1. Introduction to nonfiction
External Text Features & Internal Organizational Patterns

2. Imagination vs. Reality
FICTION
Not true
An imaginative creation that may or may not represent reality
Has been invented or made up by the author

3. Imagination vs. Reality
NONFICTION
True or fact
About real things, people, places, & events
Informative writing

4. Imagination vs. Reality
Characteristics of FICTION:
Tells stories (sequential)
Consists of story elements
Purpose is to be engaging
Writing is creative
Contain illustrations to help reader visualize created worlds
Long sections of intact text
Good for cover-to-cover readers
Characteristics of NONFICTION:
Provides factual info using words and images
Purpose is to provide info
Must be accurate
Writing style is clear
Contain illustrations or graphics to facilitate understanding
Frequently broken up into sections
Good for skimmers

5. Purposes of Nonfiction
Writing is as easy as
PIE
Persuade: to convince reader to agree with author
Inform: to share factual info with reader
Entertain: to amuse the reader

6. What do nonfiction texts look like?
Information in nonfiction texts is presented both verbally and visually
Frequently broken up
Author lets us know the purpose of the piece by how it is structured:
External Text Features (obvious)
Internal Organizational Patterns (subtle)

7. External Text Features (“Exoskeleton”)
Visual aids that help focus readers & draw attention to important info
Make books more readable & accessible
Support comprehension & expand info about a topic
Facilitate a reader’s locating of info

8. Text Features
Textbooks and informational texts have important elements that stand out from the other parts of the text.
Purpose: to help us understand the information presented

9. External Text Features
a. table of contents j. diagrams b. headings/sub-headings k. tables/charts c. bold type/italics l. graphs d. glossary m. maps e. index n. flowcharts f. sidebars o. webs g. fact box p. timelines h. photos q. references i. captions

10. Boldface Signal to slow down and pay attention
Signals that a word, term, or event is important

11. Charts Give information, show processes, or make comparisons
Pack lots if information in a small space

12. Glossary ABC ordered list of key people, places, events, or terms
A tool to help you understand the language of the subject (jargon)

13. Graphs Use pictures and symbols to show information
Always read the graph’s title, labels on the vertical and horizontal axes, etc.

14. Headings & Titles Tells you what the section is about
Allows us to be efficient in our reading—skim the headings to focus on the purpose of our reading

15. Index Found at the very back of a textbook
Gives the location of every important idea, term, definition, person, and place
A search tool to help you find what you need

16. Photos & Illustrations
Photo: a picture with a camera that shows how things look in real life
Illustration: a rendition or drawing of what something looks like
Used to emphasize or make important points

17. Table of Contents
Gives the heading and beginning page numbers of each section in a book

18. Caption A sentence that tells about a picture
Say in a few lines what the author takes paragraphs to explain

19. Label
A word that tells about a picture

20. Additional Text Features
Color
Italics
Underlining
Examples
Bullets
Preview
Inset

21. So What?
Authors use text features in order to bring attention to important details
Putting them to use will help you understand more of your reading, and probably allow you to do it in less time!

22. Internal Organizational Patterns (“Body System”)
Arrangement/structure of the text
Authors use signal words & phrases to show the relationships among ideas
Aid in understanding and enhance recall & retention of the material

23. Internal Organizational Patterns
1. Compare & Contrast
Structure used to show how things are alike and different
Comparing means noting the similarities between subjects
Contrasting means noting the differences between subjects
Signal Words: alike, likewise, in addition to, similar, similarly, both, all, in comparison, in both, as well as, contrast, together, different and opposite, on the other hand
Venn Diagram

24. Internal Organizational Patterns
2. Cause & Effect
Structure that relates 2 or more events
The causes result in the effects
The causes are why something happens
The effects are what happens
Signal Words: as a result of, consequently, therefore, because, & if…then
EFFECT 1
EFFECT 2
CAUSE
EFFECT 3

25. Internal Organizational Patterns
3. Enumeration/Listing
Structure that uses numbers or listing to organize texts
Order is not important
Signal Words: one, two, 1, 2, bullets (∙), such as, colon ( : )
__________________
1.__________________
2.__________________
3.__________________
4.__________________

26. Internal Organizational Patterns
4. Process
Structure of directions where a sequence of actions is described in order
Instructs the reader on how to do something
A set of directions/steps
Signal Words: Beginning with, in order to, first, after that, now, Step 1

27. Internal Organizational Patterns
5. Sequencing
Structure that uses relative time order to organize events in which they happen
Organize a series of events—the life of a person; historical events
Signal Words: next, then, in the beginning, meanwhile, finally, during
--OR--

28. Internal Organizational Patterns
6. Chronological
Structure that uses specific or exact time order to organize events that happen
Organize a series of events—the life of a person; historical events
Signal Words: specific dates, times (ex. 1988; June 1; 2:39 AM), today

29. Internal Organizational Patterns
7. Generalization/Principle
Structure that organizes info with a main idea & supporting details/examples/facts
A generalization is a big idea
A principle is a general or believed truth
Often is an opinion
Used in newspaper articles, reviews, advertisements
Signal Words: Additionally, in fact, generally, furthermore, typically, always

30. Internal Organizational Patterns
8. Concept/Definition
Structure where a concept or difficult term is defined & further explained with examples & characteristics
Signal Words: refers to, thus, is defined as, means, is described as