This week we have been discussing the difference between fiction and non fiction with an emphasis on informational text features.  An informational text’s purpose is to inform the reader by providing information about a subject, defining something, or explaining a topic. Informational texts do not use story elements like characters and settings. Instead, they use special features to present information in a way that best helps a reader learn.

Informational texts show up in many places. Informational manuals for appliances, the local newspaper, and a scientific magazine in a waiting room are all examples. Many of them also appear online as news articles and government resource sites. But most informational texts appear in schools. They are textbooks, reference books, and other texts that students use every day.

Here is a list of some features we explored:

• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Index
• Headings
• Subheadings
• Titles
• Bold print
• Captions and Labels
• Diagrams
• Graphs
• Charts/Tables

We looked through our library to locate informational texts.

We discussed and created an anchor chart to help us remember informational text features.

Using sticky notes, we located text features throughout the book.

We created a T chart graphic organizer to sum up our learning.