Informational Text Structure

What genre is an informational text?

• fiction

• non-fictiom

• science fiction

• primary source

Which 3 are examples of informational texts?

• newspaper article

• travel blog post

• short story

• a gardening magazine article

• a Greek myth

Select any examples of an author’s purpose.

• persuade/convince

• inform

• entertain

• express their feelings/ideas/experiences

• Describe

Directions: Read the passages, identify the main pattern of organization used in each paragraph, and highlight the signal words for each pattern. Patterns to choose from: Sequence, Cause and Effect, Problem and Solution, and Compare and Contrast

1. Vicious Predators

The Cretaceous Period was filled with dangerous predators, but two of the most feared hunters were the tyrannosaurus rex and the velociraptor. The tyrannosaurus rex was one of the largest carnivores to ever walk the Earth. He was 20 feet tall and weighed seven tons. His jaws could crush down with 3,000 lbs. of force, enough to smash the bones of his prey. The velociraptor was very small compared to rex. Raptors only stood three feet tall and were seven feet long, weighing merely 35 pounds. But the velociraptor was fast. Scientists think that raptors could run 24 miles per hour and turn on a dime. Both dinosaurs used their jaws to kill prey, but the raptor had a secret weapon: a retractable toe claw that he pulled out like a knife to slash at his prey. Both dinosaurs had eyes on the front of their heads, which helped them track prey. If these two dinosaurs had fought, it would be difficult to say which would win; however since raptors died over ten million years before the first tyrannosaurus was born, scientists don’t believe such a fight ever occurred.

• Sequence

• Problem and solution

• Compare and contrast

• Cause and effect

What Happened to the Dinosaurs?

There are many theories about why the dinosaurs vanished from the planet. One theory that many people believe is that a gigantic meteorite smashed into the Earth. Scientists believe that the meteorite was very big and that the impact may have produced a large dust cloud that covered the Earth for many years. The dust cloud may have caused plants to not receive sunlight and the large plant eaters, or herbivores, may have died off, followed by the large meat eaters, or carnivores. This theory may or may not be true, but it is one explanation as to why these giant reptiles no longer inhabit the Earth.

• Sequence

• Cause and effect

• Problem and solution

• Compare and contrast

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

Fossil Mishap

It’s important to think critically about the information that you receive, or else you may be led astray. For example, the brontosaurus is a type of dinosaur that never really existed. Many people still believe in the brontosaurus today, but the “brontosaurus” is actually the body of an apatosaurus with the head of a camarasaurus. This concocted creature was made from two mismatched fossils. Had more people thought critically about these findings, analyzing the components that were presented, entire generations of school children may not have been misinformed; therefore, think critically about the information that people tell you, even if it’s information you find on a book or in a worksheet. Keep these problems in mind when conducting your studies.

• Sequence

• Problem and solution

• Cause and effect

• Compare and contrast

Directions: Read the passages, identify the main pattern of organization used in each paragraph, and highlight the signal words for each pattern. Patterns to choose from: Sequence, Cause and Effect, Problem and Solution, and Compare and Contrast

Creating a Dinosaur Sculpture

Wouldn’t you like a scary dinosaur model on your desk to protect your pencils and textbooks? You can easily make one by following these simple directions. First, bend your pipe cleaner to make the frame of your dinosaur. I suggest you create a tyrannosaurus frame by using one long pipe cleaner as his neck, spine, and tail, and then bend another into a u-shape to make his feet. Wrap the feet around the spine piece. Next, roll out clay to wrap around the pipe cleaners. Let the clay dry overnight. The next day you may want to paint your dinosaur using non-toxic paint. His eyes should be white, but feel free to color your dinosaur as you wish. Nobody really knows how dinosaurs were colored, so don’t let anyone tell you that your dinosaur can’t be pink. Lastly, put him on your desk and watch as he or she scares away bullies and pencil thieves.

• Sequence

• Compare and contrast

• Cause and effect

• Problem and solution

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

If someone wrote a personal story for a magazine about their funny, wild, adventures in Brazil, what is most likely the author’s main purpose?

• persuade

• describe

• entertain

• express

All the following are examples of the 5 organizational patterns author's use EXCEPT -

• cause and effect

• problem and solution

• exposition to resolution

• compare and contrast

• chronological order

Informational texts may include fictional characters.

• True

• False