1. Five Major Text Structures
Basic question to answer first:
What is a structure?
Imagine your story as a building.
Text Structures = the way that the details of the story are “arranged” or “built”

2. 1. Sequencing
Definition: details told as a sequential chain of chronological events. One event does not directly cause a second event to occur.
Key words: sequence words such as “first,” “second,” “third,” “next,” “then,” “finally…”
Example in words:
The sequence of brushing your teeth:
First you get the brush
Next you add some toothpaste
Then you put water on the brush…

3. First you take the peanuts and you smoosh ‘em, you smoosh ‘em…
Example in Pictures…
First you take the peanuts and you smoosh ‘em, you smoosh ‘em…
Then you get the bread and you cut it, you cut it…
Then you get the jelly and you spread it, you spread it…
Then you get the peanuts and you spread ‘em, you spread ‘em…
Peanut, Peanut Butter and Jelly!

4. Example in graphic organizer:1 2 3

5. 2. Description
Definition: the details of the story are arranged to depict something – to create a mental picture.
Key words: for example, looks/tastes/feels like, any vivid adjectives
Example in words:
“Its trunk was but a wizened arm, its branches bony fingers grasping vainly at the winter sky.”
“… a quivery head, rabid eyes, a dragon's stare, distended belly, hands like talons ready to tear… what else does it all present but a monster?”

6. Example in Pictures…

7. Example in graphic organizer
What it sounds like
Where it comes from
What color is it
item to describe
How long it lasts/ lives
How big it is
What it feels like
What it tastes like
Where you can find it

8. 3. Compare-Contrast
Definition: two or more things are being compared to show how they are similar and contrasted to show how they are different.
Key Words: similarities, differences, put side by side, distinction, like, unlike
Example in words:
Baseball is different from soccer in that players may touch the ball with their hands while in soccer they cannot.
Basketball is similar to soccer in that the objective is to move a single ball into a goal.

9. Examples in pictures
very tall
very small
one eyebrow
two eyebrows

10. Examples in graphic organizers:
T-Chart
Venn Diagram
Pros
Cons

11. 4. Cause-Effect
Definition: when one event causes another to happen. The result of the first is the effect.
Key Words: so then, led to happen, began, because
Example in words:
Because Herbert asked his parents for a new xBox, he received one for his birthday.
Since Missy didn’t study for her algebra test, she completely failed. Because she completely failed, her mother grounded her forever and ever.

12. Because Mrs. Scott slipped on a banana peel…
Example in Pictures:
Because Mrs. Scott slipped on a banana peel…
…she then had a broken leg and had to wear a cast…
… which led to her having to quit the swim team.

13. Example in graphic organizers
THIS
caused…
THAT
so then…
THIS

14. 5. Problem-Solution
Definition: a story which begins with a problem and ends with a solution. The solution is not necessarily happy.
Key Words: conflict, resolution
Example in words:
A man contracts a strange Nile River disease and in the end, he takes antibiotics and survives.
A girl sees a painting being stolen, and by the end of the story, has figured out whodunnit.

15. Example in pictures:
Problem: flat tire
Solution: pump it up

16. Example in graphic organizers: