Text StructureAnalyze organizational methods used in informational texts

Making Information Clear

Authors choose structure to organize information and make their meaning clear.

Readers use strategies to support interpretation of text.

Writing ClarityAuthors use organization to develop their

point of viewThey use different approaches to

support their purposesThey pick an organization format that will

help make their ideas clear to the reader

Readers ask…

Can I see a pattern to the writing?

How are the ideas divided and presented?

Why has the author chosen this particular organization pattern?

Organizational Patterns

DescriptionChronological (or Sequence)Cause and EffectCompare/ContrastProblem/Solution

Description

• Author provides descriptive details or characteristics of a topic.

topic

detail

detaildetail

detail

Description Key Words

snow

sparkle

white

frozenflakes

crystal

• For example• Specifically• Characteristics

include• Next• Another kind• In addition• Spatial words like

near, beyond, over, etc.

Description Example 1

Coral snakes are distinguished by their red, yellow/white, and black colored banding. Most species of are small in size. North American species average around 3 feet in length, but specimens of up to 5 feet or slightly larger have been reported.

Description Example 2

Geologists classify types of rocks by closely examining certain characteristics. They often begin by looking at the rock through a magnifying lens to check for crystal structures, luster, and color. Breaking the rock shows specimen’s fracture or cleavage.

Chronological

Story or information is told in the order that the events occurred

Elementary School

Middle School

High School

Sari’s Education

Chronology Key Words

First Next Then After Before Sequential dates Events Order

First she sat in the hard chair

Next she sat in the soft chair

Finally, she sat in the baby’s chair

Chronological Example (1)

First, Goldilocks sat in the great big, Papa Bear chair, but it was too hard.

Then, she sat in the medium sized, Mama Bear chair, but it was too soft.

Finally, she sat in the little, bitty, Baby Chair, and it was just right.

Chronological Example (2)

When the Anglo-Saxons conquered the British Isles they introduced their language which was composed of common everyday words like boat and tree.

Later, the Normans added French words like café.

Cause and Effect

The author establishes a link between the way things are now and how they got that way.

CauseEffect

Cause and Effect Key Words

If/then Reasons Why Because As a result This led to Consequently Due to

Cause Effect

Order doesn’t matter

Sometimes the cause will be presented first…

…then the effect will follow

CauseEffect

Cause/Effect Example (1)

Cause: During the experiment, Henry poured the liquid bromine into the saline solution.

Effect: His hypothesis was proved correct when the solution changed colors.

Order still doesn’t matter

Sometimes the issues are presented with the effects sited first…

…then the causes are offered as explanation

CauseEffect

Cause/Effect Example (2)Effect: The future of gorillas in the wild is

at risk. Scientists predict that at the present rate of decline, in 30 years all the world’s wild gorillas will be gone.

Cause: Gorilla meat is a dietary staple for nearly 12 million people in Africa.

Comparison and Contrast

One idea is presented first, followed by a similar or different way of seeing things.

Apples Oranges

Compare/Contrast Key Words

Differ Same Alike Compare But Both Similar On the other

hand

1920’s 1950’s

Compare/Contrast Example (1)

Seurat painted scenes of everyday life full of realistic people and objects with soft edges and lines. He wanted his art to capture “feelings” of the moment.

Picasso, on the other hand, used distorted images and strange colors to create mood.

Compare/Contrast Example (2)

Saturn is the second largest planet in the solar system, much larger than Earth. It is mostly made of hydrogen. It rotates more quickly too. A day on Saturn is only about 10 Earth hours long. But it takes about 30 of our years to make one full trip around the sun.

Problem/Solution

A problem is presented and followed by the steps to bring about a solution.

Problem

• The beach was littered with trash.

Steps

• Jeff organized a beach clean-up party.

Solution• 30

people came to pick up trash and soon the beach was clean.

Problem/Solution Key Words

problem is dilemma isif-thenbecause

Problem Steps Solution

so thatquestion-answerproblem is solvedreason why

Problem/Solution (1)

Native American tribes who lived on the central plains had to move from place to place to follow the migrating herds. Since they could not build permanent homes, they invented the teepee which allowed them to move their homes from place to place.

Problem/Solution (2)

Ted and Sam both wanted to drive the car. They started yelling at each other. Their mom came and told them to stop fighting. She told Ted he could drive the car today, and Sam would have a turn tomorrow.

Question Examples

This story is organized by— comparing Alfred’s life to

those of German families describing a series of events

in Nobel’s life discussing what the

scientist’s role was in organizing the prize

providing examples of how people lived in 1925

Which of the following best describes the organization of the passage? Presenting in order the steps

of cave and sinkhole formation

Comparing the formation of a cave to the formation of a sinkhole

Describing features of caves and sinkholes

Presenting basic information first about caves and then about sinkholes

REVIEWWhat are the 5 organizational

patterns?Why do author’s use different

types of organization?What clues will help you

determine the pattern?

Remember…

DescriptionChronologicalCause/EffectComparison/

ContrastProblem/Solution

ResourcesComprehension Strategies by Keene, Ellin Oliver, 2002.When Kids Can’t Read by Kylene Beers, 1998

GraphicsPhillip Martin Clip Art http://www.phillipmartin.info/clipart/homepage.htm

A Reading and Writing Out Loud PresentationBarbara Yardley, M.Ed.

For additional activities, worksheets and a complete Common Core teaching unit on Text Structure

visithttp://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Barbara-Yardley/