As you can
see in the sample below, most of the spreads in Mega-Predators of the Past
present information in five different ways—main text, main illustration, a
comparison box, a caption box, and a Mega Fact File. Why did I include so many
text features? Because I had a lot of goals for the book, and I wanted it to
appeal to a broad range of readers.
I wanted a fun main text that would engage readers and encourage them to think
about why it is that dinosaurs get so much more attention that other kinds of
prehistoric predators. But that was just the tip of the iceberg.
I also
wanted to provide some specific information about each animal, including how it
hunted and what it ate. And I knew the Mega Fact File would be irresistible to
students who love numbers and stats.
As I wrote the book, I had two visual goals. I thought it was important for readers to see
each mega-predator in its ancient environment, and I wanted a quick, easy way
for readers to compare the mega-predators to humans and similar animals alive
today.
I hoped
that presenting information in a variety of ways would provide comfortable access
points for a broad range of readers. That’s one of the greatest advantages of browsable
books, and it’s the reason so many students love them.
Now that we’re more than a decade into ELA standards influenced by Common Core,
most educators are doing a great job of teaching text features. But some are still
honing lessons that address other important elements of nonfiction craft. So
that’s what I’ll be focusing on for a few weeks after Thanksgiving. Stay tuned.
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