LEQ: What choices do authors make in order to organize their information to best meet the needs of their audience?

Don’t get confused… Text Feature vs. Text Structure Text features is a building block or a piece of how the writing is organized. Text structure is how the writing as a whole is organized.

Why do authors write? Writers of informational texts usually have one of the following purposes for writing: To inform/instruct To entertain/tell a story

To Inform or To Instruct When writers are trying to inform or instruct, they are trying to impart their knowledge onto their reader. Example: Why Markets Exist “Markets exist because no one is self-sufficient. In other words, none of us produces all we require to satisfy our needs and wants.” –Economics (Prentice Hall) The writer of this section is trying to impart his or her knowledge about markets to the reader. He or she wants you to know why these markets exist.

To Entertain When writers are trying to entertain their audiences, they tell a story. Example: “Inside, my soul became so cold I hated everything. I even despised the sun, for I knew I would never be able to play in its warm presence. I cringed with hate whenever I heard other children laughing, as they played outside. My stomach coiled whenever I smelled food that was about to be served to somebody else, knowing it wasn't for me.” -David Pelzer, A Child Called “It”

Multiple purposes… Sometimes the writer may have more than one purpose in mind when writing a particular piece. HOWEVER, one purpose is usually more important.

Text Structure/Organization Common text structures include: Cause and effect Problem and solution Compare and contrast Sequence or chronological order

Cause and Effect Why something happened is the cause What happens as a result of the cause is the effect Signal Words that show cause/effect: Because So in that Since As a result Therefore Consequently, If…then For this reason

Example of Cause and Effect “Drug abusers often start in upper elementary school. They experiment with a parent’s beer and hard liquor and they enjoy the buzz they receive. They keep doing this and it starts taking more and more of the alcohol to get to the same level of buzz. As a result, the child turns to other forms of stimulation including marijuana. Since these are the initial steps that usually lead to more hardcore drugs such as PCP, heroin, and crack, marijuana and alcohol are called as “gateway drugs.” Because of their addictive nature, these gateway drugs lead many youngsters who use them to the world of hardcore drugs.” Have students read the example with a partner. Then, have them identify why this passage is cause and effect. Look for the signal words “As a result” and “because”. These show that something has caused something else to happen (an effect).

Problem and Solution The author’s purpose in this type of writing is to show a problem and then offer a possible way to solve the problem Signal Words that show problem and solution Because One reason for Since For this reason Therefore Consequently Problem Solution Many of the words from cause and effect signal problem and solution. Why? It is a similar pattern: Something is or happens and then as a result something else happens or a result is proposed.

Example The carrying capacity of a habitat refers to the amount of plant and animal life its resources can hold. For example, if there are only 80 pounds of food available and there are animals that together need more than 80 pounds food to survive, or more animals will die—the habitat can’t ‘carry’ them. Humans have reduced its carrying capacity by introducing housing developments, road construction, dams, pollution, fires, and acid rain. So that they can fully maintain “carrying capacity” in forest habitats, Congress has enacted legislation that protects endangered habitats from human development or impact. As a result, these areas have high carrying capacities and an abundance of plant and animal life. Have students read the example with a partner. Then, have them identify why this passage is problem and solution. Look for the signal words “As a result” and “so that”. These show that something is a problem and there is a proposed way to solve it.

Compare and Contrast A comparison tells how thing, people, places or events are alike. A contrast tells how they are different. Some signal words are: Like Yet Unlike While Both However As well as In contrast Nevertheless On the other hand

Example Middle school gives students more autonomy than elementary school. While students are asked to be responsible for their learning in both levels, middle school students have more pressure to follow through on assignments on their own rather than rely on adults. In addition narrative forms are used to teach most literacy skills in elementary school. On the other hand, expository writing is the way most information is given in middle school. Have students read the example with a partner. Then, have them identify why this passage is compare and contrast. Look for the signal words “In addition”, “both”, “on the other hand” and “while”. These show that something is a problem and there.

Sequence or chronological order All of the facts (or a story) are arranged in a time order These things start with what happened first and move to what happened last (or vice versa) Some signal words are: First, second Finally, 1998, 2012, 2014 Next, During… Then, Not long after After At last On Until

Example Despite this large buildup of American troops, between 1965 and 1967, the war was at a stalemate. The American objective was not to conquer North Vietnam, but rather to force the enemy to stop fighting. In 1965, President Johnson authorized Operation Rolling Thunder—the relentless bombing campaign that continued for almost three years. Have students partner read and identify why this is sequential or chronological order (dates). Ask the students if they notice any other patterns (problem/solution or cause and effect—war was at a stalemate, so President Johnson authorized Operation Rolling Thunder.) Ask the students why there are two patterns present in this selection. What is the author’s purpose? Here it is to not only tell the events in order, but to also share what the issue was and how to fix it.

To wrap this up… Authors use patterns of organization or text structures to organize their information for their readers. The purpose of their writing, and their audience, determine which structure best conveys their message. Quick check: Turn to your partner and tell them the 4 text structures we discussed.