Text Structure & Author’s Purpose Notes Monday, April 13, 2009

1. Text Structure & Author’s Purpose Notes Monday, April 13, 2009 Looking at the BIG picture

2. What is text structure??? • Text structure is the pattern of organization that the author uses to guide you through the reading. It is the PLAN the author made BEFORE. • Text Structure patterns are useful for NONFICTION and FICTION TAKS PASSAGES. • To recognize the text structure, you need to know some common types AND you need to read the entire selection.

3. 5 Basic Text Structures • Sequence of events • Describe with details • Compare & contrast two topics • Show cause & effect • Explain a solution to a problem • NOTE: there are more than these 5, but these are commonly used on tests. Also, a passage may use MORE than one of these. You need to figure out the MAIN one.

4. Sequence of Events Structure Tips: • Used to show steps in a process or to tell how events happened in order • Key words –order, organized, order of events

5. Example of Sequence structure The day after they took the trip to Ogdentown, they went again. This time they went with two cars, our truck and Mr. Klein’s, the man who owned the store. They thought that was better, in case one broke down; Mr. Klein and his wife went, too, and finally Mother decided to go.

6. Sequence Structure Organizer: Timeline Second trip to Odgentown Went in two cars; truck and Klein’s. Incase one broke down Klein’s and mother went

7. Describe with Detail Structure Tips • Author describes features or characteristics of the character, a place, event in the story. • This structure is common for introducing new material or showing support of material. • Key words: for example, for instance, in addition, support

8. Example Describe with Detail Structure And the column has come three times, each time in the late afternoon. At night I cannot see it, and in the morning it is gone. But each afternoon it comes again and it is nearer. At first it was behind Claypole Ridge and I could see only the top of it, the smallest smudge.

9. Describe in Detail StructureOrganizer: Web Column came three times Can’t see at night, gone in morning Topic Smoke Behind Claypole Ridge at first Nearer in the afternoon

10. Compare/Contrast Structure Tips • Author explains similarities & differences between two events, people, and/or places in a story. • Key words: similar to, likewise; on the other hand, in contrast, etc.

11. Example of Compare/Contrast Structure: The brook that flows past the cave…goes on down toward the house but then turns left into the pasture, where it widens into a good pond – a small lake, really, clear and quite deep, with bream and bass in it. The other, named Burden Creek, is bigger and wider, also nearer to the house. It flows more or less parallel to the road, and out of the valley through the gap at the south. It is really a small river, and quite beautiful, or used to be.

12. Compare/Contract Structure Organizer: T-chart Topic 1: Brook Topic 2: Burden Creek • Flows toward the house • Widens into a pond- small lake • Filled with bream and bass • Bigger and wider • Near the house • Flows more or less parallel to the road and out of valley

13. Cause & Effect Structure Tips: • Author tells reasons why something happened (cause) and/or results of something that happened (effect). • Key words: result, why, because

14. Example of Cause & Effect structure: There was – there is – a drilled well near the house, about sixty feet deep, with an electric pump. We had an electric hot water heater, a shower, tub, all that; but of course they all stopped working. So we had to carry water. You can’t lower a bucket into a drilled well; the hole is too small, so that left us a choice of two brooks.

15. Cause & Effect Structure Organizer: Multi-Flow Map Effect No hot water Cause No electricity Effect Carry water from well

16. Explain Solution to Problem Structure • Author presents a problem & a possible solution or solution(s) • Keywords: problem, effect, result, solve

17. Example of problem/solution structure I’m not really even sure of the date. I have a calendar, but it is hard – really hard – to keep track even so. At first I would check off each day with a pencil. Then, later in the day, I would see the calendar and start thinking: did I check today or didn’t I? The more I thought, the more I couldn’t remember….Now I have a better system; I have an alarm clock I set; I keep it right on the calendar, and when it goes off I check the day.

18. Problem Problem/Solution StructureGraphic Organizer: Flow Chart Not sure of date Check off days in calendar with pencil Alarm clock goes off, check off calendar day

19. What is author’s purpose? • Author’s purpose is the REASON an author writes things a certain way. It’s sort of like main idea, but it tells WHY the author wanted you to get that idea. • Common purpose words: • Narrative – relate events, tell a story, entertain, share, express… • Expository – persuade/convince/prove, warn, describe, inform, explain, give reasons, show, tell…

20. Author’s Purpose Tips: • Questions may ask about the WHOLE selection or just part of it. That’s why you need to READ the passage first. • Author’s purpose is shown in a few different types of questions: • Author uses words to show… • Why does the author tell this story… • Author wrote story to… • Keyword: Author

21. Activity – match the Purpose statements below to the correct Text Structure you just learned??? Describe in Detail • to describe how sick the man looked • to explain why the man thought it was safe to go into Burden Creek • to show the man’s reaction to the green valley • to contrast the differences in the two streams after the war • to relate events that led to her parents’ disappearance Cause and Effect Solution to Problem Compare and Contrast Sequence of Events Note: text structure relates to purpose!

22. Activity • Using the Text Structure handout, match the right structure with the right Thinking Map. There is only one match for each!!! Answer Key Relate a series of events: 7, 8, 14 Describe with details: 2. 5, 11 Compare & contrast two topics: 1, 6, 13 Show cause & effect: 4, 10, 15 Explain a solution to a problem: 3, 9, 12