Text Features

1. Understanding Text Features Text Features Examples of Text Features With Definitions Explanations for How Text Features Help Readers Text Features Help Students Understand Text

2. What are text features? • Human beings have important elements in their bodies such as a heart, lungs, blood vessels and brain. These elements stand out from other features of our body. • Textbooks and informational text also have important elements that stand out from the other parts of the text and these are called text features.

3. What are text features? • Authors use text features help the reader more easily navigate the text and often provide additional information to help the reader understand the content. • Each text feature is a tool just like a hammer or a can opener which help you do your work.

4. A List of Common Text Features bold-faced print, italic print, colored print, titles, headings, subheadings, bullets, numberings, footnotes, illustrations/ photographs, captions, tables, graphs, diagrams, labelings, maps, timelines, text box, key word searches, pull down menus, icons, and cut aways

5. 1. Text (Bold, Italics, and Color) Writers sometimes put words in boldface, italics, or in a colored font to get your attention. Boldface is text written in dark print. Italics is text that slants upward to the right. Bolded or italicized words are a signal that the word is important and that we should pay special attention to it. These words may be important topic words and terms being defined, or they may be key words used to make sure you clearly understand a statement or direction. • Boldface is text written in dark print. • Italics is text that slants upward to the right. The Wetlands of the South 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.

6. Titles are often written in a large, bold font to bring attention to the reader. 2. Titles • Titles tell you the most important topic(s) in a text. • Titles help readers by letting them know what they are about to read. • Titles help the reader locate different categories in the text.

7. 3. Headings Headings tell you what kind of information you will read in a particular section. Main headings are usually in bold font and subheadings are in plain font. Main headings= bold font Sub headings = plain font Table of Contents Chapter 1: All About Animals Animal Adaptations ……..Page 1 Animal Food……….……..Page 2 Animal Habitats . ………..Page 3 Animal Homes ..……….…Page 4 Chapter 2: All About Plants Photosynthesis ………….Page 5 Types of Plants ………….Page 6

8. Subheadings divide text into sections. 4. Subheadings ANTS Helpful Ants Although ants are frustrating when they get in homes, ants do help the environment. They help control the population of damaging pests such as 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. • Subheadings divide the text into sections. • Subheadings tell the main idea of each section of text. • Subheadings help the reader to locate information in the text by telling him/her where to look.

9. 5. Numberings An outline is a general plan of the material that is to be presented. The numberings in an outline show the order of the various topics, the relative importance of each, and the relationship between the various parts. Numberings show importance of topics.

10. 6. Footnotes A footnote is a notation at the bottom of the page in a printed document. Footnotes are usually presented in smaller print than the dominant text. Footnotes are used to provide definitions or give credit of borrowed material. Footnotes are used to provide definitions or give credit. “Mistress Madge,” as Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer was known, would inspect any unusual catches brought in on the fishing trawlers¹ in East London. ------------------------------ ¹Boats that pull large nets behind them in order to catch fish.

11. Captions help the reader understand information that may or may not be in the text. 7. Captions • A caption explains what is shown in a picture or illustration. • Captions help the reader understand information that may or may not be in the text. Photo by MARCIN SZCZEPANSKI These gold coins were found on the ocean floor!

12. The pictures would help me understand what the animal looks like and where it lives. 8. Illustrations/ Photographs • Illustrations give information in a visual way. • They work with the words and headings to help teach material. • They help the reader understand an idea from the text that was unclear. How might this photo help the reader understand the text?

13. The table would help the reader understand where and how often volcanoes erupt. 9. Tables • Tables organize large amounts of information in a small space. • Tables present all kinds of data, from numbers and amounts, to calendars and menus. • Tables help the reader summarize and compare information. How would a table about volcano eruptions help the reader understand volcanoes?

14. 10. Graph A graph is a visual, concise means of presenting information. There are three basic kinds of graphs: a circle or pie graph, a bar graph, and a line graph. Graphs often depict things that are easier to understand in symbolic format. There are 3 kinds of graphs: circle/pie, bar, and line graph.

15. The diagram helps the reader understand the parts of a volcano and how they erupt. 11. Diagrams • A diagram is a drawing that shows or explains something and helps the reader understand steps, how objects are made, or information in the text. • To understand a diagram the reader should read the titles, labels, captions, and numbered parts. How could this diagram help the reader understand volcanoes?

16. The map could help the reader understand where Texas is located and how the location relates to the text. 12. Maps • Maps are drawings that show the basic shape of the land and other geographical, political, or historical features. • They help the reader understand where an event happens. How would a map of the United States help the reader understand an article about Texas?

17. Timelines help the reader understand the order of events. 13. Timelines • Timelines show important events in chronological order or time order. • Timelines help the reader better understand the order of events and how one event may have lead to another.

18. A textbox provides more information than is in the text about a topic. 14. Textbox • A textbox provides more information than is in the text about a topic. • A textbox can include interesting facts or important information the author wants the reader to know.

19. 15. Key Word Search Key word searches are words used when searching for something on a search engine on the Internet. When you type in a key word, the search engine quickly scans the Internet and presents a list of websites that contain your key words. Every word matters in a key word search on a computer, so keep it simple.

20. 16. Pull Down Menu A pull down menu is a menu on a computer whose title is normally visible but whose contents are shown only when the user activates it, normally by clicking on the title or a small arrow next to the title, whereupon the menu items appear below the title. A pull down menu is a computer folder that contains files.

21. 17. Icon An icon is a picture on a computer. Icons are used on a computer to represent objects such as files, folders, shortcuts, applications, and documents. There are also icons on the Internet tool bar, and on web pages. An icon is a picture.

22. 18. Labelings Labelings are the specific terms used to identify the parts in which a line or arrow is pointing to in a diagram, map, chart, etc. The labelings identify the specific parts of a volcano. What do the labelings in this diagram identify?

23. 19. Cutaways A cutaway is a magnified piece of a picture, diagram, chart, etc. A cutaway gives the reader a bigger view and understanding of a specific smaller area of a picture. A cutaway is a magnified piece of a picture, diagram, chart, etc.

24. 20. Bullets A bullet is a symbol used to introduce items or a list. The bullet symbol may take any of a variety of shapes, such as circular, square, diamond, arrow etc., Bulleted items – known as "bullet points" – may be short phrases, single sentences, or of paragraph length. Bullets are symbols used to introduce items or a list.