Chronological Order in Informational Text

Text Structure: Sequence & Chronological Order

Sequential order:

Ordering events and items from first to last or describing the steps to accomplish something

Clue words: First, second, next, then, last, finally after, another

Chronological order:

Ordering events from earliest (beginning) to latest (end)

Also called time order

Clue words: look for times and dates

Multiple Choice

To sequence means to ____________.

• put things in order

• figure out what is happening

• to tell find the main idea

• to summarize

Multiple Choice

What else is chronological order called?

• Time order

• First and Last

• Cause and effect

Open Ended

What clues tell you that this text has a chronological structure?

Multiple Choice

Bill has a routine every morning before going to school. First, he gets out of bed. Next, he gets dressed. Then, he eats breakfast. After breakfast, he brushes his teeth and makes his lunch. Finally, he gets on the bus and goes to school.

What does Bill do last every morning?

• He eats breakfast.

• He gets out of bed.

• He goes to school.

• He gets dressed.

Multiple Choice

Maria had a birthday party at her house. Her best friends Susan, Tammy, Kacy, and Paula came to her party. They played games and sang songs. They ate birthday cake and ice cream. Then Maria opened her presents. Susan gave her the magic set she'd been hoping for.

What happened right before Maria opened her presents?

• Maria's friends came to her party.

• They played games.

• Maria received a magic set.

• They ate cake and ice cream.

Multiple Choice

How does sequencing help us with our writing?

• Makes us use better words

• Helps to organize our thoughts and parts of the story

• Tells what time it is

Multiple Choice

How can a timeline help with sequencing?

• It organizes the dates and events

• It shows you how the story changed over time

• It puts the dates in order

• All of the above

Multiple Choice

If you were writing a biography of someone's life, what structure would you use?

• Cause and effect

• Description

• Chronological or sequence

Multiple Choice

Jennifer built a toy airplane. Her father helped her. First, they painted the parts. Then, they glued the parts together. They were pleased with their airplane even though it could not fly.

What happened right after they painted the parts?

• Jennifer and her father built a toy airplane.

• They glued the parts together.

• They were pleased with the airplane.

• The plane did not fly.