Identifying Text Structure

Created Dec. 6, 2024 by Heather Turngren

Identifying Text Structure  = Organizational Patterns

Lesson Plan

Learning outcomes

  • Students will be able to identify key text structures
  • Students will be able to determine which graphic organizer to use for different text structures

Teacher planning  Time required for lesson:  1 hour

Materials/resources

  • Copies of worksheets

Technology resources

  • internet access to show video lecture
  • overhead projector/Smartboard to show text and graphic organizers

Activities

  1. Explain to students that text structure refers to how the information within a written text is organized. This strategy can help you to understand how a text might present a main idea and details
  2. Have students brainstorm or shout out what kinds of text structures they may already know.  (Teacher may need to prompt with the idea of a story and it being told in chronological order.)
  3. Write any examples students may give on the board.  If they don’t have any examples, let them know this is a perfect opportunity to learn about text structure.
  4. Pass out the worksheets for the overview. Explain to students that they will watch and listen a video lecture of a PowerPoint with examples of identify how texts and reading passages are organized.  Lecture format is a method students will encounter in post-secondary settings. Remind students they should fill in the blanks with some of the information presented in the video. For ELL/ESL students, the video may need to be reviewed a few times.  (Note: The audio in the video is not the best, but it is an opportunity for ABE students to take notes from a lecture.) Ask students to pay close attention to the graphic organizers presented in the lecture.  They are used to help identify a text’s structure.  Watch Video here:  http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/text-structure-worksheets/text-structure-lesson.htm
  1. Circulate while the video is going to check that students are getting the information in the correct blanks.
  2. When the video is finished, review the answers as a whole class.  Ask students which text structure(s) is easy for them to identify and which may be difficult to identify. 
  3. Explain to students now they will use the information gathered from the lecture to analyze various texts to determine their structure.  Then, students will take the information from the texts to create an appropriate graphic organizer.

Assessment

Teacher and/or volunteer examine students’ answers and graphic organizers (GO) to see if they are correct.  If there are areas where students are not able to identify the text structure, assist with the clues that help to determine the appropriate structure and GO (answer key follows)

For guided and independent next steps, use the worksheets from ereadingworksheets.com. 

http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/text-structure/text-structure-worksheets/

  • There are many text structure worksheets for K-12 grades 5 – 9 at this site.  They can be downloaded as PDFs. Answer keys are also provided.   I have used these worksheets with ABE learners reading at TABE 5.0 +  and they seem very appropriate for the reading level and the adult learner. 
  • When using the worksheets, teachers can use the first exercise of each lesson as a guided example.  
  • The following exercises can be done independently or in small groups.  
  • Teachers can have students create their own accompanying graphic organizer (GO) in a note book and transfer the appropriate information from the text into the GO.  
  • Teachers can further modify and deepen the lessons by having students underline or highlight the evidence to support their choice of text structure and/or GO. 
  • ESL students can practice effective communication by discussing their choices in pairs or group.


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Student Worksheet

Identifying Text Structure  = Organizational Patterns

            Text structure refers to how the information within a written text is organized. This strategy can help you to understand how a text might present a main idea and details.

Listen to and watch the lecture to fill in the blanks about how to identify how texts and reading passages are organized.  Pay close attention to the graphic organizers presented in the lecture.  They are used to help identify a text’s structure.

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Text structure refers to how a text is _________________________________________________.

Stories are generally organized ____________________________________________; however nonfiction texts have many different text structures.

6 types of text structures

1.         Chronological = ____________________________________________________________

 

2.         Sequence = ________________________________________________________________

            usually used for _____________________________________________________________

            Sequence does not _________________________________________________________

3.         Cause and Effect = __________________________________________________________

 

4.         Problem and Solution = ______________________________________________________

            it is similar to cause and effect but you look for  to a  __________________________

 

5.         Compare  = _______________________   and Contrast = _________________________

 

6.         Spatial = ____________________________________________________________________

            This is usually used for ________________________________________ writing.

 

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Identifying Text Structure  = Organizational Patterns

TEACHER ANSWER KEY

            Text structure refers to how the information within a written text is organized. This strategy can help you to understand how a text might present a main idea and details.

Listen to and watch the lecture to fill in the blanks about how to identify how texts and reading passages are organized.  Pay close attention to the graphic organizers presented in the lecture.  They are used to help identify a text’s structure.

Watch Video here; 

http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/text-structure-worksheets/text-structure-lesson.htm

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Text structure refers to how a text is organized.

Stories are generally organized _chronologically_; however nonfiction texts have many different text structures. 

6 types of text structures

1.         Chronological = in order of time (chrono = time &   logic = order)

2.         Sequence = order of steps in a process or event (time not noted)

            usually used for directions or instructions

            Sequence does not take place at any specific point in time.

3.         Cause and Effect = explains reasons why something happened or explains the effects of something.

4.         Problem and Solution =  Author states a problem and a solution

            it is similar to cause and effect but you look for  to a  problem.

5.         Compare  = find similarities   and Contrast = find what’s different.

6.         Spatial = in order of space or location This is usually used for  descriptive  writing

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