Today we explored the United States and Its Neighbors textbook that we have in the classroom, looking for forms and features and how the book is organized. We found:
- The information is presented in chronological order.
- In addition to text, there are lots of other features like maps, tables, and pictures.
- At the back there is a reference section including, for example, an atlas (a collection of maps), a dictionary of geographic terms, a list of presidents (which is out of date!), and a glossary.
- There are ten units.
- Inside each unit there are chapters, which are introduced with a "focus" statement.
- Inside each chapter there are lessons, which are introduced with "Ready to Learn" tips--"Key Vocabulary," "Read Aloud," and "Read for Purpose."
- Inside each lesson there are section headings.
- Key vocabulary is color coded inside the text.
- The last part of each lesson is "Check Your Reading," which is a set of review questions for the lesson.
- At the end of each chapter is a "Summary and Review" section.
