Informational Text Structure
• Where else have you heard the word
structure?
What’s Text Structure?
• Just like there were different
ways to build buildings, there
are different ways to build
nonfiction writing.
Hey!
What’s
nonfiction?
• This is called Text Structures.
Some times it is called
Organizational Patterns.
Why does Text Structure matter?
• When writing you might have many
facts swirling around in your head.
Choosing a text structure will help
your organize any essay and help
make sense of your ideas.
• If you are reading, recognizing the
text structure will help you
understand your reading.
5 Types of Text Structure
White Board Practice
• Get a white board and a marker from the back.
• We are going to practice reading the 5 different
types of text structure. Each paragraph is about
Alcatraz, which is an island that America sent its
most dangerous criminals from 1934-1963.
• Here’s a video to see the island as it is now.
Description
During the 1920’s, Al Capone
was a notorious gangster with
a tight grip on the city of
Chicago. He was a known
criminal, specifically selling
and distributing alcohol
during Prohibition. He also
committed other crimes such
as gambling, drug trafficking,
and murder.
Al Capone was a
notorious gangster.
Problem and Solution
During the 1930’s, a crime wave
hit the U.S. Robberies and
murders were on the rise. Some
criminals had become incredibly
powerful; they were as famous as
celebrities. The public felt that a
“super-prison” was just what the
country needed to solve the
problem. Abandoned and
isolated, Alcatraz seemed like the
perfect place to lock up these
criminals. So officials set out to
build the most escape-proof
prison in the nation.
Compare and Contrast
Al Capone’s prison life changed
drastically once he entered
Alcatraz. In other prisons, he
was used to special treatment
and had luxurious furniture in
his cell. He kept cash to bribe
and tip guards and received
frequent visits from friends,
family, and even fellow
gangsters. However, in
Alcatraz, Capone was treated
like every other prisoner and
was only allowed limited visits
from family members.
Before Alcatraz
Prison
Alcatraz
Sequence/Chronological
Alcatraz first opened as a federal
prison in August 1934. Prisons
across the country were notified
that Alcatraz was ready to take
troublemakers off their hands.
Then on August 19, 1934, 53
prisoners boarded a train in
Atlanta, Georgia, for the long
ride to California jail. By the end
of the year, Alcatraz was housing
more than 200 of America’s
worst criminals.
1
2
3
4
Cause and Effect
By 1963, the island prison
Alcatraz had become too
expensive to operate, so
the government decided
to shut it down. As a
result, Alcatraz is now a
landmark managed by the
national park service.
More than a million
tourists visit each year,
and about 100 species of
birds call the island home.
Effect #1
Cause
The prison
became to
expensive to
operate.
Effect #2
Effect #3
Turn and Talk
• How can you tell the difference between the 5
types of text structure?
• Why might it be important to notice text
structure while you are reading?
Text Structures Flipbook
• Use the posters to help you create
your text structures flipbook.
• Then shade each large rectangle a
different color. Cut the large
rectangles apart. You will have 6
separate pieces of paper.
• See the example for gluing
instructions.
Task Card Scoot
• Read each task card carefully. Identify the type
of text structure and mark it on your sheet.
• Listen to directions to SCOOT to the next desk.
• Leave the task card at the desk! Take only your
paper and your pencil with you as you rotate.
Extra, Extra! Think all about it!
• Choose 3 topics that you
would like to read.
• Read each of the
paragraphs on the page.
Then answer the 4
questions on your sheet.
• This will be a class work
grade, so try your best.