Text Structure
Nonfiction
Organizational Patterns
Day 1
To Text Structure
Text Structure:
Gregory by Barbara Carter
Gregory is my beautiful gray Persian cat. He walks with pride and grace,
performing a dance of disdain as he slowly lifts and lowers each paw with
the delicacy of a ballet dancer. His pride, however, does not extend to his
appearance, for he spends most of his time indoors watching television
and growing fat. He enjoys TV commercials, especially those for Meow Mix
and 9 Lives. His familiarity with cat food commercials has led him to reject
generic brands of cat food in favor of only the most expensive brands.
Gregory is as finicky about visitors as he is about what he eats, befriending
some and repelling others. He may snuggle up against your ankle, begging
to be petted, or he may imitate a skunk and stain your favorite trousers.
Gregory does not do this to establish his territory, as many cat experts
think, but to humiliate me because he is jealous of my friends. After my
guests have fled, I look at the old fleabag snoozing and smiling to himself
in front of the television set, and I have to forgive him for his obnoxious,
but endearing, habits.
Text Structure:
Gregory by Barbara Carter
Gregory is my beautiful gray Persian cat. He walks with pride and grace,
performing a dance of disdain as he slowly lifts and lowers each paw with
the delicacy of a ballet dancer. His pride, however, does not extend to his
appearance, for he spends most of his time indoors watching television
and growing fat. He enjoys TV commercials, especially those for Meow Mix
and 9 Lives. His familiarity with cat food commercials has led him to reject
generic brands of cat food in favor of only the most expensive brands.
Gregory is as finicky about visitors as he is about what he eats, befriending
some and repelling others. He may snuggle up against your ankle, begging
to be petted, or he may imitate a skunk and stain your favorite trousers.
Gregory does not do this to establish his territory, as many cat experts
think, but to humiliate me because he is jealous of my friends. After my
guests have fled, I look at the old fleabag snoozing and smiling to himself
in front of the television set, and I have to forgive him for his obnoxious,
but endearing, habits.
Day 1 Practice
Put your thumb UP if the paragraph’s
text structure is DESRIPTION! If it is
NOT description, put your thumb down.
Together with your team:
Devers experienced the highlight of any sprinter’s
career, as she stood on the huge platform in the giant
stadium and received an Olympic gold medal.
Eighteen months earlier she wasn’t thinking about
running. She was hoping that she would be able to
walk again.
Just four years earlier, in the summer of 1988, as
Devers was training for the Olympic Games, to be held
in Seoul, South Korea, she began to feel very tired all
the time and failed to make the Olympic finals.
Together with your team:
A Friendly Clown
On one corner of my dresser sits a smiling toy clown on a tiny unicycle--a
gift I received last Christmas from a close friend. The clown's short yellow
hair, made of yarn, covers its ears but is parted above the eyes. The blue
eyes are outlined in black with thin, dark lashes flowing from the brows. It
has cherry-red cheeks, nose, and lips, and its broad grin disappears into
the wide, white ruffle around its neck. The clown wears a fluffy, two-tone
nylon costume. The left side of the outfit is light blue, and the right side is
red. The two colors merge in a dark line that runs down the center of the
small outfit. Surrounding its ankles and disguising its long black shoes are
big pink bows. The white spokes on the wheels of the unicycle gather in
the center and expand to the black tire so that the wheel somewhat
resembles the inner half of a grapefruit. The clown and unicycle together
stand about a foot high. As a cherished gift from my good friend Tran, this
colorful figure greets me with a smile every time I enter my room.
Description!
