Focus on Genre: Social Science Textbook
A social science textbook presents information about real people, real events, and real conditions in the world.
Textbooks present information in logical order with headings that organize the text. Photos, captions, sidebars, and other graphics illustrate important ideas and provide more information.
This sidebar illustrates how the branches of government are organized.
Headings give you information about each branch.
Bulleted lists provide specific information about each branch.
Your Job as a Reader: Reading Strategy: Determine Importance
As you read each section, look for details that give clues to its main ideas.
| Main Idea: |
| Detail: A new nation needs a written plan of government. |
| Detail: The U.S. needed a new government. |
| Detail: The Constitution is a model for governments around the world. |
“The main idea must be: The U.S. Constitution is a written plan of government.”
