Text Structure and Text Features Lesson

TEXT STRUCTURE

Review

Why study text structure?

Understanding text structure gives the reader a better way to determine important information when reading nonfiction. 

What exactly is text structure?

Text structure is a way to organize information on a page so you can grasp the meaning more easily. 

Sequence describes items or events in order, or it tells the steps to follow in order to make something.

• Chronological

  
  

• A sequence of events 

  
  

• A series of steps in a process

Questions to Ask:

·Is it presenting a clear order of events?

·Does this follow a timeline?

Key Words:

Now- To begin with- Last- Soon- FInally- Eventually- Next- At the Same time- Suddenly- At last- Immediately- Following

Argument and Support Presents an argument or claim and then presents the support for that claim 

• Questions to Ask:

  •Is there a specific claim being made?

  •Are their details to support the claim?

Argument and Support

Key Words of Phrases:

•This fact/ quote/ example shows that

•This fact/ quote/ example explains how

•This fact/ quote/ example supports

Problem and Solution Identifies a problem and explains the solution(s) to the problem. 

• Questions to Ask:

  ·What is the problem that is being addressed?

  ·What caused the problem?

  ·What is one of the solutions?

  ·Are there other potential solutions?

Argument and Support

Key Words of Phrases:

•This fact/ quote/ example shows that

•This fact/ quote/ example explains how

•This fact/ quote/ example supports

Problem and Solution Identifies a problem and explains the solution(s) to the problem. 

• Questions to Ask:

  ·What is the problem that is being addressed?

  ·What caused the problem?

  ·What is one of the solutions?

  ·Are there other potential solutions?

Problem and Solution

Key Words or Phrases: Problem- Issue- Therefore- So- Then- Consequently- Resolution

Compare and Contrast Shows how two or more things are alike and how they are different. More importantly, why those similarities and/or differences are important.

• Questions to Ask:

  ·Is something being compared?

  ·What are the similarities?

  ·What are the differences?

  ·Why are the similarities and/or differences important?

Compare and Contrast

Key Words or Phrases: Like- In contrast- However- Likewise- Unlike- Both- As well as- On the other hand- But- Also/ too- Similarly

Cause and Effect It is the relationship between two things when one thing makes something else happen.

• Cause is why something happened.

• Effect is what happened. (Sometimes the effect is listed first.) 

Questions to Ask:

·What were the central causes?

·What were the effects?

·Is the focus more about what caused the topic or what happened as a result?

• Key Words or Phrases: Because - Since- Therefore- If...then- This led to- Reason why- As a result- May be due to- Effect of- For this reason

Classification Scheme (Description) Arranges groups of persons, places, things, or abstract ideas according to a common characteristic. Defines or describes a specific subject or topic.

• Questions to Ask:

  ·What specific topic, people, ideas, or what other things are being described and grouped?

  ·How are they being described?

  ·What is important to remember about them?

Classification Scheme (Description)

Key Words or Phrases: For instance- Such as- To begin with- An example is- To illustrate- Characteristics

Multiple Choice

What text structure is being used? Different students attend various types of schools; however, they can usually be classified as either public, private religious, private non-religious, or alternative. Public schools are funded by the state, and the majority of students in the United States attend them. Private religious schools are based around a particular faith, such as Catholicism, Judaism, and so forth. All types of private schools do not receive state funding. Therefore, private non-religious schools are simply just that: schools which do not receive state funding and have the ability to make their own rules. Alternative schools can be made up of a variety of different categories, such as the Montessori program or technical schools. Most students who attend class in an actual school building go to one of these types of institutions.

• Compare and Contrast

• Classification Scheme (Description)

• Problem and Solution

• Sequence

Multiple Choice

What text structure is being used? Though Venom may be one of Spider Man’s greatest enemies they also share quite a bit in common. Both have a large spider logo on their chests as part of their costumes. Also, like Spider Man, Venom’s powers are based on spider like abilities such as being able to shoot webs and crawl on walls. At the same time, Venom also has some very striking differences. One of the major differences is just how much physically stronger he is. Venom is able to lift somewhere near twice as much weight as Spider Man. Also Venom is able to use his costume to shape-shift his outer appearance into anything, like clothing or even to copy the appearance of other people. Furthermore, Venom’s costume is actually a living alien that covers his skin, while Spider Man’s costume is just regular fabric and cloth.

• Classification Scheme (Description)

• Problem and Solution

• Argument and Support

• Compare and Contrast

Multiple Choice

What text structure is being used? Sudden, heavy rain can have devastating effects. In the desert, the ground is hard because of the lack of rain. When it does rain, the water is not easily absorbed because the ground is so hard packed. This means that the water runs across the ground toward the lowest spot. Even a short rain shower can cause massive flooding because the water is all flowing to the lowest point and it is not being absorbed into the ground. This is why it is a requirement for housing complexes in the desert to build catch basins in the neighborhoods. Most builders turn these basins into parks since there won’t be water in it most of the year.