A Friendly Clown
On one corner of my dresser sits a smiling toy clown on a tiny unicycle--a
gift I received last Christmas from a close friend. The clown's short yellow
hair, made of yarn, covers its ears but is parted above the eyes. The blue
eyes are outlined in black with thin, dark lashes flowing from the brows. It
has cherry-red cheeks, nose, and lips, and its broad grin disappears into
the wide, white ruffle around its neck. The clown wears a fluffy, two-tone
nylon costume. The left side of the outfit is light blue, and the right side is
red. The two colors merge in a dark line that runs down the center of the
small outfit. Surrounding its ankles and disguising its long black shoes are
big pink bows. The white spokes on the wheels of the unicycle gather in
the center and expand to the black tire so that the wheel somewhat
resembles the inner half of a grapefruit. The clown and unicycle together
stand about a foot high. As a cherished gift from my good friend Tran, this
colorful figure greets me with a smile every time I enter my room.
On Your Own:
The Blond Guitar by Jeremy Burden
My most valuable possession is an old, slightly warped
blond guitar--the first instrument I taught myself how to
play. It's nothing fancy, just a Madeira folk guitar, all scuffed
and scratched and finger-printed. At the top is a bramble of
copper-wound strings, each one hooked through the eye of
a silver tuning key. The strings are stretched down a long,
slim neck, its frets tarnished, the wood worn by years of
fingers pressing chords and picking notes. The body of the
Madeira is shaped like an enormous yellow pear, one that
was slightly damaged in shipping. The blond wood has been
chipped and gouged to gray, particularly where the pick
guard fell off years ago. No, it's not a beautiful instrument,
but it still lets me make music, and for that I will always
treasure it.
Description!
The Blond Guitar by Jeremy Burden
My most valuable possession is an old, slightly warped
blond guitar--the first instrument I taught myself how to
play. It's nothing fancy, just a Madeira folk guitar, all scuffed
and scratched and finger-printed. At the top is a bramble of
copper-wound strings, each one hooked through the eye of
a silver tuning key. The strings are stretched down a long,
slim neck, its frets tarnished, the wood worn by years of
fingers pressing chords and picking notes. The body of the
Madeira is shaped like an enormous yellow pear, one that
was slightly damaged in shipping. The blond wood has been
chipped and gouged to gray, particularly where the pick
guard fell off years ago. No, it's not a beautiful instrument,
but it still lets me make music, and for that I will always
treasure it.
On Your Own:
1. Plug in the lamp.
2. Place a sample of what you wish to observe on
a slide.
3. Adjust the mirror so it reflects light from the
room up into the objective lens.
4. Place your slide with the specimen directly
over the center of the glass circle on the stage.
5. With the LOW POWER objective lens placed
over the slide, use the coarse focus knob.
6. Look through the eye piece with one eye while
closing the other eye.
Keep your eyes
looking for text
structures!
Day 2
To Text Structure
Text Structure
The Lazy Student
When Tim woke up, he didn’t want to go
to school. His mom took him anyway. So, he
went to school, but he didn’t do any work.
The days passed, and Tim still didn’t do any
work. Mr. Morton called Tim’s house, but Tim
still wouldn’t do any work. Finally the report
cards came out, and Tim failed his classes.
Tim was sad.
Text Structure
The Lazy Student
When Tim woke up, he didn’t want to go
to school. His mom took him anyway. So, he
went to school, but he didn’t do any work.
The days passed, and Tim still didn’t do any
work. Mr. Morton called Tim’s house, but Tim
still wouldn’t do any work. Finally the report
cards came out, and Tim failed his classes.
Tim was sad.
Day 2 Practice
Hold up your foldable pointing to the
correct text structure be ready to
explain your answer giving clues and
signal words!
With Your Team:
Deviled Eggs
Pop out (remove) the egg yolks to a small
bowl and mash with a fork. Add mayonnaise,
mustard powder, vinegar, salt and pepper and
mix thoroughly. Fill the empty egg white shells
with the mixture and sprinkle lightly with
paprika. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and
refrigerate for up to one day before serving.
