Text Structure

Text Structure

RI.4.5: Describe the overall structure of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.

Let's Review Text Structures!

Compare and Contrast

• Compare two or more topics

• Contrast two or more topics

• Key words: Compare, similar, different, however, on the other hand

Cause and Effect

• Why Something Happened

• What happened as a result of the cause

• Key words: cause, why, as a result, effect

Chronological Order

• Order in which events occur

• Key Words: dates/years, first, next, last

• Sequence: Order of steps-How to make something

Problem and Solution

• A Problem is presented

• A Solution is explained

• Key Words: problem, solution, issue, resolved

• If a problem is stated, but a solution isn't, then it is Cause and Effect

Let's Practice Identifying Text Structure

Multiple Choice

What is text structure?

• The way the text is organized

• The way the pictures are organized

• The title of the text

• A nonfiction text

Multiple Choice

Comparison and contrast text structure __________.

• Gives a problem and describes how it can be/is solved.

• Shows similarities/differences between two or more things.

• Tells the order events happened.

• Describes something.

Multiple Choice

Problem and solution text structure __________

• Gives a problem and describes how it can be or is solved.

• Tells the order the events happened

• Describes something

• Tells what happened and why it happened

Multiple Choice

Cause and effect text structure _____________.

• Shows similarities and differences between things.

• Gives a problem and describes how it can be/is solved.

• Tells the order the events happened.

• Tells what happened and why it happened

Multiple Choice

Chronological text structure _______________.

• Tells what happened and why it happened.

• Gives a problem and describes how it can be/is solved.

• Tells the order events happened.

• Describes something

Multiple Choice

Fire Ban in Effect

During severe droughts, when fire danger is high due to an unusual lack of rain, many places will order a fire ban. A fire ban prohibits anyone from lighting fires, especially campfires, because the danger of them igniting an entire forest or grassland is large.

While it may seem pointless to go camping with no campfire, there are a few things you can do instead. Be sure everyone in your group has a headlamp so they can see where they are going at night. Bring ready-to-eat meals that only require water and not heat to prepare. Prepare yourself for more mosquito's than usual, and bring plenty of bug spray.

Pack layers of clothing so that you don’t get too cold without the warmth of the fire. Instead of telling stories by the campfire, enjoy an evening of stargazing. When it gets dark enough, turn off your head lamp, sit silently in the dark, and listen to all the sounds that nature has to offer. Camping without a campfire can still be enjoyable!

What is the text structure of this passage?

• Cause and Effect

• Compare and Contrast

• Problem and Solution

• Chronological Order

Multiple Choice

Being Prepared while Camping

Before you head out the door for a camping trip, gather the appropriate supplies. If you are prepared for accidents, your camping trip will go off without a hitch.

However, if you don’t have the right gear, you’re camping trip may end more quickly than you hoped. Sometimes weather moves in rapidly.

Rain can dampen your plans, your clothes, and your sleeping bag if you didn’t pack a waterproof tarp to cover it with. If your gear is soaked, you’ll likely need to pack up and head home.

A scraped knee is usually no problem, but a bloody knee with no band aids might cause you to trek to a gas station in search of a bandage. Consider everything that might happen, and plan well so that minor bumps in the road don’t effect your entire camping experience!

What is the text structure of this passage?

• Cause and Effect

• Chronological Order

• Compare and Contrast

• Problem and Solution

Multiple Choice

How Honey is Made

Honey is nectar from flowers. Bees take nectar and turn it into honey. First, honeybees fly from flower to flower to find nectar. Nectar is a kind of thin, sweet liquid. It is most often found at the base of a flower. Next, bees can drink in the nectar. Then it is stored in a kind of pouch inside a bee’s body. While it is in the pouch, enzymes produced by the bee, mix with the nectar. The enzymes help break down the nectar into simple sugars.

Then, the bees take the nectar back to the hive. They then put it in a honey comb. A honeycomb is a group of little six-sided cells. The nectar is put in the cells. Last, water evaporates from the nectar. Some bees will flap their wings to fan the honey comb. It speeds up evaporation. As the water evaporates, the nectar becomes thick. It is now honey.

What is the text structure of this passage?

• Cause and Effect

• Chronological Order

• Compare and Contrast

• Problem and Solution

Multiple Choice

News Report – “Western Storms: Mudslides in Washington” Avalanches and mudslides closed a major highway overnight and blocked Amtrak train service on Monday. This was due to the latest series of storms that have drenched the Northwest since December. The storm that hit on Sunday also knocked out power and phone service in northwest Oregon.

