Videos use both words and images to help you understand how ideas are developed. Texts, on the other hand, rely mostly on words. However, most scientific texts include at least some visual cues―pictures that can help you identify and understand the most important ideas in the text. They may use headings and subheadings to tell you what the main ideas are. They may include diagrams and illustrations that show you exactly how ideas or concepts are related.
If your first glance at a scientific text reveals no obvious visual cues, look at the first sentence or two of each paragraph. Usually, that’s where you’ll find the paragraph’s main idea.
Scientists like the ones who work for the National Park Service often use fact sheets to provide information about different species to general public. There are two different national parks that contain pika populations―Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve and the Rocky Mountain National Park. Both parks offer visitors fact sheets about pikas. Click the buttons below to compare the two fact sheets. See if you can identify how the facts are organized in each article.
Now see if you can answer some questions about how information about pikas is discussed in these two texts.
What kinds of facts appear in the Craters of the Moon fact sheet?
What kinds of facts appear in the Rocky Mountain fact sheet?
What is the purpose of the Craters of the Moon fact sheet?
What is the purpose of the Rocky Mountain fact sheet?
What visual cues do the fact sheets use to help readers see how details are organized?
What type of organization is used in both fact sheets?
| Your Responses | Sample Answers |
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what pikas look like, their habitat, where to find them within the park, pika behavior, and how pikas are protected |
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how pikas can be indicators of climate change, how many pikas live within the park, how to find them, what their characteristics are, how the park manages them, and what methods are used to conduct research on them |
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to teach park visitors what pikas are, how to identify them, and where to find them |
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to teach people the importance of studying pikas, how to identify pikas, and where to find them |
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headings and subheadings, areas of shading, and bulleted lists |
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Catalog. In both fact sheets, details about pikas are arranged in paragraphs and lists. |
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