1. Passage Organization

2. What am I responsible for? TEKS  Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text  4 th Grade  4.11 (c) describe explicit and implicit relationships among ideas in texts organized  by cause and effect, sequence, or comparison  5 th Grade  5.11 (c) analyze how the organizational pattern of a text (cause and effect, compare and contrast, sequential order, logical order, classification schemes) influences the relationships among the ideas.  6 th Grade  6.10 (c) explain how different organizational patterns develop the main idea and the author’s viewpoint

3. Define “Expository Text”  Text that is intended to explain or describe something  expository - explain

4. Informational Text Predominantly expository structures with print features, captions, diagrams Narrative Structures  Biography  Autobiography  Memoir Expository Structures  Description  Sequential  Compare/Contrast  Cause and Effect  Problem/Solution  Essays  Speeches  Journals  Opinion Pieces  Historical, Scientific Documents

5. Instruction: Where to begin? TYPE OF TEXT Fiction or Nonfiction?  Fiction: stories  Nonfiction: articles, essays, academic journals, editorials, websites Author’s Purpose?  P ersuade  I nform  E ntertain  D escribe

6. TYPE OF TEXT: WRITING  Fiction or nonfiction?  Author’s purpose?  These same questions must be answered before we complete a writing assignment.  Once we decide our purpose for writing, then we must begin to organize our thoughts.

7. Students have prior knowledge about writing. Use what students know about organizing their own thoughts to help them understand the organization of someone else’s thoughts..

8. Graphic Organizers Web Brainstorming Descriptive texts Sequential order Stories How To/Procedural texts Timeline Stories Historical texts Scientific texts

9. Graphic Organizers Venn Diagram Compare and Contrast Cause and Effect Problem - Solution T Chart For and Against Pros and Cons Persuasive essays

10. Use selections read this year as examples of organizational structures  I. Descriptive – “The Incredible Shrinking Pyramid” (benchmark passage)  “Nightmares” (CARS passage)  II. Sequence/Chronological – “How to Surf” (Mirrors and Windows)  “The Emperor & the Nightingale” (benchmark)  III. Compare/Contrast – “Crocodiles and Alligators” (CARS passage)  IV. Cause and Effect – “What Makes the Weather?”  “A Breath of Fresh Air”  V. Problem/Solution – “Letter to the Editor” (CARS passage)

11. Key Words Descriptive For example Characteristics are Descriptions of features Sequence Dates First, second, etc. Then Next Finally Compare/Contrast Different In contrast Similar, alike Same as Compare

12. Key Words Cause and Effect Because So Therefore Consequently Problem-Solution Problem Issue Solved Answer

13. Practice Identifying Organizational Structures  www.ereadingworksheets.com  “Identifying Text Structure 1” & “Identifying Text Structure 4”  Use with printed graphic organizers.  Students read each brief passage, highlight key words, and then complete a graphic organizer to determine which organizational structure is used.  www.dayofreading.org  [PDF] “Text Structures”  Use brief passages about the Olympics (same procedure as above)

14. Lesson Plans  I. Discussion to assess prior knowledge  II. Instruction (graphic organizers, examples)  III. Notes in composition notebook  (graphic organizers, examples, key words)  IV. Practice Exercises (websites)  V. Quiz

15. Cross Curricular Instruction  Writing  If possible, assign essays or even short answer responses for compare/contrast, descriptive, problem-solution (persuasive)  Debates are a fun way to incorporate research, T Charts, problem-solution, and persuasive writing into an engaging activity.

16. Writing TEKS  Writing/Writing Process  4 th Grade  4.15(B) develop drafts by categorizing ideas and organizing them into paragraphs  5 th Grade  5.15 (B) develop drafts by choosing an appropriate organizational strategy (e.g., sequence of events, cause-effect, compare-contrast) and building on ideas to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of writing  6 th Grade  6.14 (B)[identical to 5 th grade TEK]

17. Cross Curricular Instruction  Social Studies & Science  Identify passage organization and author’s purpose of all articles read  Incorporate Venn Diagrams into lessons  Read current events articles from newspaper and identify author’s purpose & passage organization  Research

18. Social Studies TEKS  4th and 5 th Grades  21(B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause and effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions  21(C) organize and interpret information in outlines, reports, data bases, and visuals, including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps  22(D) create written and visual material such as journal entries, reports, graphic organizers, outlines, and bibliographies  23(A) use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution

19. Social Studies TEKS – 6 th Grade  Sixth grade Social Study TEKS are basically the same as 4 th and 5 th grades TEKS except that “research” is added.  6.22(B)incorporate main and supporting ideas in verbal and written communication based on research  6.22 (D)create written and visual material such as journal entries, reports, graphic organizers, outlines, and bibliographies based on research

20. STAAR Strategies for Passage Organization Fiction or Nonfiction Topic? Title Illustrations? Photos? Charts, Graphs? Text Author’s Purpose P ersuade I nform E ntertain D escribe Topics/Notes Brief summaries or topics (3-5 words) written beside each paragraph

21. Topics / Notes  Topics are brief summaries or titles (3-5 words) written beside each paragraph  “Caveman language”  Spanish  Abbreviations or Symbols  *Highlight key words in paragraph if short on time  Advantages:  Enables the reader to find specific information quickly  Enables the read to see patterns of organization in the text

22. STAAR Question Stems – 4 th Grade

23.  After the hawks rebuilt their nest, fewer people complained most likely because –  According to information in “Building a Better Sandcastle,” a tall sandcastle tower might fall if –  *In both of these cause and effect questions, the student is asked to determine the cause.

24. STAAR Question Stems – 5 th Grade  By organizing paragraph 3 sequentially, the author is able to …  The author organizes paragraph 9 in a compare-and-contrast pattern to illustrate –  A compare-and-contrast pattern is used to organize the ideas in paragraph 2 mainly to –

25. STAAR Question Stems – 6 th Grade  The author organizes paragraphs 5 – 8 for the purpose of describing the –  The organizational pattern of the selection develops the author’s viewpoint by …  The organization of paragraph 2 focuses on …  The organization of paragraphs 2 – 4 continue to support the author’s main idea by…  The author structures paragraphs 9 – 10 so that they…  The main purpose of paragraphs 8 – 10 is to –