STUDY SKILLS

St. Jude School
Enrichment Program

USING REFERENCES
Parts of a Textbook
Table of Contents

Found after title page in front of book
Listing of units, chapters, etc.
Gives page numbers for each section
Can use to locate topics
Quick reference
Parts of a Textbook
Chapter Title & Objective

Tells you what you will be learning
Focuses your reading
Introductory paragraph sometimes present
Timeline sometimes on this page
Parts of a Textbook
Chapter Headings & Subheadings

Give an overview of topics to be covered
Usually in different color and different size

Parts of a Textbook
Word Lists / Vocabulary

Lists of special terms that need your attention
If the author thinks they’re important enough to single out, you should too!
Be aware of these words when you read the chapter
Parts of a Textbook
Charts, Graphs, Pictures, etc.

Located throughout reading
Summarizes important points
Can make difficult concepts easier to understand
ALWAYS read captions!
Parts of a Textbook
Chapter Summaries

Found at the end of chapter
Read before reading the chapter for a preview
Read after reading the chapter as a review
Tells you the most important ideas in the chapter
Parts of a Textbook
Chapter Review Questions
Usually located after chapter summary (sometimes after each section of a chapter, too)
Asks specific information that the author thinks is important
Review before you read the chapter as a preview of what you’ll be expected to get out of that section
Answer fully after reading as a review
Perfect study guide questions!
Parts of a Textbook
Glossary

Located in back of book before the index
Special dictionary with vocabulary words and names from the text
Great place to get definitions

Parts of a Textbook
Index

Located in very back of book
Alphabetized list of names, terms, & events
Page number(s) given where to find in book

Dictionary
Definitions
Spelling
Hyphenation
Part of speech
Plurals
Word History (etymology)
Synonyms & Antonyms
Sample Sentence
Atlas
Cities, States, Countries, etc.
Rivers, Lakes, Seas, Oceans
Mountain Ranges & Landforms
Facts: population, river lengths, square mileage, currency, flags, avg. temperature, distances between cities, etc.
Topography
Vegetation
Etc., etc., etc.


Almanac
Collection of data from a wide range of topics
One-volume format
Updated annually
Facts, dates, names, places, amounts, lists
Little or no explanation or interpretation
Encyclopedia
Comprehensive explanations of topics
Multi-volume format
Arranged alphabetically
Includes pictures, illustrations, and multimedia resources
Last volume in series usually includes an index
A Word About the Internet
Make sure the website you are using is credible.

Many are laced with opinion and manipulate facts to further their position.

Just because it appears on a website doesn’t make it true!
 

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