1. Purpose: To understand words and vocabulary use
Text Features
Text features help you locate important information in a text. Knowing the purpose of the text feature helps you decide at which text feature to look when you want to understand your text better. Organized by purpose, this chart identifies text features and how they help the reader.
Purpose: To understand words and vocabulary use
Bold Print
Identify important information
Colored Print
Glossary
Define words
Italics
Pronunciation Guide
Say the words
Purpose: To expand the meaning of the text
Appendix
Understand ideas in more depth
Overlay
Understand additional information in relation to other information
Preface
Set a purpose for reading; have an overview of the text
Sidebars/Textbox
Gather additional or explanatory information
Purpose: To locate key ideas
Table of Contents
Locate topics in the book and the order they are presented
Index
Locate key ideas in the text with an alphabetical list with page numbers
Titles
Understand what the text is about
Headings
Identify topics within the text
Subheadings
Identify topics within a larger topic
Bullets
Identify key ideas
Captions
Understand an illustration
Labels
Identify an illustration and/or its parts
Purpose: To represent information
Photographs
Understand exactly what something looks like
Drawings
Understand what something could or might have looked like or see a simpler version of something more complex
Graphs, Charts, and Diagrams
Understand information in relation to other information
Maps
Understand geographical, political, or historical features
Timelines
Understand the chronological order of events
Magnification
See detail in an illustration

2. Commonly Used Text Structures or Patterns of Organization
Cause and Effect: the results of something are explained
Chronology: information in the passage is organized in order of time
Compare and Contrast: two or more things are described; similarities and differences are discussed
Order of Importance: information is expressed as a hierarchy or in priority
Problem and Solution: a problem is described and a response or solution is proposed or explained
Sequence/Process: information is organized in steps or a process is explained in the order in which it occurs
Spatial/Descriptive: information is organized in order of space (top to bottom, left to right)

3. Argumentative Writing
Claim: a statement that you are asking the other person to accept. This includes information you are asking the to accept as true, or actions you want the to accept and enact. It may also be called the thesis or proposition.
A claim answers the question: “What is the author trying to prove?”
Evidence: the reasons, facts, and data that are used to support the claim. It may also be called grounds, premises, backing, or proof.
The evidence answers the questions: “What information is the author providing to convince me of his or her claim?”
Counterclaim: the argument or opposition to the author’s claim. It may also be referred to as the counter-argument.
The counterclaim answers the questions: “What can the opposition say to negate the claim of the author? What are other possible views?”
Rebuttal: the response or argument to the counterclaim.
The rebuttal answers the question: “How does the author respond to the claims or assertions of the opposition?”
Refutation: the process of acknowledging a counterargument and providing a strong rebuttal.

4. From the reading, I know that..
Providing Evidence
For instance..
According to the text..
Because..
Based on what I read..
The author stated..
For example..
The source tells us..
From the reading, I know that..

5. Historical Thinking Skills to Use When Examining Text
Sourcing – Who wrote the document? When? Why? How might the author’s purpose and perspective help us understand the information provided or viewpoint expressed?
Corroborating – How does the document fit with other sources? Identify sources that either support or challenge the claims made by the document.
Contextualizing – What else was happening when the document was created? How may that context have affected the information or argument presented in the source? (think about time and place)
Close reading – Identify the arguments being presented, and how the author makes his or her claims.
Identifying the subtext – What event or viewpoint is the author responding to or debating? How might these factors have shaped the author’s purpose, and how is this intention reflected in the document itself?

6. Sourcing Who wrote this? What is the author’s perspective?
Why was it written?
When was it written?
Where was it written?
Is this source reliable? Why? Why not?

7. Corroboration What do other documents say?
Do the documents agree? If not, why?
What are other possible documents?
What documents are most reliable?

8. Contextualizing When and where was the document created?
What was different then? What was the same?
How might the circumstances in which the document was created affect its content?

9. Close Reading What claims does the author make?
What evidence does the author use?
What language (words, phrases, images, symbols) does the author use to persuade the document's audience?
How does the document's language indicate the author's perspective?