Interstate 90, Washington state’s main highway, was closed Sunday evening because of two mudslides in the area. 72 miles of the interstate remained shut-down until late Monday morning. The state Transportation Department said, “No injuries were reported.”

Mudslides during the night, north of Seattle, stopped Amtrak passenger trains between Seattle and California. Passenger service won’t start up again until at least Wednesday because of the major damage caused by the mudslides.

The Northwest is dealing with an unusually wet winter. Earlier this month, Seattle set a record with 35 days in a row of rainfall. Oregon had nearly 27 days in a row of rainfall, and Northern California had 25. Wow! What a wet winter.

What is the text structure of this passage?

• Cause and Effect

• Chronological Order

• Compare and Contrast

• Problem and Solution

Multiple Choice

Video Surprise

Friday, April 10- You may think that I’m going to write something funny in my journal today. Well, think again! I’m so angry that I can barely line up the words on this page! I am REALLY angry! News flash for Woody, my dear little brother (in case he has found my journal AGAIN and is reading this): Your brother Charlie is NEVER speaking to you again!

Sunday, April 12 I’ve had two days to cool down, so I’m finally able to describe what happened last Friday. When I got home from school, my mom yelled to me, “You’ve got mail.” So, I grabbed a drink and turned on the computer. “No,” Mom laughed as she handed me a letter. This was an event! I almost never get a piece of “real” mail. I looked at the return address, and my eyes nearly bugged out of my head. The letter was from Hollywood, California! Even better, it was from Video Surprise, my favorite TV show. The first paragraph said, “Thank you for sending us your home video, “Song to Myself.” It will run during the Teen Time segment scheduled to air on May 26.”

For about five seconds, I was confused. I never sent a video to Video Surprise. Then I figured out what had happened. “Woody!” I yelled as I tore through the house looking for my little brother. Here is what I had quickly pieced together. A few months ago, I was in my room, listening to music. I was singing along to one of my favorite songs. I was posing before the mirror, using a hairbrush as a microphone. I had been dancing around and singing for a few minutes when suddenly I heard a laugh at the door. I turned around, and there was Woody with our parents’ video camera! He had videotaped the whole thing!

Monday, April 13 I decided that I had to get that video back. I pleaded with Mom to call the television network and tell them not to run it! Did she do that? No! Instead, she said, “Charlie, why don’t you take a few days to think it over? You’ve got such a great voice – and you’ll be on national television!” I was still upset, but mom sure did make me think about it. Although I don’t want people laughing at me, I could have a Video Surprise party!

Thursday, April 16 Another letter came today. It congratulated me and said that the video of me had been selected as a finalist for the $500 weekly prize! The show also said that they are going to fly my whole family to Hollywood for the show! Hollywood…national TV… maybe I should forgive Woody just this one time. Problem solved! What is the text structure of the above passage?

• Cause and Effect

• Compare and Contrast

• Chronological Order

• Problem and Solution

Multiple Choice

Butterflies and Moths What distinguishes a butterfly from a moth? Both are flying insects with either brightly colored wings or wings with very interesting designs. Both sip nectar from flowers using tubes that curl up when not in use. Both moths and butterflies also develop in four stages: egg, caterpillar, cocoon or chrysalis, and adult. In fact, butterflies and moths are so similar that they are grouped together as the only insects covered by scales. However, butterflies and moths are also very different. Some of those differences are plain and simple. Butterflies are the beautifully colored summertime insects flying from flower to flower during the day. On the other hand, while also summertime insects, moths do most their flying around at night. Often moths will fly circles around streetlights because they are drawn to any form of illumination. Another apparent difference between butterflies and moths is the way they position their wings while resting. Butterflies hold their wings vertically above their backs, like hands pressed together, palm to palm. Moths, on the contrary, generally spread their wings horizontally to their sides, as if drying them in the moonlight. Finally, there is one less obvious, but very distinctive, difference between butterflies and moths having to do with their antennae. The antennae of butterflies are plain threadlike strands ending in little bulbs. In contrast, the antennae of moths are feathery strands with no bulbs at the tips. Butterflies and moths are two of nature’s most diverse and beautiful insects. How lucky for us that during the summer we can see one or the other of them during the day or at night.

How are butterflies and moths DIFFERENT?

• Butterflies fly only at night while moths sleep during the night.

• Butterflies are active wintertime insects while moths are active summertime insects.

