What is Informational Text?

Notes
INFORMATIONAL TEXTS

What is an informational text?

•A subgenre of nonfiction writing
•Should inform the reader about a specific topic
•Written in way that allows the reader to easily find key information, and understand the main topic.

Multiple Select

What is informational text?
MARK ALL THAT APPLY!

• nonfiction writing

• informs reader of a topic

• gives key information in an easy to find format

How is an informational text organized?

•Authors might:

•provide headers over certain sections
•bold important vocabulary
•provide a table of contents or a glossary to assist readers
in finding the information easier
•use visual representations with captions

✔Pictures
✔Tables
✔Diagrams
✔Graphs
✔Charts

Other Elements of Informational Texts

•No characters
•Might contain:

✔glossaries for specialized vocabulary
✔embedded definitions
•Do not tell a story
•Easy to find a topic of interest

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What are elements of informational text? ​ ​

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characters

plot

glossaries

embedded definitions

headers over certain sections

tables and diagrams

graphs and charts

happy ending

What an informational text is NOT:

•A narrative or text with characters
•A book of directions
•A joke book

Then what ARE

some examples of

informational

texts?

Newspaper Article

Magazine Article

Encyclopedia Article

No one
uses me
anymore!

☹

Textbook

Consumer Documents

paperwork given to buyers, users, or the general public to
specify agreements, rights, and/or responsibilities; warranties,
contracts, product safety instructions, credit reports, loan
agreements, and health care plan explanations of benefits are all considered consumer documents

Public Documents

documents (such as court records, land deeds, and public registers) authenticated by a public officer and made available for public reference and use

Scholarly Journals

contain articles written by scholars or professionals who are

experts in their fields; they often publish research results

Periodicals

a magazine, newspaper, or scholarly journal

published at regular intervals

Open Ended

Type ONE example of an informational text.

4 Major Categories of Informational Texts

1.

Literary Nonfiction: personal essays, speeches, opinion
pieces, essays about art or literature, biographies,
memoirs, journalism, and historical, scientific, technical,
or economic accounts (including digital sources) written
for a broad audience

2.

Expository Texts: utilize various text structures, such as
description, cause and effect, comparison and contrast,
problem and solution, & question and answer

3.

Argument or Persuasion Texts: provide evidence with
the intent of influencing the beliefs or actions of the
target audience

4.

Procedural Texts: provide step-by-step guidelines that
describe how to complete a task. They often include a
materials-needed section and graphics that illustrate the
process

Drag and Drop

What are the main categories of informational text? ​

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literary nonfiction

expository text

argumentative text

persuasive text

procedural (how-to or step by step) text

folktales

realistic fiction

myths

poetry

historical fiction

Why Might You Need These…?

•To write research papers!
•To be an informed citizen.
•To learn.
•To impress your future spouse with random knowledge.
•To exercise your brain.
•Read. Just do it.

Open Ended

Type ONE reason why you need informational text:

Where Can I Find Credible Informational Texts?

•In a DATABASE!

•A structured set of data held in a computer, especially one
that is accessible in various ways
•Paid for by schools or organizations
•Need username and password to log in when accessing
remotely