Deck 10: Informational Text in the Classroom

Question 1

Which of the following is a good reason to teach young children to read and write informational text?

A) Most of the reading and writing that students will be asked to do in their later school years will involve comprehending informational text.
B) Publishers are beginning to use this genre almost exclusively in basal readers.
C) Informational text helps students express their ideas in a more naturally creative way using informational text.
D) Informational text is less difficult to read than narrative text, with fewer nuances.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following are challenges inherent in informational text?

A) Many examples of informational text are on topics that students do not understand.
B) These texts tend to be too long.
C) This text often contains unfamiliar technical terms.
D) All of the above

Answer 2

C

Question 3

How can teachers make sure that students' exposure to informational text is authentic and purposeful?

A) Model how informational text can be used to help students find answers to many of their common questions.
B) Help students explore the vast amount of information contained in encyclopedias.
C) Show students how informational text often contains pictures and other graphics that can be used to support presentations and discussions.
D) Both A and C.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following is the main element provided by twin texts-informational books paired with narrative texts containing information about a topic being studied in the content areas?

A) Two differing ways of presenting information
B) Motivation to read more
C) Historical background
D) Experience with different organizational structures

Question 5

Over time, reading informational books aloud to students not only familiarizes them with organizational structures but also helps them learn which of the following?

A) Expression and character motivation
B) Sequence and logical thought
C) Symbiotic relationships
D) Content and new vocabulary related to the topic

Question 6

Which of the following are NOT common text patterns used by authors of informational texts?

A) Sequence and enumeration
B) Cause and effect
C) Comparison and contrast
D) Problem/resolution

Question 7

Which of the following statements can be made about writing an informational paragraph, as compared with writing narrative text?

A) Informational text has somewhat more rigid organization.
B) Informational text has somewhat less rigid organization.
C) Informational text is easier to write than narrative text.
D) Informational text is more difficult to write than narrative text.

Question 8

Which of the following transition words might be found in a simple informational paragraph that uses a sequential ordering structure?

A) Because, therefore, as a result
B) Similarly, in contrast, however
C) First, next, after that
D) In fact, for example, most importantly

Question 9

Why is choosing a topic for informational writing often easier for young children than choosing a topic for narrative writing?

A) They are less likely to feel they don't know what to write about when they have so many topics to explore.
B) Children enjoy researching and then writing about their discoveries about a wide variety of topics.
C) Teachers can engage children in using the Internet to find ample information about almost any topic.
D) All of the above

Question 10

Which of the following refers to showing children how to use headings and subheadings to create questions about a text before reading it?

A) Reviewing
B) Predicting
C) Previewing
D) Expecting

Question 11

Which of the following organizational models can be used for expository frames?

A) Cause/effect and problem/solution
B) Problem/theme and episode/resolution
C) Character/setting and event/ending
D) Plot/problem and theme/resolution

Question 12

Teachers can model how narrative and informational texts differ by reading the material and doing a __________.

Question 13

Informational text needs an introduction, a body paragraph, and a __________.

Question 14

Using __________can help students understand expository, or informational, structures, by providing a systematic way to write about content material they have previously read.

Question 15

Words such as first, next, then, and finally are used as transitional devices within paragraphs that have a sequential pattern. These words are known as __________.

Question 16

The teacher can show students how to use the Internet effectively for researching a topic by leading them on a __________.

Question 17

Informational reading and writing can be just as__________, if not more so, than narrative text.

Question 18

Exposure to informational reading and writing can help students think more clearly and __________.

Question 19

Explain to your principal why you are spending far more time this year teaching your first graders about informational reading and writing than you have in the past.

Question 20

Develop a list that describes many of the challenges inherent in informational text. Describe, in detail, what activities you would undertake to address these challenges with primary-aged youngsters.

Question 21

List the four essential parts of informational, or expository, writing. Show how these parts are used in informational writing by writing a brief piece on "Why Teaching Is a Noble Profession," or another topic of your choice.