Text Structure Day 2

Text Structure in Nonfiction Texts

Daily Objectives

• I can identify the text structure of a nonfiction text

• I can analyze how the author connects ideas throughout the text

• I can analyze how the text structure supports the central idea

What is text structure?

Text structure is how the author organizes the information in the text. An author of a speech might present causes and then their effects. An author of a history book might retell important events in chronological order. Each structure communicates ideas in a different way.

Poll

Which of the following is the best ice cream topping?

• Caramel drizzle

• Marshmallow fluff

• Chopped nuts

• Classic chocolate syrup

• Sprinkles or candy

Description or Spatial Development

Descriptive texts are organized to show a location, idea, or event. The details are connected based on where they are located in a space. You will see transition words like next to, by, along, in, above, beside, beneath, one reason, and for example.

Read the text and notice the transition words.

The ice-cream shop around the corner from my house has the best ice-cream in the city. When you first walk inside, there is a long chrome counter with matching stools extending to the far wall. Right where the counter stops, the booth seating begins. Above the booths, there are lots of old-timey knick-knacks on the walls, and to the right is the jukebox. And there are old-fashioned chrome napkin holders on all the tables. My favorite part of the shop is behind the counter glass, where they keep a rainbow of delicious, sugary flavors of ice-cream.

Open Ended

Which transition words indicate that this text is written using description?

Read the text and connect the structure to the author's purpose.

North Carolina's Outer Banks, a series of barrier islands, stretch from the Virginia state line south to Cape Lookout. Known throughout history as a nemesis of shipping, these waters have been called the "Graveyard of the Atlantic"; the network of lighthouses and lifesaving stations draws visitors today, and the many submerged wrecks attract scuba divers... The islands' coves and inlets offered privacy to pirates-- the notorious Blackbeard lived and died here. For many years the Outer Banks remained isolated, home only to a few families who made their living by fishing. Today the islands, linked by bridges and ferries, have become popular tourist destinations.

Open Ended

How does the descriptive structure of the paragraph support the author's purpose of informing readers about the Outer Banks?

Cause and effect

Texts written using cause and effect are organized to show how events relate to their outcomes. You will see transition words like due to, one reason, therefore, as a result, since, consequently, and, so.

Read the text and notice the transition words.

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

Open Ended

Which transition words indicate that this text is written using cause and effect?

What are the effects of too much cell phone usage?

The average college student uses a smartphone for about nine hours each day.

That's longer than many of those students spend sleeping. In fact, such extended cell phone use shows that the technology could become an addiction, according to a new study. An addiction is a type of uncontrolled and unhealthy habit.

What are the effects of too much cell phone usage?

Some cell phone users show the same symptoms that a drug addict might have, marketing professor James Roberts explains. Certain people use smartphones to lift their moods. And it may take more and more time on those phones to provide the same level of enjoyment.

For such people, losing a phone or having its battery die could cause anxiety or panic. That's withdrawal, says Roberts.

Too much phone use can interfere with normal activities or cause conflicts with family and other people, he adds. Yet despite these social costs, people may not cut back on their heavy phone use. Indeed, he says, people might be unable to stop on their own.

Open Ended

What are two effects of too much cell phone usage?

Multiple Choice

According to the article, what causes addictions to certain behaviors?

• People have no other option for ways to pass their time.

• People repeatedly ignore signs that they are truly addicted to a behavior.

• People rely on something to relieve their problems or uplift their mood.

• People fail to read reports and research about addiction.

What is the author's purpose for writing the article?

As researchers keep asking questions, ask yourself some, too: How much time do you spend with your phone or other technologies? What activities do you use them for-- and why? Do you use the technology when you should be paying attention in class or to other things? And how easily can you go a day-- or even a week-- with out a phone or logging onto a social media or networking site?

Remember, the researchers say: Technology helps when it's a tool-- not when it is an unhealthy addiction.

Multiple Choice

What is the author's purpose for writing the article?

• The author is trying to warn readers about the risks of excessive cell phone usage.

• The author is trying to challenge a widely accepted view that cell phones are harmless.

• The author wants to persuade university leaders to adopt policies that regulate cell phone usage on college campuses.

• The author wants to express a neutral report about recent findings related to cell phone addiction.

Open Ended

How does the cause and effect structure support the author's purpose of warning readers about the risks of excessive cell phone usage?