Unit 5 · Culture and Tradition · NCERT Class 6 Poorvi

National War Memorial

Informational texts are written to inform — and the best readers know how to mine them. Learn to gather facts with the 5 W’s, use text structure and key terms to find your way, spot the main idea, and read with the remembrance and respect a memorial deserves. We borrow only the title of the Poorvi piece; the memorial’s facts are accurate and our skill examples are original. Tap each idea to explore it.

👥 3 topics⏱ ~25 min📝 12-question quiz

Play with it

The reader's tools for facts

Informational reading has a clear toolkit. Tap each term to see how the 5 W’s, text structure and key terms help you gather facts, find the main idea, and read with respect.

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The three big ideas

Informational text exists to inform. Its job is to give true, checkable facts about a real topic — not to tell a story or argue a side.
Hunt with the 5 W’s. As you read, ask Who? What? Where? When? Why? (and often How?). Answering them captures the key facts of any passage.
Tell facts from opinions. A fact can be checked (the memorial is in New Delhi); an opinion is a personal view (it is the most beautiful place). Good informational reading keeps the two apart.
About our topic: the National War Memorial stands in New Delhi, near India Gate, and honours soldiers of the armed forces who laid down their lives serving the nation.

Structure is your map. Headings, sections, captions and photos organise facts into parts, so you can jump to what you need and follow the order.
Unlock key terms with context. A word like inscribed (written or carved onto a surface) or eternal (never-ending) can be worked out from the sentence around it — a vital skill for fact-heavy text.
Read dense facts slowly. When names, dates and numbers crowd a paragraph, slow down so you notice and remember them.

Worked example. Pull the 5 W facts from this original notice: “Inaugurated in 2019 near India Gate in New Delhi, the National War Memorial honours the soldiers who died in service after independence. An eternal flame burns at its centre, and the names of the fallen are inscribed on granite tablets.”

What — the National War Memorial.

Where — New Delhi, near India Gate.

When — inaugurated in 2019.

Who — soldiers who died in service after independence.

Why — to honour and remember their sacrifice. (“Inscribed” = carved onto the tablets.)

Common mistake: treating a feeling word as a fact. “It is the grandest place in the country” cannot be checked — it is an opinion. When you note facts, keep only what the text states and what could be verified.

The main idea is the big point all the facts add up to. For the memorial it is the nation’s gratitude and remembrance of its soldiers — every fact (the flame, the inscribed names) supports it.
A memorial is a place of remembrance. Its purpose is to keep the memory and sacrifice of people alive for future generations — which is why names are inscribed and a flame is kept burning.
Informational text can also build feeling. A well-written piece on a memorial informs you AND leaves you with respect and gratitude — that response is intended, not accidental.
Write about it with respect. Use accurate facts and a dignified tone; honouring the people means getting the details right and never inventing them.

Where you'll meet it

Informational reading in real life

News reports and notices

A newspaper report or a school notice is informational text. Reading it with the 5 W’s — who, what, where, when, why — lets you grasp the key facts in seconds and separate them from any opinion mixed in.

Museums and monuments

Plaques, captions and guidebooks at a museum or monument are packed with facts and key terms. The skill of using structure and context clues turns a wall of information into a clear story you can carry home.

Days of remembrance

On occasions that honour soldiers and martyrs, we read and speak about real sacrifice. Reading such material accurately and with a respectful tone is how remembrance is done well — facts and feeling together.