Main Topic of Informational Texts
Identify the main topic and retell key details of informational texts; describe connections between individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information
What a learner can do afterwards
- State what a non-fiction text is mostly about in one sentence
- List two or three important facts learned from an informational text
- Explain how two events or ideas in a text are connected
1 · Read
You have listened to books read aloud. Now read or listen to a short fact text. It tells about real things. Its main topic is who or what it is mostly about. A book can cover different topics in different parts. Ask what the facts explain together. You can say, "This text is about..."
A page says many frogs jump. Adult frogs can eat insects. Frogs start life as eggs. Its main topic is frogs. The facts are details about frogs. To retell two facts, say, "Many frogs jump, and frogs start life as eggs." Check the page as you retell it. A fact you know from somewhere else may not be on this page.
To choose a sentence for a text, check whether it tells about the topic. For a page about apples, a fact about apple trees fits. A sentence about a school bus does not help explain apples. When you retell a text, keep facts that explain its topic. Use the named topic to check each sentence.
An exciting detail may tell only one part of a text. Choose a topic that fits the facts together. One animal's food may be too small. All animals may be too big for a text about ants. Sometimes the topic word is not written. Rain, snow and wind are all weather, so weather can be their shared topic.
Facts can tell the order in which things happen. For many frogs, eggs hatch into tadpoles. Tadpoles then grow into frogs. Facts can also give a reason. "The plant wilted because it had no water" tells why. Look for words like "because" or "made" to find the reason. One event coming first does not always cause the next one.
A title often names the topic. Choose one that fits the facts together. "How Boats Move" fits facts about rowing and sailing better than "One Sail". A text may use "it" instead of naming the same thing again. In "A boat floats. It carries people," the word "it" means the boat. Read back to check what each sentence tells about.
Name what the text is mostly about. Retell facts from the text, and use its words to explain how facts connect.
Original lesson and practice material written for this dataset. Khan Academy records were studied for teaching structure.
Five practice readings and six flashcards written for this dataset. Khan Academy records informed the teaching review; the readings use new examples and independently written text.
More to read
What do these facts explain?
Read this text, or ask someone to read it aloud.
A snail has a soft body. A snail moves on a wide foot. Many snails have a shell.
The body, foot and shell are details about snails. You could say, "This text is mostly about snails."
Would "Shells" fit the whole text? It would leave out the body and foot facts. Check the facts together when you choose a topic.
Keep the facts when you retell
A page says a raincoat helps keep rain off your clothes. Some raincoats have a hood.
You could retell both facts like this: "A raincoat helps keep clothes dry. Some raincoats have a hood."
The words changed a little, but the facts stayed the same. Keep "some" because the page does not say every raincoat has a hood.
The page gives no colors. Naming a raincoat color would add something it did not tell you.
Build a page about backpacks
You are making a fact page about backpacks. Here are three sentences you could use.
"A backpack can hold books."
"Straps help you carry a backpack."
"A clock tells the time."
The book and strap sentences help explain backpacks. Leave out the clock sentence because it explains something else.
Books and straps belong on the backpack page because of how they connect to its topic.
Follow the scooter
A scooter has wheels. It has a place for your feet. It has a handlebar that you hold.
Read back when you see "it". The named thing is the scooter. Each sentence still tells about the scooter.
Which title would cover these facts? "Parts of a Scooter" fits the wheels, place for your feet and handlebar. "One Wheel" fits only part of the text.
Find the reason in the words
Here are two made-up school notes for reading practice.
"Rain fell during playtime. The class stayed inside because it was raining."
Why did the class stay inside? The words after "because" give the reason: it was raining.
Now read the other note.
"The bell rang. A child opened a book."
This note tells the order of events. It does not say why the child opened the book. Use a reason the text gives instead of treating every order as a cause.
2 · Watch
به انگلیسیTake it off screen
Where it sits
Where this leads
21 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.