Authentic Texts

Text is much more than novels and books. In fact, professionals in every discipline receive information from a plethora of sources, most of which include discipline-specific complex "texts." These range from traditional "words-on-the-page" documents like books and articles to technical texts like reports and data sets and even visual texts like pictures and cartoons. Identifying authentic, discipline-specific texts that you can use in the classroom is a vital step in creating a literacy-rich content class.

As you approach what you want your students to read, you must remember that exposing students to a variety of text types is important. When students read multiple types of text they are better able to understand the content and make connections with it. Additionally, requiring students to read a variety of texts allows them to read and think as a professional in that discipline would. It gives students more information from more perspectives in order for them to think, write, and discuss on a deeper level.

Below, find different types of text that are appropriate and necessary to introduce to students in the four main content areas: