1. Teaching Text Structure Staff Development January, 2013 Lee county Schools

2. Text Structure How text is organized. ALL stories are sequential Nonfiction has lots of text structures Each paragraph may be different.

3. Description This structure resembles an outline. Each section opens with its main idea, then elaborates on it, sometimes dividing the elaboration into subsections. Questions to Consider ◦ What are you describing? ◦ What are its qualities? Graphic Organizers ◦ Bubble Map

4. Description Signal Words aboveacrossalongappears to be as inbehindbelowbeside betweendownin back ofin front of looks likenearon top ofonto outsideoversuch asto the right/left under Description Example: "The crocodile is the master of deception in the water. It stalks its prey and then swiftly closes in for the kill.“

5. Sequential Order Texts that follow this structure tell the order in which steps in a process or series of events occur. Questions to Consider ◦ What happened? ◦ What is the sequence of events? ◦ What are the substages? Graphic Organizers ◦ Flow Map ◦ Multi-flow Map ◦ Timeline

6. Sequential Order Signal Words afterafterwardas soon asbefore duringfinallyfirstfollowing immediatelyinitallylatermeanwhile nextnot long afternowon (date) precedingsecondsoonthen thirdtodayuntilwhen Sequential Order Example: "Archaeologists have helped us to understand that the evolution of the crocodile began with...” Directions Example: "When observing a crocodile, first you must...”

7. Compare and Contrast Texts that follow this structure tell about the differences and similarities of two or more objects, places, events or ideas by grouping their traits for comparison. Questions to Consider ◦ What are the similar and different qualities of these things? ◦ What qualities of each thing correspond to one another? In what way? Graphic Organizers ◦ Double Bubble Map ◦ Venn Diagram

8. Compare and Contrast Signal Words althoughas well asas opposed toboth butcompared withdifferent fromeither...or even thoughhoweverinstead ofin common on the other handotherwisesimilar tosimilarly stillyet Comparison/Contrast Example: "The power of the crocodile is like that of a monstrous machine. With one lunge it can destroy its prey and protect the kill from other predators.“

9. Problem-Solution The writer presents a problem then expounds upon possible solutions for that problem. Questions to Consider ◦ What is the problem? ◦ What are the possible solutions? ◦ Which solution is best? ◦ How will you implement this solution? Graphic Organizers ◦ Circle Map ◦ Flow Map ◦ Multi-flow Map

10. Problem-Solution Signal Words the question isone answer isone reason for recommendations includebecausecause sincethereforeconsequently as a result ofthis let toco so thatneverthelessaccordingly if... thenthus Problem/Solution Example: "One problem to resolve in crocodile watching is transportation. How can an observer get close enough to watch without scaring it away or being attacked?“

11. Cause and Effect In texts that follow this structure, the reader is told the result of an event or occurrence and the reasons it happened. Questions to Consider ◦ What are the causes and effects of this event? ◦ What might happen next? Graphic Organizers ◦ Multi-flow Map

12. Cause and Effect Signal Words accordinglyas a result ofbecausebegins with consequentlyeffects offinallyfirst for this reasonhow tohowif...then in order tois caused byleads/led tomay be due to nextso thatsteps involvedtherefore thuswhen...then Cause/Effect Example: "We observed the crocodile as it stalked a raccoon moving through the moonlight toward the edge of the water. As a result of a noise we made, the raccoon bolted...“

13. How to Teach Text Structure Introduce the idea that texts have a text structure. Explain to students that texts (even the text in their science and social studies textbooks) have different organizational patterns. These organizational patters are called text structures. Introduce common text structures. Explain that text structures can often be identified by certain signal words.

14. How to Teach Text Structure Show examples of paragraphs that correspond to each text structure. Make an outline of the text to find how the text is structured. Examine topic sentences that clue the reader to a specific structure. Look for the signal words that are associated with each text structure. Highlight all the signal words in the text.

15. Resources http://www.lz95.org/msn/faculty/snoisey/Strategies/tex t_structures.htm http://www.lz95.org/msn/faculty/snoisey/Strategies/tex t_structures.htm http://www.literacymatters.org/lessons/textstructure. htm http://www.literacymatters.org/lessons/textstructure. htm http://www.literacymatters.org/content/text/intro.htm http://www.somers.k12.ny.us/intranet/reading/questio ns.html http://www.somers.k12.ny.us/intranet/reading/questio ns.html http://www.smasd.org/pssa/html/Reading/rihand.htm http://www.everestquest.com/reading.htm http://go.hrw.com/social/strategies/STRAT02U.PDF http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/score_lessons/content_are a_literacy/pages/understanding_text_struct.html http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/score_lessons/content_are a_literacy/pages/understanding_text_struct.html

16. More Resources http://teacher.scholastic.com/reading/bestpractices/no nfiction/fiveTextStructures.pdf http://teacher.scholastic.com/reading/bestpractices/no nfiction/fiveTextStructures.pdf http://www.literacyleader.com/?q=textstructure http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/acad1/frameworks/Append ix_B.pdf http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/acad1/frameworks/Append ix_B.pdf http://www.nea.org/tools/18412.htm http://forpd.ucf.edu/strategies/strattextstructure.html http://seedsofscience.org/PDFs/StrategyGuides/SG_Jel lybeanScientist.pdf http://seedsofscience.org/PDFs/StrategyGuides/SG_Jel lybeanScientist.pdf http://www.adlit.org/strategies/23336 http://engla.jppss.k12.la.us/Teaching%20reading%20in% 20the%20Content%20Areas%20Files/Recognizing%20 Text%20Structures.pdf http://engla.jppss.k12.la.us/Teaching%20reading%20in% 20the%20Content%20Areas%20Files/Recognizing%20 Text%20Structures.pdf

17. How to Teach Text Structure Model the writing of a paragraph that uses a specific text structure. Have students try writing paragraphs on their own that follow a specific text structure. Writing paragraphs that follow certain text structures will help students recognize these text structures when they are reading.

18. More Strategies Model a think-aloud strategy. This strategy is best used by the teacher as part of a modeling process, as described above. In addition, the students are encouraged to talk aloud as they engage in the processes. For example, the teacher asks students to talk about the clues in a given text as they try to identify the text structure. Ask focusing questions. Teachers can use focusing questions as a means of scaffolding the use of strategies or assisting students in the think-aloud process. For example, the teacher asks a student which signal word might be best to show a particular relationship among ideas in a text structure. Use and create graphic organizers. For example, the teacher models charting the structure of specific paragraphs while reading and also provides practice in using the graphic organizer to write different text genres.

19. Strategies to Teach Text Structures during Writing Instruction Provide explicit instruction. For example, the teacher shows students specifically how and when to use strategies such as attending to signal words while reading different content areas or using signal words when writing expository text. Scaffold instruction. For example, the teacher helps students by providing some clues and supports as they attempt to identify the text structures in various texts. One clue might be to provide students with examples of situations where these text structures are most commonly used. Model the use of strategies. For example, while students watch, the teacher writes a paragraph using a particular text structure and describes her actions as she is writing.

20. More Strategies Use guidelines for pattern guides and teacher- made organizers. These tools help students focus on the key elements of the reading selection. Introduce and work on patterns in this order: sequencing, cause/effect, and compare-contrast.

21. Practice 1. Deviled Eggs Pop out (remove) the egg yolks to a small bowl and mash with a fork. Add mayonnaise, mustard powder, vinegar, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Fill the empty egg white shells with the mixture and sprinkle lightly with paprika. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to one day before serving.

22. 2. Sports at Ericson There are two popular sports played at Ericson, basketball and volleyball. Both take place inside of the gym at Ericson. Also, each sport has two teams of people. In basketball, however, the ball can be played off of the floor, and in volleyball, the ball cannot touch the floor or it is out of play. Basketball and volleyball are popular sports at Ericson.

23. 3. The Lazy Student When Tim woke up, he didn’t want to go to school. His mom took him anyway. So, he went to school, but he didn’t do any work. The days passed, and Tim still didn’t do any work. Mr. Morton called Tim’s house, but Tim still wouldn’t do any work. Finally the report cards came out, and Tim failed his classes. Tim was sad.

24. 4 Failing Classes Lots of students fail classes. Some students fail because the work is too hard for them. Other times they may fail because they are lazy, and don’t do any work. Another reason why students may fail is if they don’t go to school. If you’re not in class you may miss a lot. Many students fail classes every quarter.

25. 5 Passing Classes A lot of students have been failing classes. These students wouldn’t be failing classes if they studied more, asked questions, tried harder, and came in for extra help. Even though a lot of students fail classes, they have many options if they want to pass.

26. 6 Gail Devers Devers experienced the highlight of any sprinter’s career, as she stood on the huge platform in the giant stadium and received an Olympic gold medal. Eighteen months earlier she wasn’t thinking about running. She was hoping that she would be able to walk again. Just four years earlier, in the summer of 1988, as Devers was training for the Olympic Games, to be held in Seoul, South Korea, she began to feel very tired all the time and failed to make the Olympic finals.

27. 7 “Would it surprise you to learn that corn is also a type of grass? It was first grown in Central America thousands of years ago. Its seeds are called kernels. Very few kernels grew on wild corn grass. It took thousands of years of choosing the corn grass plants with the biggest seeds, or kernels, to make what we enjoy today as corn on the cob.”

28. 8 “Imagine you have a solid substance, such as ice. Heat it, which makes its temperature rise. When it reaches a certain level, the temperature stops rising and the substance begins to turn into a liquid. This temperature is called the substance’s melting point. You keep heating. When all the solid has turned to liquid, the temperature begins to rise again. Eventually the temperature stops rising and the liquid begins to turn into a gas. The temperature at which this happens is called the boiling point. If you keep heating the temperature stays the same until all the liquidis gone. Then the temperature begins to rise again.”

29. 9 Fewer Toads Though toads are still around, they no longer are as common in some areas as they were a few decades ago. The growing use of insecticides has reduced their numbers. The chemical sprays usually do not harm toads, but cut down the animals’ food supply. Thereby, the toads do not have enough food to survive. There are fewer toads in many areas populated by humans.

30. 10 Restoring the Toad Dr. Knapp doesn’t want people to sit back and let the toad vanish. He believes that everyone is responsible for restoring the toad species. Dr. Knapp thinks we could help restore the toad population if we stop mowing parts of our lawns and let the grass grow wild to reserve space for the toad. He also believes we need to stop using pesticides and fertilizers. The chemicals kill the insects that toads eat. If we preserve some spaces in our lawns and stop using fertilizers, Dr. Knapp believes we can save the toads.

31. Answers 1. Sequence 2. Compare and Contrast 3. Chronological 4. Cause and Effect 5. Problem and Solution 6. Chronological 7. Description 8. Sequence 9. Cause and Effect 10. Problem and Solution