With Your Team:
The Magic Metal Tube by Maxine Hong Kingston
Once in a long while, four times so far for me, my mother brings out
the metal tube that holds her medical diploma. On the tube are
gold circles crossed with seven red lines each--"joy" ideographs in
abstract. There are also little flowers that look like gears for a gold
machine. According to the scraps of labels with Chinese and
American addresses, stamps, and postmarks, the family airmailed
the can from Hong Kong in 1950. It got crushed in the middle, and
whoever tried to peel the labels off stopped because the red and
gold paint come off too, leaving silver scratches that rust.
Somebody tried to pry the end off before discovering that the tube
falls apart. When I open it, the smell of China flies out, a thousandyear-old bat flying heavy-headed out of the Chinese caverns where
bats are as white as dust, a smell that comes from long ago, far
back in the brain.
Own Your Own:
Gail Denvers
Devers experienced the highlight of any
sprinter’s career, as she stood on the huge
platform in the giant stadium and received an
Olympic gold medal.
Eighteen months earlier she wasn’t thinking
about running. She was hoping that she would be
able to walk again.
Just four years earlier, in the summer of 1988,
as Devers was training for the Olympic Games, to
be held in Seoul, South Korea, she began to feel
very tired all the time and failed to make the
Olympic finals.
Own Your Own:
The Best PB & J Ever
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.
Own Your Own:
Mrs. Kiser is the best 4th grade teacher! For
example: she loves reading and teaches us lots
of things. She is young and has energy.
Sometimes she even laughs and makes jokes
during the day! She is all about learning and
how we can reach our goals and be successful.
In addition she lets us read in book nooks if
we are on track with our goals. Mrs. Kiser is
great!
Day 3
To Text Structure
Text Structure
Chemical and Physical Changes
All matter, all things can be changed in two ways: chemically and
physically. Both chemical and physical changes affect the state of
matter. Physical changes are those that do not change the make-up
or identity of the matter. For example, clay will bend or flatten if
squeezed, but it will still be clay. Changing the shape of clay is a
physical change, and does not change the matter’s identify.
Chemical changes turn the matter into a new kind of matter with
different properties. For example, when paper is burnt, it becomes
ash and will never be paper again. The difference between them is
that physical changes are temporary or only last for a little while,
and chemical changes are permanent, which means they last
forever. Physical and chemical changes both affect the state of
matter.
Text Structure
Chemical and Physical Changes
All matter, all things can be changed in two ways: chemically and
physically. Both chemical and physical changes affect the state of
matter. Physical changes are those that do not change the make-up
or identity of the matter. For example, clay will bend or flatten if
squeezed, but it will still be clay. Changing the shape of clay is a
physical change, and does not change the matter’s identify.
Chemical changes turn the matter into a new kind of matter with
different properties. For example, when paper is burnt, it becomes
ash and will never be paper again. The difference between them is
that physical changes are temporary or only last for a little while,
and chemical changes are permanent, which means they last
forever. Physical and chemical changes both affect the state of
matter.
Day 3 Practice
Hold up your foldable pointing to the
correct text structure be ready to
explain your answer giving clues and
signal words!
With your Team
Gail Denvers
Devers experienced the highlight of any sprinter’s career, as
she stood on the huge platform in the giant stadium and
received an Olympic gold medal.
Eighteen months earlier she wasn’t thinking about running.
She was hoping that she would be able to walk again.
Just four years earlier, in the summer of 1988, as Devers
was training for the Olympic Games, to be held in Seoul,
South Korea, she began to feel very tired all the time and
failed to make the Olympic finals.
With your Team
Vicious Predators
The Cretaceous Period was filled with dangerous predators, but two
of the most feared hunters were the tyrannosaurs rex and the
velociraptor. The tyrannosaurs rex was one of the largest carnivores
to ever walk the Earth. He was 20 feet tall and weighed seven tons.
His jaws could crush down with 3,000 lbs. of force, enough to
smash the bones of his prey. The velociraptor was very small
compared to rex. Raptors only stood three feet tall and were seven
feet long, weighing merely 35 pounds. But the velociraptor was fast.
