113Tips on Writing 144The Narrative Essay Plan175Using the Writing Traits 206Editing and Revising 257Publishing Your Essay 30

Text Feature: Introduction/Deck

Purpose: It gives you a “Heads Up” about what you will be reading about.

Example:

Text Feature: IndexPurpose: An alphabetical list of almost everything covered in the text, with page numbers.

Example:

Index

Amphibians p.13Bats p. 18Diet p. 12, 14, 16Insects p. 7Mammals p. 10Snakes p. 8

Text Feature: GlossaryPurpose: Help the reader

define words contained in the text.

Example:Glossary

Adaptation- a change that a living thing goes through so that it fits in better in its environmentExtinct- died outSpecies- a group of related animals or plantsSurvive- to stay alive through some dangerous event

Text Feature: Pronunciation Guide

Purpose: Helps the reader pronounce, or say a word. correctly.

Example:  

Pronunciation [pruh-nuhn-see-ey-shuhn]

QUIZ