Text Feature Hunt

1. Text Feature Hunt An Introduction to Nonfiction Text Features

2. Text features are the parts of a nonfiction book that help you find information easily or tell you more about the topic. Some examples are: • Titles • Table of Contents • Headings • Photographs • Illustrations • Captions • Bold words • Glossary • Electronic Menu • Icons

3. Title: the name of the book • Titles tell the reader the topic of the text. • Titles show the main idea of the text. • Titles help the reader by letting them know what they are about to read. • Titles focus the reader on a topic so they can make connections between what they already know and the text.

4. Table of Contents:gives the heading and beginning page number for each section of the book • The table of contents shows how the book is organized so you can find information more easily. • The heading titles give the reader an outline of what the book is about. Table of Contents Flowers………………..………..3 Vegetables………………..…..9 Fruit……………………….......12 Trees……………………………15 Glossary……………………….20

5. Headings: divide the text into sections • Headings tell the main idea of each section of text. • Headings are printed in large or bold type to make them stand out. • Headings help the reader to locate information in the text by telling them where to look.

6. Photographs: a picture taken with a camera that show how something looks in real life • Photographs show how something looks, which helps the reader better understand the topic they are reading about.

7. Illustrations: a hand-drawn picture • Illustrations help the reader “see” what is being talked about in the text.

8. Captions: the words next to or below a picture that tell what it is or what it is about • A caption explains what is shown in a photograph or illustration. • Captions help the reader understand information that may or may not be in the text.

9. Bold Words: important words that are darker than the text around them • Bold words tell the reader to pay attention – these words are important! • Bold words can be used for titles, headings, and key words like important vocabulary words. • Sometimes the important words will be a different color or in italics. • Sometimes the meaning of the important words can be found in the glossary.

10. Glossary: tells what important words mean • A glossary is like a small dictionary of words. It tells or shows what words mean. • The words in the glossary are in alphabetical order. • The words in the glossary were used in the book. • A glossary is usually found at the end of the book or near the back. Glossary flower:the part of the plant that makes new seeds fruit: the part of the plant that holds the seeds seed: the part of the plant that can grow into a new plant

11. Electronic Menu: a list of things you can choose from to do something on the computer • An electronic menu gives you options, just like a menu at your favorite place to eat. • An electronic menu lists all of your options. It helps the user know what is on the computer program or website. • An electronic menu helps you navigate, or find your way, around a program or website. screen shot from www.starfall.com

12. Icon: a picture that represents something else • Icons can be used to find information in a computer program or website. • The picture in the icon represents the information that you can find or the task that you can do. screen shot from www.starfall.com

13. Why are text features important? • Text features help the reader to quickly find important information. • Text features teach the reader about the topic. • Text features can help the reader answer questions about a topic and the text they are reading.