Text Structure Patterns of Organization Young children benefit from opportunities to read a rich array of fiction and informational books. Reading educators and researchers agree that young children benefit from increased exposure to informational books (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998). Informational or factual texts are materials that provide significant information or details about a particular person, place, thing, event, issue and the like. They vary in terms of types, signal questions and signal words. Informational or factual texts inform readers on true, fact-based information. These include a wide range of nonfiction, historical, scientific and technical texts, including autobiographies and biographies, books about history, social studies, sciences and the arts, directions, forms and information displayed in graphs, charts, or maps and digital resources on a range of topics. What is Text Structure? How information in a passage is organized. We will study six common patterns: ● ● ● ● ● ● Compare and Contrast Cause and Effect Chronological Sequence/ Procedural/ Process Problem and Solution Description 1. Compare and Contrast ● ● Points out likenesses and/or differences Explains how two or more things are alike/different Apples & Oranges Alike 1. Both are fruits. 2. Both have skin. Different 1. People don’t eat orange skins. 2. Oranges have more juice. Compare and Contrast Signal Words -Different from -Same as -Alike -Like -Similar to -Unlike -But -As well as -Yet -Either…or -Not only…but -Compared to… -In contrast -While Apples and Oranges There are several ways that apples and oranges are alike. They are both round fruits and both can be made into healthy juices. Additionally, they are both types of foods that grow on trees. But there are also several ways that apples and oranges differ. Apples can be red or green in color while oranges are well, orange. When touching an apple, the skin is smooth. Touch an orange and it is rough. And finally, these two fruits grow better in different types of climates. So while apples and oranges are similar in the attributes of Shape, Fruit, Makes Juice, Type of Food, and Grows on Trees, they are different in the attributes of color, skin texture, and climate. 2. Cause and Effect Shows how facts, events, concepts happen because of other facts, events concepts. ●An action and its results are explained. ●Lists one or more causes and the resulting effect (s) ● Cause Students make messes and distract the class. Effect They are not allowed to chew gum in class. Cause and Effect Signal Words So that -Because of -Thus -Unless -Therefore -Since -In order to -If…then - -As a result of -This led to -Then -Reasons for -Consequently -Thus accordingly -Nevertheless Students are not allowed to chew gum in my class. While some students think that I am just being mean, there are many good reasons for this rule. First, some irresponsible students make messes with their gum. They may leave it on the bottoms of desks, drop it on the floor, or put it on other people’s property. Another reason why I don’t allow students to chew gum is because it is a distraction. When they are allowed to chew gum, students are more worried about having it, popping it, chewing it, and snapping it than they are in listening, writing, reading, and learning. This is why I don’t allow students to chew gum in my class. 3. Chronological ● Puts facts, events, or concepts in order or by the time in which each event occurred, it also traces the development of a topic Chrono = time Logic = order Example Jack and Jill ran up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown. ALL stories are told chronologically. Jill came tumbling after. Chronological Signal Words - First - Second - Third - Now - Before - After - Then - Next - Finally - Following - While - Meanwhile - Last - During This morning was crazy. First, my alarm clock was set for PM instead of AM, so I woke up really late. I just threw on some clothes and ran out the door. Then, I rode my bike as fast as I could and thought that I was going to be late for sure, but finally when I got there everyone was outside and there were firetrucks all lined up in front of school. I guess somebody pulled the fire alarm before class started. It worked out though, because nobody really noticed or minded that I was tardy. First, I woke up late since my alarm clock was set wrongly. Then, I rode my bike as fast as I could. Finally, when I got there everyone was outside and there were firetrucks all lined up in front of school. 4. Process/Sequence/ Procedural ● ● A series of actions to accomplish a goal, information is given step-by-step. generally used for instructions or directions, but it can also be used to explain processes in nature or society How to Make Cookies First, get your materials. Then, make your dough. Lastly, cook your dough at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Information organized sequentially does not occur at any specific time but, rather, anytime. Process Signal Words ● ● ● ● - Begins with - In order to… - Start here - Step One Studying for a Test Believe it or not, as important as it is, many students do not know how to study for a test. Well, studying for a test is easy. In order to study effectively, the first thing that you must do is take out your notes. To begin with open your notes up to the section that you are supposed to review. Read what you wrote in your notebook. When you are done, close your notebook and see if you remember the ideas that you were studying. Still don’t remember? Open your notebook back up a try again. How to make a banana cake: 1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Butter and line a square cake tin. 2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 3. Beat in eggs, bananas and vanilla. 