• Classification Scheme (Description)

• Problem and Solution

• Argument and Support

• Cause and Effect

Multiple Choice

What text structure is being used? The first step is to determine which chemicals are the acids and which are the bases. Once that has been determined, the experimenter will determine the correct ratio to neutralize the pH level for each acid.

• Argument and Support

• Sequence

• Compare and Contrast

• Cause and Effect

Multiple Choice

What text structure is being used? The most important goal of education is to prepare students for the real world. They will encounter many challenges in their life and teachers being too easy on them will not help them learn to deal with those challenges. Deadlines and due dates are not there to cause stress, but instead they are there to teach the students the importance of getting their required work done on time. In the real world, late work could mean losing a job.

• Sequence

• Problem and Solution

• Argument and Support

• Compare and Contrast

Multiple Choice

What text structure is being used? The first alarm went off at 9:05pm. The first responders quickly jumped into action and they arrived at the scene by 9:15pm. The first thing the firemen did was make sure there was no one inside. Then they connected their hose to the hydrant and started fighting the fire.

• Sequence

• Argument and Support

• Problem and Solution

• Compare and Contrast

Multiple Choice

What text structure is being used? Our rapid climate change is major problem that we must address now. While the Earth does have a natural cycle of heating and cooling, humans have done more in the last two hundred years to increase the speed of warming than what nature could have done on its own. Humans must reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and stop depleting our limited resources. One way of doing this is to expand the development of renewable energy. Humans must also start replacing the forests, and rebuilding ecosystems so that nature can help to clean up the surplus of pollution around the world.

• Classification Scheme (Description)

• Cause and Effect

• Problem and Solution

• Compare and Contrast

Multiple Choice

What text structure is being used? Cake and pie are both desserts, but that is where their similarities end. Cakes are seen as an item to signify a celebration, such as birthdays and weddings. Pies however are typically associated with picnics and holidays, such as Christmas and Thanksgiving. Both pies and cakes can be basically any flavor, but pies are more about the fillings which are cream or fruit based. Cakes get their flavoring from extracts added to the batter or by adding ingredients to the frosting. While many people will argue which is better, it always agreed that either one can be a delicious end to a meal.

• Compare and Contrast

• Sequence

• Classification Scheme (Description)

• Cause and Effect

Multiple Choice

What text structure is being used? The Iron Man armor, as well as providing superhuman strength and physical protection for Tony Stark, also contains jet boots that allow him to fly, and a variety of weapons including repulsor rays, pulse beams, missile launchers, lasers, tasers, and flamethrowers. The uni-beam in the center of his chest can emit various types of light energy, and his helmet contains communication devises (including FM radio), scanning equipment, and recording devises.

• Compare and Contrast

• Classification Scheme (Description)

• Cause and Effect

• Sequence

Multiple Choice

What text structure is being used? The Hulk has the potential for spectacular and seemingly limitless physical strength depending directly on his emotional state, particularly his anger. This has been reflected in the repeated comment, "The madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets." During times of high stress or anger, an increase in adrenaline causes the Hulk's strength to increase dramatically. There has never been a limit shown as to the highest strength the Hulk can reach thus it is assumed it is limitless.

• Cause and Effect

• Classification Scheme (Description)

• Compare and Contrast

• Argument and Support

Multiple Choice

What text structure is being used? To start, choose your superhero’s powers. Since super heroes are generally identified by their powers, it might make sense to think of the powers first and then shape the character to fit them. Next, decide how the character got those powers. Picking a cool power isn’t enough; to make it relevant, you have to integrate it into the character’s life story so that it becomes part of what defines their actions. Now you are ready to name your superhero. Once you feel confident that your character is dynamic and well-rounded, find a unique name. Be careful not to accidentally choose something that’s already been taken. Lastly, Decide if your superhero has any main enemies. Again, flesh out the enemies the same way you did the superhero.

• Sequence

• Argument and Support

• Problem and Solution

• Compare and Contrast

Multiple Choice

What text structure is being used? After struggling for years to find ways to help struggling students in her reading and writing classes, a local teacher has found a surprising answer. Using comic books and graphic novels in the classroom is about tapping students’ natural interests, explains Rachael Sawyer Perkins, a teacher at Dolores Street Elementary School in Carson, California. She also believes that it’s a way to teach important reading and writing skills. “For students who lack the ability to visualize as they read, it provides a graphic sense that approximates what good readers do as they read. Moreover, it provides an excellent way for reluctant writers to communicate a story that has a beginning, middle, and end.

• Compare and Contrast

• Classification Scheme (Description)

• Problem and Solution

• Cause and Effect