Focus on Genre: Science Article

Science articles are expository nonfiction. Many include diagrams that explain the technical terms in the text.

How You Breathe

In a single day, you will take close to 20,000 breaths of air. When you breathe in, air travels into your mouth or nose, down your trachea, or windpipe, and into your lungs.

nose

nose

trachea

mouth

diagram

Your Job as a Reader: Reading Strategy: Determine Importance

Look for the main idea in each section of the article. Use headings, repeated words, and pictures to help you. Remember that details support the main idea.

Main Idea

How the human body breathes

A Detail

When you breathe, air travels down your trachea.

Photograph of the title page of the selection “The Human Machine”