• Butterflies fly around during the daytime while moths fly during the night

• Butterflies develop in four stages while moths do not

Multiple Choice

What distinguishes a butterfly from a moth? Both are flying insects with either brightly colored wings or wings with very interesting designs. Both sip nectar from flowers using tubes that curl up when not in use. Both moths and butterflies also develop in four stages: egg, caterpillar, cocoon or chrysalis, and adult. In fact, butterflies and moths are so similar that they are grouped together as the only insects covered by scales. However, butterflies and moths are also very different. Some of those differences are plain and simple. Butterflies are the beautifully colored summertime insects flying from flower to flower during the day. On the other hand, while also summertime insects, moths do most their flying around at night. Often moths will fly circles around streetlights because they are drawn to any form of illumination. Another apparent difference between butterflies and moths is the way they position their wings while resting. Butterflies hold their wings vertically above their backs, like hands pressed together, palm to palm. Moths, on the contrary, generally spread their wings horizontally to their sides, as if drying them in the moonlight. Finally, there is one less obvious, but very distinctive, difference between butterflies and moths having to do with their antennae. The antennae of butterflies are plain threadlike strands ending in little bulbs. In contrast, the antennae of moths are feathery strands with no bulbs at the tips. Butterflies and moths are two of nature’s most diverse and beautiful insects. How lucky for us that during the summer we can see one or the other of them during the day or at night.

What is the text structure of the above passage?

• Cause and Effect

• Chronological Order

• Compare and Contrast

• Problem and Solution

Multiple Choice

Pizza is so old that its origins are not quite clear to historians, but the word pizza comes from the Latin verb pinsere, meaning to press. It may also be related to the Greek word pitta. In any event the word “pizza” was first documented in Italy in 997 AD. Whatever they were eating back then, however, was quite different from the pizza that we know today. Pizza as we know it could not really have been invented until sometime during the 16^th century, when tomatoes were brought to Europe from America. This was big, but in my opinion the greatest development in the history of pizza occurred in 1905, when pizza was first sold in America. The rest, as they say, is history.

• Order of Importance/Sequence

• Chronological

• Descriptive/Spatial

Multiple Choice

Pizza is often viewed as a junk food, and it is true that some pizzas are high in salt, fat, and calories, but there may also be some benefit to eating pizza. Some studies have found that lycopene, an antioxidant that exists in tomato products that are often used in pizza, may prevent some forms of cancer. Dr. Silvano Gallus, of the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmaceutical Research in Milan, studied the eating habits of people who developed cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and colon. He concluded that people who ate pizza at least once a week had significantly less chance of developing these cancers. Here’s to your health.

• Problem and Solution

• Cause and Effect

• Descriptive/Spatial

Multiple Choice

1. Most people have had red pizza, or pizza covered with red sauce, but have you ever had white pizza? White pizza is made in almost the same way as red pizza: the dough rises and is rolled out, toppings are applied, and it is cooked in an oven—but the key difference is that white pizza does not have any tomato sauce on it. Instead, a white pizza may have olive oil or no sauce at all. I like white pizza more than red pizza because you can really taste the ingredients. Adding some fresh tomatoes to a white pizza will give it that tomato flavor without the completely overwhelming taste of the red sauce that covers most pizzas. If you have not had a white pizza, I recommend that you order or make one today.

• Compare and Contrast

• Order of Importance/Sequence

• Spatial/Descriptive

Multiple Choice

Three Types of Circus Clowns Generally, there are three categories of circus clowns—white face character who sets up the punch line for the joke with a partner. His facial features are neatly detailed in red or black.

Circus legend has it that the august clown got his name from a German nickname for someone who is clumsy. The august wears light-colored makeup, but white is used around the mouth and eyes, and there’s a big red nose. This clown performs a great deal of slapstick humor.

Character clowns perform as different personalities—cowboys, scarecrows, august and character. Each has a specific makeup style and costume. Each has a typical act as well. The neat whiteface is usually a strict, in-charge, grandmothers or symphony conductors. The most famous character clown, however, is the tramp. Tramps wear different styles of makeup and costumes that are torn or shabby. Some tramp clowns are happy-go-lucky. Others are extremely sad. Still others act like gentlemen who just happen to be out of money.

• Sequence

• Problem and Solution

• Compare and Contrast

• Cause and Effect

Multiple Choice

Have you ever had an ice-cream headache? That’s when a painful sensation resonates in your head after eating something cold (usually ice-cream) on a hot day. This pain is produced by a nerve center in the roof of your mouth. The nerve center is overreacting to the cold by trying to heat your brain. Ice-cream headaches have turned many smiles to frowns.