10. What is History? History is an account of the past.
• Accounts differ depending on one's
perspective.
• We rely on evidence to construct
accounts of the past.
• We must question the reliability of each
piece of evidence.
• Any single piece of evidence is
insufficient to build a plausible account.
What is History?
History is an account of the past.
Accounts differ depending on one's perspective.
We rely on evidence to construct accounts of the past.
We must critically examine each piece of evidence.
Multiple sources are necessary to build a plausible account.

11. History is an account of the past.
• Accounts differ depending on one's
perspective.
• We rely on evidence to construct
accounts of the past.
• We must question the reliability of each
piece of evidence.
• Any single piece of evidence is
insufficient to build a plausible account.
Primary Sources
Materials directly related to a topic by time or participation
letters
speeches
diaries
newspaper articles from the time
oral history interviews
documents
photographs
objects and artifacts
anything else that provides firsthand accounts about a person or event

12. Secondary Sources reference books periodicals journals atlases
History is an account of the past.
• Accounts differ depending on one's
perspective.
• We rely on evidence to construct
accounts of the past.
• We must question the reliability of each
piece of evidence.
• Any single piece of evidence is
insufficient to build a plausible account.
Secondary Sources
Works of synthesis and interpretation based upon primary sources and the work of other authors
reference books
periodicals
journals
atlases
textbooks (can also be tertiary)

13. Questions historians ask:
History is an account of the past.
• Accounts differ depending on one's
perspective.
• We rely on evidence to construct
accounts of the past.
• We must question the reliability of each
piece of evidence.
• Any single piece of evidence is
insufficient to build a plausible account.
Historians
Historians study the past, change over time, and are concerned with the continuous, systematic narrative and research of previous events.
Questions historians ask:
Whose knowledge is this?
How are we connected to events and people of the past?
What has changed? What has remained the same?
What are facts? What are opinions?
What perspectives are missing?
What voices are silenced?

14. Questions geographers ask:
History is an account of the past.
• Accounts differ depending on one's
perspective.
• We rely on evidence to construct
accounts of the past.
• We must question the reliability of each
piece of evidence.
• Any single piece of evidence is
insufficient to build a plausible account.
Geographers
Geographers study the spatial perspective (the “where”) that is peculiar to the study of geography. They also examine the interaction of physical and human systems with the Earth.
Questions geographers ask:
Why does location matter? How does it matter?
Where? Why there? Why do we care?
How does the environment affect people's lives, and what changes do people make to their environment?
How does geography affect history, economics, government, and the culture of people?

15. Questions economists ask:
History is an account of the past.
• Accounts differ depending on one's
perspective.
• We rely on evidence to construct
accounts of the past.
• We must question the reliability of each
piece of evidence.
• Any single piece of evidence is
insufficient to build a plausible account.
Economists
Economists study how limited resources, goods, and services are produced and distributed.
Questions economists ask:
What economic choices will lead to a society with increased prosperity?
Why do people have to make choices?
What are the costs involved?
What incentives are offered?
How have past economic choices affected the current financial climate?

16. Questions political scientists ask:
History is an account of the past.
• Accounts differ depending on one's
perspective.
• We rely on evidence to construct
accounts of the past.
• We must question the reliability of each
piece of evidence.
• Any single piece of evidence is
insufficient to build a plausible account.
Political Scientists
Political scientists study the origin, development, and operation of political systems. They also research political ideas and analyze the structure and operation of governments, policies, political trends, and related issues.
Questions political scientists ask:
How do people govern themselves?
What does authority mean? Who has authority and why? How is this different from responsibility?
What interests are being served by those in power?
Even when you work to give everyone an equal voice, what can happen?
Should people attempt to influence government and, if so, how can they do so in a democracy?

17. Compare, Contrast, Connect
How are our two events alike?
How are our two events different?
How do the two connect in history?

18. The Lenses of Social Studies
Historians view an event quite differently than a geographer. What about an economist? Or political scientist? Think about __________________________. How might the impact of that event on our country be described by each of the following?
Historian: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Geographer:
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Economist:
Political scientist:

19. Evidence
Document #1
Document #2
Document #3
Document #4

20. Evidence
Document #5
Document #6
Document #7
Document #8