4. Sift the dry ingredients together. 5. Mix together the milk and lemon juice. 6. Alternating, add the dry ingredients and the milk,beating between each addition 7. Bake in the oven for approximately 45 mins or until a skewer comes out clean. 8. Rest in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. 5. Problem and Solution A problem is presented and answer is suggested. Problem Our environment is polluted. Solution We should practice 4Rs. (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.) Problem and Solution Signal Words ● ● ● ● ● ● Concern Issue Proble A solution The problem The evidence is •Resolution •Resolve •Solve •Propose • Conclude •Research shows •Dilemma is… •Puzzle is… In most parts of the world, there are not as many crocodiles as there used to be. This is a problem because crocodiles are becoming endangered and also crocodiles are necessary to the balance of nature. Many crocodiles have died because people dried up the swamps and marshes where the crocodiles live. Poachers have also contributed to the dilemma as crocodiles have been desired for their strong, smooth, leathery skins. In order to preserve these mighty creatures, people must take care of the crocodiles’ environment and help put a stop to the needless shooting of these animals. Problem Crocodiles are becoming endangered. Solution People must take care of the crocodiles’ environment and help put a stop to the needless shooting of these animals. Description ● ● composes of text structures which simply describe something. With few exceptions, these texts also present plenty of details about what they’re describing. Signal Words ● ● ● ● ● ● ● appears to be for instance as in behind Below Beside between •down •for example •in back of •in front of •looks like •Near •on top of •onto •Outside • over •such as •Under •Descriptive Adjectives 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. red, yellow white color small in size Coral Snakes 3 feet in length slightly larger 5 feet black colored banding Tips to Identify 1. 2. 3. Ask, “what is the author doing in this paragraph?” Put it in your own words. Have a hunch? Use the graphic organizer to see if the info fits. Look for signal words. Practice 1. 2. 3. Read each passage. Determine how the text is organized: cause and effect, compare and contrast, chronological order, sequence / process writing, problem and solution, enumeration/listing Write your answer. Popular Sports Football and baseball are two of the most popular sports in the country. They are similar in some ways. For one, they are both team sports, and they both require players to advance to an end or “home” point on the playing field. However, football, unlike baseball requires players to carry the ball to the end zone, while in baseball, it is the defending team that controls the ball while it is in play. The Magic Blanket One day while walking home from school, he found a magic blanket. When he covered himself with it, he turned invisible. At first he used his power to play all kinds of tricks on people. Then he’d turn invisible and hide things, or move a cup when someone was pouring juice to make a mess. He had a lot of fun. But then one day, he found that he couldn’t take the blanket off. He was just stuck invisible. Meanwhile, he quit playing tricks on people, hoping that he’d be able to take the blanket off and rejoin society, but it didn’t work. He is still invisible somewhere right now, and he is very lonely. Low Test Scores Many students have been getting low scores on tests and this is upsetting to parents, teachers, and students. Low test scores show that teachers aren’t teaching effectively or that students aren’t learning. Either way it’s an issue with which we are concerned. I propose the following: any teacher who is giving a test should open up their classroom for study groups the night and morning before the test. Maybe by giving students extra opportunities to study, we can improve students’ test scores. Eligibility Being involved in after school sports and clubs is not a right. It is a privilege. Therefore, students have to meet eligibility requirements. If students have any “D”s or “F”s, then they are not allowed to play. Also, if students have behavior issues in class, they cannot be on the team or in the club. students need to keep good attendance. Consequently, If students miss school, they most certainly cannot come to practice. Being on a team is a lot of responsibility. Look down at your feet. Are you wearing shoes? Why? People wear shoes for many reasons. The first and most important reason is to protect their feet. Shoes keep people from hurting their feet while walking on rough surfaces, but this isn’t the only reason why people wear shoes. Some people wear special shoes that are designed to help them play a game, like bowling shoes or soccer cleats. Some people wear expensive designer shoes so that they appear fashionable and feel good about themselves. And a lot of other people like my dad wear shoes so that their feet won’t stink up the room. When I got home from school after a long boring day, I took out the peanut butter, jelly, and bread. After taking the lid off of the jars, I spread the peanut butter on one side of the bread and the jelly on the other, and then I put the two pieces of bread together. After that, I enjoyed it while watching “Cops” on the TV. I swear, that was the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich I ever ate. Dr. Miller doesn’t want the tigers to vanish. These majestic beasts are disappearing at an alarming rate. Dr. Miller thinks that we should write to our congress people. If we let them know that