Scientists think that raptors could run 24 miles per hour and turn on
a dime. Both dinosaurs used their jaws to kill prey, but the raptor
had a secret weapon: a retractable toe claw that he pulled out like a
knife to slash at his prey. Both dinosaurs had eyes on the front of
their heads, which helped them track prey. If these two dinosaurs
had fought, it would be difficult to say which would win; however
since raptors died over ten million years before the first
tyrannosaurs was born, scientists don’t believe such a fight ever
occurred.
On Your Own
What Happened to the Dinosaurs?
There are many theories about why the dinosaurs
vanished from the planet. One theory that many
people believe is that a gigantic meteorite smashed
into the Earth. Scientists believe that the meteorite
was very big and that the impact may have produced a
large dust cloud that covered the Earth for many years.
The dust cloud may have caused plants to not receive
sunlight and the large plant eaters, or herbivores, may
have died off, followed by the large meat eaters, or
carnivores. This theory may or may not be true, but it
is one explanation as to why these giant reptiles no
longer inhabit the Earth.
On Your Own
The ability of a building to withstand the stress of an
earthquake depends upon its type of construction, shape,
mass distribution, and rigidity. Different combinations are
used. To reduce stress, first, the building's ground floor
must be flexible. One method is to support the ground floor
with extremely rigid, hollow columns, while the rest of the
building is supported by flexible columns located inside the
hollow columns. A different method is to use rollers or
rubber pads to separate the base columns from the ground,
allowing the columns to shake parallel during an
earthquake. Next, the outdoor walls should be made with
stronger and more reinforced materials such as steel or
reinforced concrete. Then, to help prevent collapsing, the
roof should be made out of light-weight materials.
Day 4
To Text Structure
Text Structure
If you join our club, you will receive a certificate
for 3 free books. These are yours to keep, even if
you decide to cancel your membership. However,
if you decide to purchase just one book at regular
club price, you will receive a certificate for an
additional 3 free selections after your first order
is placed. As our member, you can benefit from
all of our super sales and our Bonus Program. You
accumulate 2 bonus points with each cash
purchase of one book. Every 6 bonus points will
earn you a certificate for one free book!
Text Structure
If you join our club, you will receive a certificate
for 3 free books. These are yours to keep, even if
you decide to cancel your membership. However,
if you decide to purchase just one book at regular
club price, you will receive a certificate for an
additional 3 free selections after your first order
is placed. As our member, you can benefit from
all of our super sales and our Bonus Program. You
accumulate 2 bonus points with each cash
purchase of one book. Every 6 bonus points will
earn you a certificate for one free book!
Day 3 Practice
Hold up your foldable pointing to the
correct text structure be ready to
explain your answer giving clues and
signal words!
With your Team
Where Did This Tornado Come From?
No one knows exactly what causes tornados, but
some scientists believe that when warm air
meets cold air, a tornado may form. The reason
for this is that the warm air is lighter than the
cold air, so it rises up fast and meets different
winds moving different directions. Under the
right conditions, this can cause a tornado. Though
there is still much mystery surrounding tornados,
many people believe that when warm moist air
meets cool dry air, tornados can result.
With your Team
Tornados and Hurricanes
Hurricanes and tornados are both amazing yet
deadly natural phenomena. Both generate deadly
conditions, but in different ways. Tornados are
likely to damage people and property with their
high winds, which go up to 300 miles per hour,
but hurricanes are generally more feared for their
flooding. Also, hurricanes can produce tornados,
which makes them quite dangerous indeed.
On Your Own
Twista
Carl Terrell Mitchell, better known by his stage
name Twista, was born in 1972. Nineteen years
later Mitchell’s first album, “Runnin' Off at da
Mouth,” debuted. In 1997, after appearing on Do
or Die's hit "Po Pimp,” Twista was signed to
Atlantic Records. Under that label he released
“Adrenaline Rush” and formed the group
Speedknot Mobstaz in 1998. His 2004 album
Kamikaze went to number-one on the U.S.
