Text Structures

Introduction

Scholastic News is hiring 4th grade students all over the country to categorize their articles.In order to qualify for the position you must first complete a mission. GOOD LUCK!!!

Task

Text Structure Review

We have studied the 5 different Text Structures of Nonfiction texts. Now is your chance to show everybody that you have mastered this skill and become a reading detective.

You must use the signal cues that you were taught to determine the Text Structure of Nonfiction texts. Study and analyze the following Text Structures.

Text

Structure

Descriptive

Sequence

Compare

and

Contrast

Problem

and

Solution

Cause

and

Effect

Graphic

Organizer

Explanation

A topic, idea, person, place, or thing is described by listing its features, characteristics, or examples.

Describes items or events in order or tells the steps to follow to do something or make something.

Shows how two or more things are alike and/or how they are different.

Tells about a problem (and sometimes says why there is a problem) then gives one or more possible solutions.

Cause is why something happened. Effect is what happened. (Sometimes the effect is listed first.)

Signal

Questions

What specific topic, person, idea, or thing is being described?

How is it being described (what does it look like, how does it work, what does it do, etc.)?

What is important to remember about it?

Are events described in a specific order?

What items, events, or steps are listed?

Do they always happen in this order?

What things are being compared?

In what ways are

they alike?

How are they different?

What is the problem?

Why is this a problem?

Is anything being done to try to solve the problem?

What can be done to solve the problem?

What happened?

Why did it happen?

What caused it to happen?

Signal

Words

For instance

Such as…

To begin with

an example

To illustrate

Characteristics

*Look for the topic word (or a synonym or pronoun) to be repeated

First

Second

Before

After

Finally

Following

Not long after

Now

Soon

Same as
Similar
Alike
As well as
Not only…but also
Both
Instead of
Either…or
On the other hand
Different from
As opposed to

Question is…

Dilemma is…

The puzzle is…

The Mystery…

To solve this…

One answer is…

One reason for the

problem is…

So

Because

Since

Therefore

If…then

This led to

Reason why

As a result

May be due to

Effect of

Consequently

For this reason

Click on the link below to view an example of each Text Structure. DescriptiveCategoricalSequence/ ChronologicalCompare and Contrast Problem and Solution Cause and Effect

Process

Your Mission, Shall you choose to accept it:

Task # 1: On the Process page, Browse through the the different Titles of Scholastic News articles and Record the Title of one article that represents each specific Text Structure. (You should have 5 articles in all.) Task # 2: For each article, write which signal questions or key words that helped you to determine the text structure. Task # 3: Complete the appropriate Graphic Organizer for each Article.

Text

Structure

Descriptive

Sequence

Compare

and

Contrast

Problem

and

Solution

Cause

and

Effect

Graphic

Organizer

I. Browse through the following links below. (Hint: Choose the title of an article that you are most interested in, so that you will enjoy learning and writing about it.)

Gulf Oil Spill Disaster	Snacks Attacked	Pink Dolphin at Play
Saving Costa Rica's Iguanas	New Rules for School Lunches	Amazing Amphibians
Major Earthquake Hits Chile	Kids Make a Law	Dogs Go For the Gold
Turn Down the Volume!	Kids Helping Haiti	Fading Fireflies
Smoke Clears in Southern California	Back to School in Haiti	Honeybee Mystery Solved
Brrr... It's Cold Out There!	Disaster in Haiti	An Undersea Census
Bag - Ban Debate	All Steamed Up - A Volcano in Iceland	Tigers at Home in the Bronx Zoo
Disaster Relief Update - China	A Powerful Chip	Fragile Forest
Remembering Dr. King	Fun Family Finances	Biodetective Bees

In the survey: a. Record the title of a Scholastic News article that represents each Text Structure. b. Describe which clues you used to help you determine the text structure.https://docs.google.com/a/learn.brevardschools.org/forms/d/1PApHQ0PLFWjBCh3PNlz8yykGZ1rKgp0EhK0OawKwL_g/viewformII. Use the attached files below to complete the appropriate Graphic Organizer for each article. Updating...CauseandEffect.pdf Descriptive-Categorical.pdf ProblemandSolution.pdf Sequence.pdf VennDiagram.pdf

Evaluation

4	3	2	1

You have correctly identified the title of an article for the 5 different Text Structures.	You have correctly identified the title of an article for the 4 different Text Structures.	You have correctly identified the title of an article for the 3 different Text Structures.	You have correctly identified the title of an article for the 1 or 2 different Text Structures.
You have used all of the appropriate questions or signal words to identify the Text Structures.	You have used mostly all of the appropriate questions or signal words to identify the Text Structures.	You have used some of the appropriate questions or signal words to identify the Text Structures.	You have not used the appropriate questions or signal words to identify the Text Structures.
You have completed all 5 Graphic Organizers Correctly.	You have completed most of the Graphic Organizers correctly with few mistakes.	You have completed only 3 graphic organizers correctly or have many mistakes.	You have only completed one or two graphic organizers or the graphic organizers are incorrect.