Text FeaturesText 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 Identify important information

Glossary Define words

Italics Identify important information

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

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)

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.

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..

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?

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?

Corroboration

What do other documents say?

Do the documents agree? If not, why?

What are other possible documents?

What documents are most reliable?

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?

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?

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.

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

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 booksperiodicalsjournalsatlasestextbooks (can also be

tertiary)

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.

HistoriansHistorians 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?

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.

GeographersGeographers 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?

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.

EconomistsEconomists 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?

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?

Look at This!

Name: _______________________

This is what I see:

This is where I think this was taken:

This is what I think is happening:

(Tell a short story)

This is when I think this was taken:

Photo Analysis

Watch This!

Name: _______________________Film Analysis

Things I noticed: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I think the big idea is:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I think the purpose of this film is:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name: _______________________Non-fiction

Fact #1 Fact #2

Fact #3 Fact #4

I think this was written to teach me:

Read This!

HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS ANALYSIS

My artifact is: ______________________________________________

This is what it looks like:

This is what it sounds like: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I think this is its purpose: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I think it came from this place: _____________________________I think it came from this time period: ________________________It is special or unique because: ________________________________________________________________________________________

Here’s what I can learn from this artifact:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Compare, Contrast, Connect

How are our two events alike?

How are our two events

different?

How do the two connect in history?

The Lenses of Social StudiesHistorians 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: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

EvidenceDocument #1

Document #2

Document #3

Document #4

EvidenceDocument #5

Document #6

Document #7

Document #8