Billboard 200 album chart.
On Your Own
Milestones
In 1821 the first public high school in the United States
was started in Boston. By 1900, 31 states required
children to attend school from the ages of 8 to 14. As a
result, by 1910 72 percent of American children
attended school. Half the nation's children attended
one-room schools. In 1918, every state required
students to complete elementary school. In 1954, the
Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education
unanimously declared that separate facilities were
unconstitutional and desegregation began.
Day 5
To Text Structure
Text Structure
Restoring Toads
Dr. Knapp doesn’t want people to sit back and let the
toad vanish. He believes that everyone is responsible
for restoring the toad species. Dr. Knapp thinks we
could help restore the toad population if we stop
mowing parts of our lawns and let the grass grow wild
to reserve space for the toad. He also believes we
need to stop using pesticides and fertilizers. The
chemicals kill the insects that toads eat. If we preserve
some spaces in our lawns and stop using fertilizers, Dr.
Knapp believes we can save the toads.
Text Structure
Restoring Toads
Dr. Knapp doesn’t want people to sit back and let the
toad vanish. He believes that everyone is responsible
for restoring the toad species. Dr. Knapp thinks we
could help restore the toad population if we stop
mowing parts of our lawns and let the grass grow wild
to reserve space for the toad. He also believes we
need to stop using pesticides and fertilizers. The
chemicals kill the insects that toads eat. If we preserve
some spaces in our lawns and stop using fertilizers, Dr.
Knapp believes we can save the toads.
Day 3 Practice
Hold up your foldable pointing to the
correct text structure be ready to
explain your answer giving clues and
signal words!
With Your Team
HOW TO USE THE MICROSCOPE:
1. Plug in the lamp.
2. Place a sample of what you wish to observe on a slide.
3. Adjust the mirror so it reflects light from the room up into the objective lens.
When the mirror is correctly adjusted, a complete circle of light will appear when
you look through the eyepiece.
4. Place your slide with the specimen directly over the center of the glass circle on
the stage. If it is a wet slide, be sure the bottom of the slide is dry.
5. With the LOW POWER objective lens placed over the slide, use the coarse focus
knob to lower the lens to the lowest point.
6. Look through the eyepiece with one eye while closing the other eye. Slowly raise
the lens until the focus is relatively clear.
7. Use the fine focus knob to fine-tune the focus.
8. Without changing the focus knobs, switch to the HIGH POWER objective lens.
Once you have switched to HIGH POWER, use only the fine focus knob to make
the image sharper.
With Your Team
When a river receives a lot of extra water it
may flood. During a flood there is plenty of
water, but it is mostly polluted and not safe to
drink. If people drink the contaminated water
they may suffer from illnesses or diseases such
as typhoid. People can prepare for flooding by
filling many containers with fresh clean
drinking water or using sandbags (to protect
their houses and soak up the water).
On Your Own
Mrs. Kiser walked into the classroom after a long
day at home sick in bed. She was tired and was
getting all of the papers ready for the students.
She was trying to change the goals for the day
but couldn’t find the eraser! The dilemma was –
should she use her hand? Look for the eraser? Or
use her sleeve to wipe off the board. After
several minutes of frustration, Reilly walked into
the classroom. He began sharing about the
previous day’s occurrences. He finally solved
Mrs. Kiser’s problem by sharing that the eraser
was accidently turned into a monkey!
On Your Own
Tsunamis are very long waves in the ocean, sometimes
hundreds of miles long. Usually, a tsunami starts
suddenly. It will begin as normal waves and change to a
very big wave very quickly. The waves travel at a great
speed across an ocean with little energy loss. The
water will then draw back from the coast before the
tsunami gets to the coast. If the slope of the coast is
shallow, the water may pull back for many hundreds of
feet. People who do not know of the danger will often
remain at the shore. Tsunamis can remove sand from
beaches, destroy trees, damage houses and even
destroy whole towns.