Organizational Patterns

1. Organizational Patterns

2. Five Types of Expository Text Organizational Patterns/ Internal Structures • Descriptive • Chronological/ Sequential • Cause/Effect • Comparison/Contrast • Problem/Solution -Piccolo, J. (1987). Expository text structure: teaching and learning strategies. The Reading Teacher, 40, 838-847.

3. Descriptive • Presents a specific topic and addresses its attributes • Signal words: An example, to illustrate, characteristics, • Is the author trying to tell the reader what something is? • Graphic organizers commonly used: Circle map or web

4. Can you name the organizational pattern? • Evan and his parents arrived at the beach one sunny, bright June morning. The sand tickled their feet as they walked. The ocean glistened a sparkling topaz color in the distance. Waves crashed all around them as they made their way toward the shoreline.

5. Chronological/Sequential • Has a main topic supported by details which must be in a specific order to convey the correct meaning • Signal words: first, second, third, then, before, after, next, last, finally • Is the author trying to tell someone how to do something or make something by relating the order of steps? Is the author trying to relate a series of events in time order? • Graphic organizers commonly used: Flow map or flow chart

6. Here's how the Pony Express worked. A young rider would grab a mailbag, then jump on a horse and ride for ten miles at top speed. Then he would jump on a fresh horse and keep going. He would change horses seven times, and then he would pass the mailbag to another rider, who would keep on riding another seven horses for another seventy miles until he reached the next rider!

7. Cause/Effect • Cause is why something happened. Effect is what happened (sometimes the effect is listed first). • Signal words or phrases: so, so that, because of, as a result of, since, in order to • Is the author trying to give reasons why something happens or exists? • Graphic organizers commonly used: Multi-flow map

8. Climate is influenced by many factors. It depends first and foremost on latitude. Areas nearest the equator are warm and wet.

9. Compare/Contrast • Subjects are compared, contrasted, or both; supporting details show how subjects are either alike (comparison) or different (contrast), or both • Signal words or phrases: different from, same as, alike, similar to, resembles, compared to, unlike • Is the author trying to show the similarities or differences between two topics or aspects of a topic? • Graphic organizers commonly used: Double bubble map or Venn diagram

10. Although much more common than hurricanes and tornadoes, thunderstorms can be equally dangerous.

11. Problem/Solution • States a problem, supporting details describe the problem, its causes, and solutions • Signal words or phrases: a problem is, a solution is, the problem is solved by • Is the author trying to state a problem and offer some solutions? • One-sided multi-flow map

12. Bullying has become a major problem in schools around the world. Bullies use social media and intimidation to make their victims feel threatened and unsafe. By encouraging students to stand up for those who are being bullied and issuing harsher punishments for the students doing the bullying, this problem can be greatly reduced or even diminished.