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14 Understanding Text Structures

Page
109
from
Writers Express

Start-Up Activity

Ask your students how they explain a complex idea to a little brother or sister. They may, for example, compare the idea (democracy) to something the younger sibling knows about (sharing and taking turns).

Then inform your students that the text structures in this chapter show different ways they can effectively and clearly explain their ideas.

Think About It

“I like to write as though my readers are without television, radio, movies, or anything else.”

—Joyce Carol Thomas

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1.C

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2.C

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3.C

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.4

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.1.C

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2.C

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3.C

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.4

LAFS Covered in This Chapter

LAFS.4.W.1.1

LAFS.4.W.1.2

LAFS.4.W.1.3

LAFS.4.W.2.4

LAFS.5.W.1.1

LAFS.5.W.1.2

LAFS.5.W.1.3

LAFS.5.W.2.4

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

110.6.b.11.B.i

110.6.b.12.C

110.6.b.12.B

110.6.b.12.A

110.6.b.11.A

110.7.b.11.B.i

110.7.b.12.C

110.7.b.12.B

110.7.b.12.A

110.7.b.11.A

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

Page 110 from Writers Express

Common Text Structures

Use this page and those that follow to help your students understand the various options for organizing details in writing.

Explain each time-order strategy on this page, read through the sets of cue/signal words, and have your students look for some of those cue words in the examples (in teal). To deepen students' learning, have them try the minilessons.

Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.4.W.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.6.b.11.B.i, 110.6.b.12.C
NE ELA Standard:
LA 4.2.2, LA 4.2.1.b

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 4Grade 5
Mode:
Writing Basics
English Language Arts:
Qualities of WritingIdeasStructure

Page 111 from Writers Express

Cause and Effect and Problem/Solution

Review with students the process of analyzing causes and effects. As the cause-effect chart shows, often one topic will have multiple causes and multiple effects. Use the cause-effect minilesson to help students deepen their understanding of this form of organization.

Once students grasp causes and effects, they are better able to analyze problems and solutions. To understand a problem, your students need to think about the causes of it (as well as its effects). Coming up with a solution requires targeting causes or effects or both. For a closer look at problems and solutions, have students complete the video minilesson.

Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.4.W.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.6.b.11.B.i, 110.6.b.12.C
NE ELA Standard:
LA 4.2.2, LA 4.2.1.b

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 4Grade 5
Mode:
Writing Basics
English Language Arts:
Qualities of WritingIdeasStructure

Page 112 from Writers Express

Compare/Contrast and Question/Answer

Teach your students how to sort out comparisons and contrasts by having them read the model and create their own Venn diagrams. They should write the similarities in the overlapping section and the differences in either side. You can also have them do the minilesson for deeper understanding.

Teach the question/answer pattern by having your students do mini-interviews with desk partners. Have each student write a set of five questions about favorite activities outside of school. Then have your students take turns interviewing each other and writing down the answers to the questions.

Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.4.W.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.6.b.11.B.i, 110.6.b.12.C
NE ELA Standard:
LA 4.2.2, LA 4.2.1.b

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 4Grade 5
Mode:
Writing Basics
English Language Arts:
Qualities of WritingIdeasStructure

Page 113 from Writers Express

Description and Categorical

Use this page to help students learn to describe an object according to the five senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching. Give them a topic such as "apple" and have them write down as many sensory words as they can about it, creating a cluster like the one on page 113. You can also have them do the minilesson about descriptions that "show."

Help your students understand categorical organization by having them create a line diagram like the one at the bottom of the page. They can use the line diagram to analyze the paragraph—or another categorical topic. You can also have them complete the minilesson about line diagrams.

Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.4.W.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.6.b.11.B.i, 110.6.b.12.C
NE ELA Standard:
LA 4.2.2, LA 4.2.1.b

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 4Grade 5
Mode:
Writing Basics
English Language Arts:
Qualities of WritingIdeasStructure