Text Structure - Compare & Contrast, Sequence

Informational Text
structures

What is Text Structure?

Text structure is the way an author writes, in order to give the reader a specific type of information.
The structure depends on the type of information the reader is receiving

There are several types of Text Structure

Compare & Contrast
Chronological, Process, Sequence/order of events
Cause & Effect

Problem & Solution
Descriptive
Narrative

Compare and Contrast

a passage that discusses the simalarities and differences between two or more things

articles that describe -
Cats & Dogs
a variety of sports
Women's VS Men's Basketball
Culture in Ireland, Italy, & Mongolia

​

Compare & Contrast
Examples

Categorize

Options (10)

long tail

small

Bald

soft fur

Has a horn

heavy

Lives in the water

swims

Walks on back legs

lives in the jungle

These four animals are different. Match the unique characteristics to the animal.

Cat

Rhino

Shark

Monkey

the "Contrast" is the difference between subjects

In your question, you matched characteristics of animals to the animal. In doing so you listed what was unique or different about each animal.
A cat has fur - sharks & Rhinos do not
A Monkey lives in the jungle - the other animals do not
A shark lives in the ocean - the others cannot.
these are some of the differences you would see in the "contrast" part of compare and contrast.

Poll

Thinking of those same animals - what do they have in common?

• They have legs

• they give birth to live babies

• they are vegetarians

• they are all pets

Labeling

Which characteristics do these animals have in common

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

makes a great pet

soft

lives in a herd

4 legs

2 ears

tall

Categorize

Options (9)

does not enjoy baths

make good pets

4 legs and a tail

would make a great animal to ride into battle

typically loves the water

most commonly found in the wild in the Arctic Circle

Likes to nap

will bark at your neighbor

known for eating mice

organize the similarities and differences of cats and dogs

Cats

dogs

both

neither

​In the previous slides you organized information to compare and contrast it!

​Words/Phrases that tell you a passage is a compare-and-contrast
• However/yet • nevertheless • on the other hand • but/where as • similarly • although
• also/likewise • in contrast/comparison • different
• either/or • in the same way/just as

On a separate piece of paper​
Write a paragraph that compares and contrasts 2 or more animals.

​Your turn.......

Chronological

informational text, especially historical text, is often written to explain events and WHEN they happened.

Instructions are another type of text that uses this structure

Multiple Choice

What does the root "chron" mean?

• Time

• Self

• Life

• Chile

Examples:
a book about the presidents
a chapter in your history textbook about WWI
a recipe
a witness account of a crime

​Chronological, Sequence of events,
Process or Procedure

Words you would see in a Chronological text

•First, second, third… • later • next • before • then • finally • after/later • when • since • now/previously • actual use of dates