Download - High School Informational Text - Texthelp · High School Informational Text Craft and Structure: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative,

High School Informational Text

Craft and Structure: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.

English Language Arts Standards » Reading: Informational Text » Grades 9-10

• To know what to research, students must first determine the vocabulary that is used for the topic.

• Have students visit several websites on the same topic having students look for words they see repeated on many/most of those sites.

• Have students determine what vocabulary they already know and what they will need to know.




Dictionary, Highlighting and Vocabulary Tools

Each of these tools can be very helpful in identifying:• Words used in topics and subtopics• Synonyms used for descriptive words (connotations)• Unknown words of importance to topic• Words for creation of a word bank on research topic


High School Informational TextDepending on the student, the Vocabulary List may be the best way to collect and add to notes on words related to topics and sub topics for use in persuasive and research papers. Because the List is modifiable, additional columns may also be added for concept words.



Craft and Structure: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaningand tone.


Shades of Meaning Strategy (Goodman, 2004) The subtle differences between related words can be very confusing for students. While they might have a general sense of the difference between overjoyed and ecstatic, most students would be hard-pressed to define and use these terms in specific ways. In other words, most likely they would see these two words as synonyms and not comprehend the differences authors intend when they use one or the other.

This strategy originally used paint chips to illustrate the subtle shades of meaning but can also be done using a timeline/number line to show intensity such as our Fact Mapper.

Scary frightening creepy terrifying petrifying bloodcurdling


Give students either one word or a series of words and have them arrange them on a continuum based on intensity. Have students work in groups or pairs discussing why

they believe as they do.



Give students either one word or a series of words and have them arrange them on a continuum based on intensity. Have students work in groups or pairs discussing why they believe as they do.





Shades of Meaning Strategy was developed to help students develop their understanding that many words can be organized in gradients of meaning. The strategy encourages students to talk about words and arrange them along a continuum. The ability to distinguish subtle meaning is one of the skills assessed on the Scholastic Aptitude Test.




While Researching, Students May Wish to Create a Word Bank Using Word Prediction

By creating a word bank for a large specific topic students will have available to them while writing:• Words used in topics and subtopics• Synonyms used for descriptive words (connotations)• Words with various intensities for choice • Ease of finding the “right” word to describe/persuade


High School Informational TextCheck to see if the topic you are interested in already has a Prediction Word Bank available for download for our Word Prediction…

High School Informational TextFind a website that has much of the vocabulary you would want/need to use when presenting your persuasive or research topic.

Next, copy as much of the article as you wish to the clipboard.

Use the drop down menu to the right of the Word Prediction icon (crystal ball) and click on Create a new prediction word bank.

You will see a copy of the text you copied to the clipboard located in the Text used to form the new prediction file box at the bottom.


Enter a name to call the file and a description of what kinds of words the file contains.

Then click OK at the bottom.

To apply and use your new word bank you must now go back to the drop down menu next to the Word Prediction icon, and click on Prediction Options.

Once the Prediction Options panel appears, make sure the Advance Options box in the lower left-hand corner is checked.

High School Informational TextClick on the Context tab at the top of the Prediction Options panel and take a look down to the list of Prediction word banks.

Make sure the word bank you created is not only listed but that there is a check mark in the box so that those words are available for use.

Have students create one then experiment with using the Word Prediction tool.

Download - High School Informational Text - Texthelp · High School Informational Text Craft and Structure: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative,

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