Text Feature Detective Worksheet
Grade 3 Nonfiction RI.3.5 • Informational Text Features
Name:
Date:
Part 1: Text Feature Detective Hunt
Page 1 of 2
Authors use text features to give clues and share extra facts. Read the magazine page below. In each numbered detective box [ 1 ] through [ 7 ], write the correct feature name from the Word Bank.
Word Bank: Heading / Title Subheading Diagram & Labels Photograph & Caption Bold Word Map & Key Fact Box / Sidebar
Ocean Life Monthly • Explorer Edition
Loggerhead Turtles: Ocean Voyagers
1
Identify Feature:
Built for Swimming
2 Feature:
Loggerhead sea turtles are giant ocean reptiles. Unlike land turtles, they cannot pull their head or legs inside their shell. Instead, their bodies are built for ocean speed. Their heavy top shell is called a carapace, which acts like underwater armor against predators.
3 Feature for "carapace":
Anatomy Diagram
4 Feature:
Heavy, hooked beak Front flipper Bony carapace (shell) Back flipper for steering
Atlantic Migration Map
5 Feature:
NORTH AMERICA Florida Coast Atlantic Ocean MAP KEY Nesting Beach Migration Path
Field Photo
6 Feature:
A loggerhead sea turtle glides gently over a shallow coral reef. Sea turtles cannot breathe underwater and must push their noses above the ocean surface for air every few hours.
Loggerhead Fast Facts
7 Feature:
- • Heavyweight: Adults grow up to 3 feet long and weigh nearly 350 pounds!
- • Magnetic GPS: Turtles sense Earth's invisible magnetic field to navigate in the dark.
- • Long Lives: They can live 70 to 80 years in wild oceans.
Mini Glossary
carapace: (noun) The hard, protective bony shell covering the back of a turtle or crab.
Look closely at each feature above before turning to Page 2. Turn to Page 2 for Questions →
Reading Comprehension RI.3.5 • Understanding Purpose
Name:
Date:
Part 2: What Does Each Text Feature Teach You?
Page 2 of 2
Good readers study text features to discover facts that words alone don't explain! Look back at Page 1 to answer each question in complete sentences.
1 Heading / Title
What is the main topic? How did the title help you predict what you would learn before reading?
2 Subheading
Look at "Built for Swimming." What specific facts did you expect to learn in this section?
3 Bold Word & Glossary
Why was carapace printed in bold? What does the mini glossary tell you it means?
4 Diagram & Labels
Name one body part labeled on the diagram. What special job does that body part do?
5 Map & Key
Look at the map and key. Where do loggerhead turtles nest, and what does the dashed arrow show?
6 Photograph & Caption
What important fact about turtle breathing did the caption teach you that the photo alone could not show?
7 Fact Box / Sidebar
Which fact from the sidebar was most surprising? Why did the author put it in a separate box?
★ Detective Synthesis
Why do nonfiction authors use features like diagrams, maps, and captions instead of only writing paragraphs?
Remember: Nonfiction text features work together with the text to help you learn faster and deeper! Review Your Answers
