Text Organization Notes

Our lives are full of carefully organized things. For example, aisles in the grocery store are set up so that similar

foods are in the same area. Can you imagine having milk, detergent, and pineapples all on the same shelf?

When things are clearly organized it is much easier for people to find the things that they want and need.

Just like in everyday life, writing, especially non-fiction writing, is often clearly organized.

We use the phrase text organization when we talk about the way that a piece of writing is organized.

There are many benefits to recognizing different text organization strategies.

Good readers use text organization to guide them through reading and help them find information that they need.

Understanding text organization can be especially helpful when you’re reading something new.

Different kinds of writing use different strategies, or ways, of organizing the text.

In SDA we’ll talk about five text organization strategies:

Sequence Problem and Solution Question and Answer

Cause and Effect Compare and Contrast

Sequence is all about putting things in the order that they happen.

Sequence can be one of the easiest strategies to see because we use it so often in our lives.

Think-Pair-Share: What are some examples of times that it’s important to put things in a certain order?

There are many key words that hint that sequence is being used to organize a text. Some key words include:

What key words in the paragraph below show that it is organized using sequence?

The Break-InI started my day with a slice of leftover pizza. After tossing apiece of pepperoni to my dog, Buster, I headed into the familyroom to watch a little T.V before my soccer game. I had justgotten settled when I heard a crash in the basement! I jumpedat first, but then figured it was just Buster causing trouble, so Iignored it. A few seconds later I heard an even louder crash,but I told myself to wait for a commercial. When I finallychecked on things I was shocked to see Buster asleep onkitchen floor. My next thought made my heart pound. If it

wasn’t Buster, then who was in the basement?

I started my day with a slice of leftover pizza. After tossing a piece of pepperoni to my dog, Buster, I headed into the family room to watch a little T.V. before my soccer game. I had just gotten settled when I heard a crash in the basement! I jumped at first, but then I figured it was just Buster causing trouble, so I ignored it. A few seconds later I heard an even louder crash, but I told myself to wait for a commercial. When I finally checked on things I was shocked to see Buster asleep on kitchen floor. My next thought made my heart pound. If it wasn’t Buster, then who was in the basement?

Great job! But that was just one paragraph. Let’s test your super sequencing skills with a longer story.

The biographical article, “Babe Didrikson Zaharias,” is a about one of the greatest female athletes in the U.S. and is organized using sequence. How many sequence key words can we find this time?

The problem/solution organization strategy does exactly what it says: presents a problem and at least one solution, which is a suggestion about how to fix the problem.

A text can have one problem and many solutions. A text might also list several problems and one solution,

like the commercial which claims you can knock out nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach AND diarrhea with a spoonful of Pepto Bismol .

The key words for problem/solution aren’t as obvious as the ones for sequence, but there are several things you might look for: Words that mean ‘problem,’ like:

1. Issue 2. Challenge 3. Dilemma 4. Conflict

Synonyms for ‘solution,’ such as:5. Answer 6. Suggestion 7. Key 8. Idea

Verbs that mean “to solve,” like:9. Fix 10. Correct 11. Improve 12.

Address

Here’s the plan:1. Read the article, “PetsPal Project.”2. Use a pink highlighter to put a box around the

problem(s).3. Use a green highlighter to put a box around

the solution(s).4. Use a pencil to circle any key words that you

see.

Today’s notes are short and sweet! Question/answer, like problem/solution, has a name that

couldn’t be clearer. These texts pose questions and follow them with answers.

The main key words for this strategy are the 5 Ws and the H:

1. Who?2. What?3. When? 4. Where? 5. Why?6. How?

Here’s the plan:1. Read the article, “Young Author Profile: Amelia

Atwater-Rhodes, age 16.”2. Use a pink highlighter to put a box around the

questions.3. Use a green highlighter to put a box around

the answers.4. Be prepared to share out your answers!

Situation #1: You forgot your homework for the 3rd time this week and it’s a recipe for detention unless you can come up with a good reason that your homework is MIA (missing in action). Why weren’t you able to complete your homework last night?

Situation #2: It’s dinner time and you’re starving—until you see that your mom is serving the all-time-worst-meal imaginable: lima bean casserole drizzled with a sardine glaze. There’s no way your mom will let you skip out on the meal without a rock-solid reason. So, why can’t you eat dinner tonight?

Cause/effect is a strategy that shows how one thing can make something else happen.

The cause is the event that started things, or the reason that the effect happened.

The effect is the result, of the thing that happened.

The activity “Excuses, Excuses!” is an example of cause and effect. The situations gave the effect and we came up with the

cause. For example: Cause: The dog ate my backpack. Effect: I couldn’t finish my homework.

  Cause: I ate a big lunch. Effect: I’m not hungry for dinner

There can be several causes or several effects in different situations. For instance:

Gaining weight is an effect that could have many causes, like eating too much junk food and not getting enough exercise.

One cause, a big storm, could have several effects like watering plants, flooding a river, and getting a Pirate’s game cancelled.

There are many key words that can suggest a text is organized using cause and effect. For example:

1. Because2. As a result3.

Consequently

4. Therefore5. So 6. Thus

7. Since8. Due to9. Accordingly10.

Nevertheless

11. If…then

Here’s the plan:1. Read the article, “Yaaaawwwwnn! Are You

Sleep-Deprived?” 2. Reread the sections called “Food, Clothing,

Shelter…and SLEEP!” and “More Consequences (Yawn!)” and:

Highlight the cause in yellow. Highlight the effect(s) in green. Highlight the key words that show that these

sections are organized using cause and effect in pink.

3. Write/Illustrate the cause and at least three of the effects in the Cause and Effect Graphic Organizer.

Two pictures will appear on the screen, and at first they may look exactly the same, but they are actually a little bit different from each other.

Look carefully at both pictures and raise your hand when you can spot one of the differences between the two pictures!

Try to find all 8 differences!

Try to find all 12 differences!

In “Spot the Difference” we looked at two pictures and picked out the things that were different.

The compare/contrast strategy does the same thing, except with words!

This strategy describes the similarities and differences between two or more things.

Some of the compare/contrast key words that you might come across are:

1. Same 4. Alike 7. As well2. Similar 5. Unlike 8. On the

other hand3. Different 6. Also

Here’s the plan:

1. Read the article Hurricanes Versus Tornadoes.

2. Highlight similarities in green and differences in pink.

3. Write the similarities and differences you found in a Venn Diagram. Remember to put the similarities and differences in the correct section of the Venn Diagram!