• cause and effect

• compare and contrast

• chronological / sequence

• problem and solution

• descriptive

Multiple Choice

Freezer burn may have wasted more ice-cream than sidewalks. If you don’t know, freezer burn is when ice crystals form on the surface of ice-cream. These ice crystals can ruin the texture and flavor of the ice cream. But you can prevent freezer burn. Since freezer burn is caused when melted ice-cream is refrozen, rather than eating your ice-cream from the container as it melts, scoop your ice-cream into a bowl and put the container back in the fridge immediately. Doing this ought to help you solve your issues with freezer burn.

• cause and effect

• compare and contrast

• chronological / sequence

• problem and solution

• descriptive

Multiple Choice

Which text structure best describes how this paragraph is written? Chocolate is a delicious treat enjoyed around the world. The chocolate making process contains many steps. First, the beans are harvested from the cacao trees. After that, they are set in the sun to dry and then roasted. It’s important that in the next step they shell the beans before they are ground into a liquid. Lastly, sugar and flavoring are added before they prepare it to be sold.

• Compare and Contrast

• Problem and Solution

• Sequence or Chronological Order

• Cause and Effect

Multiple Choice

Which text structure best describes this paragraph? Theodor Seuss Geisel and Roald Dahl are two famous children’s authors. Both authors enjoyed writing fun and imaginative stories that have helped millions of children love to read. While these authors have much in common, such as their writing had been inspired by their childhoods, there are also many differences as well. One difference is that Roald Dahl was a British author who joined the Royal Air Force while Dr. Seuss was an American writer who went on to college.

• Compare and Contrast

• Problem and Solution

• Sequence or Chronological Order

• Cause and Effect

Multiple Choice

Which type of text structure is the following written in?

On that fateful day on April 11, 1912, the Titanic began its journey across the Atlantic. Its destination was New York City, but it would never make it there. By April 14, the Titanic had received seven warnings of icebergs, but those warnings never make it to the bridge. At 11:40 p.m. that same day, a ship lookout spotted an iceberg directly in the path of the ship.

• Cause and effect

• Compare and contrast

• Chronological order

• Description

• Problem and solution

Multiple Choice

How is the text structured?

Fire needs three things to burn: oxygen, fuel, and heat. Fuels can be wood, tinder, coal, or any other substance that will easily oxidize. Therefore, a fire can be stopped in three different ways, by removing any of the three things it needs to burn.

*The fuels can be removed. If a fire burns through all of its fuel and extra nearby fuel is removed, the fire will stop burning.

*The oxygen can be removed. This is called "smothering" a fire. Fires cannot burn in a vacuum or if they are covered in carbon dioxide.

*The heat can be removed. The most common way to remove heat is to use water to absorb that heat, putting the fire out.

• cause and effect

• problem solution

• sequence/chronological

• compare and contrast

Multiple Choice

This morning was crazy. 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. I rode my bike as fast as I could and thought that I was going to be late for sure, but 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.

• Chronological
• Cause and Effect
• Problem and Solution
• Compare and Contrast

Multiple Choice

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.

• problem & solution

• cause & effect

• compare & contrast

• chronological

Multiple Choice

The text structure that describes the order steps occurred is called_______.

• Cause and Effect

• Sequence

• Compare and Contrast

• Problem and Siolution

Multiple Choice

We have celebrated Independence Day with a fireworks show on the first Saturday of July ever since our town was incorporated in 1963. This celebration has brought together the old and the young alike in a mutual display of patriotism and national pride. We regret to inform you that due to problems with the budget, there will be no fireworks show this year... unless we can raise the $20,000 to pay for the show. You can help by donating your old knickknacks. We are having a charity garage sale this Saturday and all proceeds will go toward the fireworks show. If you do not have any knickknacks, we will also accept money, printer cartridges, and old cell phones. Together, we can keep these hard times from becoming bad times.

• description

• compare & contrast

• problem & solution

• cause & effect

Multiple Choice

Fireworks are beautiful; but as with many beautiful things, they are also dangerous. Misusing fireworks can result in property damage, injury, and even the loss of life. Such accidents usually happen for one of two reasons. The operators may be using poorly manufactured products, such as fireworks with fuses that burn too quickly. A defective firework can cause even the most skilled operator to have an accident. Other times, however, it is the operator who is at fault. The operator may be unskilled or distracted and make a mistake, such as setting up an explosion sequence improperly or not accounting for conditions in the environment, like soundproof foaming. For these reasons even the most beautiful fireworks display can turn really ugly really quickly.

• cause & effect

• problem & soltion

• description

• compare & contrast

Poll

How do you feel about your understanding of Text Structures?