we demand the preservation of this species, maybe we can make a difference. Dr. Miller also thinks that we should donate to Save the Tigers. Our donations will help to support and empower those who are fighting the hardest to preserve the tigers. We owe it to our grandchildren to do something. Some countries, such as Japan, or parts of a country, like California in the United States, have a lot of earthquakes. In these places it is a good practice to build houses and other buildings so they will not collapse when there is an earthquake. This is called seismic design or "earthquakeproofing". There are two types of people in this world: cat people and dog people. Which type are you? Well, if you like a pet that is low maintenance, you might be a cat person. Cats are easier to take care of than dogs because cats are very independent. Since they use litter boxes, they do not have to be taken outside to go potty like dogs. Also, cats clean themselves while dogs need occasional baths. If you prefer a pet that requires more attention, you may be a dog person. Most dogs are very loyal and obedient. You can play games like fetch or tug of war with a dog. Dogs will also alert you when someone is outside of your home, whereas cats will usually just stay quiet. Both cats and dogs like to be petted, and they both make excellent pets, but it takes a certain kind of person to own them. Which kind of person are you? Wild chimpanzees are rapidly disappearing. Some people are trying to solve this problem. Otherwise, chimpanzees may one day exist only in zoos. People are trying to save the rain forests and woodlands where the chimps live from being cut down. It will take many people working together to solve this problem. A bully is someone who hurts, frightens or intimidates another kid over and over again. A bully takes every opportunity to make another kid feel bad, and enjoys the feeling of power that they get from doing so. It was just one of those days. First, I woke up an hour late. Then, I realized that my shirt had a big stain on it. So I quickly changed and ran out the door. A few minutes later, I was standing at the bus stop wondering where my bus could be. Suddenly I remembered that I was supposed to set my clock back an hour last night. That's when I realized I wasn't late - I was a whole hour early! QUIZ 1 Ice-cream is a delicious frozen treat that comes in a many different colors and flavors. Two of my favorite flavors are strawberry and chocolate. Though both of these flavors are delicious, strawberry may contain pieces of fruit while chocolate usually will not. Even though more chocolate ice-cream is sold across the country annually than strawberry, each flavor tastes great inside of a milk shake. 2 Park School had a terrible problem. Every day at recess, students would argue over the slides. Teachers had to spend time every day taking care of the arguments. Finally, one teacher came up with a great solution. They bought another set of slides that everyone could enjoy. 3 A program in Mexico tried to get people to use less electricity. This program had mixed results. The program paid people to replace old refrigerators and air conditioners with new ones. The new machines used less power. So, the new refrigerators led to less electricity use. However, since the new air conditioners worked better than the old air conditioners, people used them more. For this reason, people actually used more electricity with the new air conditioners. 4 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. 5 Have you ever made macaroni and cheese? It’s simple! First, boil some water and make some macaroni. Then, make your cheese sauce. After the cheese sauce is ready, mix it with the macaroni. Bake the entire thing in the oven. Finally, it’s time to eat! 6 A trumpet and a flute are both wind instruments. That is, they're musical instruments that you play by blowing air to make a sound. But they're members of two different musical families. The trumpet is a member of the brass family. Most brass instruments are made at least partly of brass. The flute, on the other hand, is a woodwind. Most woodwind instruments were once made of wood. There are still some wooden flutes, though most are now metal. 7 Lots of students fail classes. Some students fail because the work is too hard for them. Other times they may fail because they are lazy, and don’t do any work. Another reason why students may fail is if they don’t go to school. If you’re not in class you may miss a lot. Many students fail classes every quarter. 8 Streams face many problems. Chemicals like pesticides, herbicides, and oil can wash into the stream during storms. Dirt and debris from construction sites and bare ground cause problems too. But there is a solution. A riparian buffer zone, or an area of trees and shrubs along a waterway, can dramatically improve water quality. 9 There are different layers of soil, called “horizons”. The top horizon, or layer, is called top soil. It is dark brown, very loose, has very few rocks, and contains a lot of hummus, which is decomposed organic matter. Subsoil, just below the top soil, is lighter in color, packed more tightly, and contains less hummus and more rocks. Unlike the top horizon, the very bottom horizon, which rests on bedrock, contains no hummus at all, is very compact, and is full of rocks. 10 Going to the cinema to watch movies has become redundant nowadays. In the 90’s, people went to movie theatres to watch movies only. Those were the times of television and VCRs. By the 2000s, people started having their personal computers. So, movies were watched in DVDs. Today, with the advent of android phone and 4G connectivity, people can watch movies right in their mobiles.
