1. Identifying Text Structures and Main Ideas in Nonfiction

2. Text Structures

3. Types of Structures Cause and effect Compare and contrast
Chronological
Problem and solution
Spatial
Sequence
Order of Importance

4. Chronological
Chronological: Information in the passage is organized in order of time.
Example: Jack and Jill ran up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after.

5. Cause and Effect
Cause and Effect: The results of something are explained.
Example: The dodo bird used to roam in large flocks across America.  Interestingly, the dodo wasn’t startled by gun shot.  Because of this, frontiersmen would kill entire flocks in one sitting.  Unable to sustain these attacks, the dodo was hunted to extinction.

6. Compare and Contrast
Compare and Contrast: two or more things are described.  Their similarities and differences are discussed.
Example: Linux and Windows are both operating systems.  Computers use them to run programs.  Linux is totally free and open source, so users can improve or otherwise modify the source code.  Windows is proprietary, so it costs money to use and users are prohibited from altering the source code.

7. Problem and Solution
Problem and Solution: a problem is described and a response or solution is proposed or explained.
Example: Thousands of people die each year in car accidents involving drugs or alcohol.  Lives could be saved if our town adopts a free public taxi service. By providing such a service, we could prevent intoxicated drivers from endangering themselves or others.

8. Spatial
Spatial / Descriptive Writing: information is organized in order of space (top to bottom, left to right).
Example: When you walk into my bedroom there is a window facing you.  To the right of that is a dresser and television and on the other side of the window is my bed.

9. Sequence
Sequence / Process Writing: information is organized in steps or a process is explained in the order in which it occurs.  
Example: Eating cereal is easy.  First, get out your materials.  Next, pour your cereal in the bowl, add milk, and enjoy.

10. Order of Importance
Order of Importance: information is expressed as a hierarchy or in priority.
Example: Here are the three worst things that you can do on a date.  First, you could tell jokes that aren’t funny and laugh really hard to yourself.  This will make you look bad.  Worse though, you could offend your date.  One bad “joke” may cause your date to lash out at you, hence ruining the engagement.  But the worst thing that you can do is to appear slovenly.  By not showering and properly grooming, you may repulse your date, and this is the worst thing that you can do.

11. Practice Identifying Text Structure

12. Which structure? (2)
This morning was crazy. My alarm clock was set for PM instead of AM, so I woke up really late. I just threw on some clothes and ran out the door. I rode my bike as fast as I could and thought that I was going to be late for sure, but when I got there everyone was outside and there were fire trucks all lined up in front of school. I guess somebody pulled the fire alarm before class started. It worked out though, because nobody really noticed or minded that I was tardy.

13. Which structure? (3)
Apples and oranges are both fruits, which means that they have seeds inside of them. Each has a skin, but orange skins are thick and easy to peel. Apple skins are thinner and do not peel easily. Oranges also contain more acid than apples, but both fruits are delicious.

14. Which structure? (4)
Students are not allowed to chew gum in my class. While some students think that I am just being mean, there are many good reasons for this rule. First, some irresponsible students make messes with their gum. They may leave it on the bottoms of desks, drop it on the floor, or put it on other people’s property. Another reason why I don’t allow students to chew gum is because it is a distraction. When they are allowed to chew gum, students are more worried about having it, popping it, chewing it, and snapping it then they are in listening, writing, reading, and learning. This is why I don’t allow students to chew gum in my class.

15. Which structure? (5)
It seems like there has been a surge in teen pregnancies these days. Teen pregnancies make it very difficult for young mothers to pursue their dreams and meet the demands of an infant. Fortunately, most teen pregnancies can be easily prevented by using birth control; however, even birth control is not 100% effective. The most effective way to prevent teen pregnancies is abstinence, which is 100% effective.

16. Which structure? (6)
Volcanoes are a feared and destructive force for good reason. A volcano is like a pressure valve for the inner earth, but they can also be very beautiful. One part of the volcano that people rarely see is the magma chamber. The magma chamber is way beneath the Earth’s bed rock. It is tremendously hot. Running from the magma chamber to the crater of the volcano is the conduit. The conduit connects the magma chamber to the outer world. At the top of the volcano is the crater. This is where the magma exits. Volcanoes are a beautiful yet dangerous natural phenomenon.

17. Which structure? (7)
The company has a clearly laid out hierarchy. To start, all major decisions go through the president, who controls the entire operation, but most daily decisions go to the board. Beneath the board members are the regional managers, who oversee the branch managers, who run each local branch.

18. Which structure? (8)
There are several steps to making cookies. First, get your materials prepared and together. Then, make your dough by combining the materials together thoroughly. Lastly, cook your dough at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

19. Which structure? (9)
Many people think that they can get sick by going into cold weather improperly dressed; however, illnesses are not caused by temperature- they are caused by germs. So while shivering outside in the cold probably won’t strengthen your immune system, you’re more likely to contract an illness indoors because you will have a greater exposure to germs.

20. Main Ideas

21. The Basics
Paragraph: A group of sentences organized around a topic, a main idea about the topic, and details that support the topic
Topic: The overall subject of the paragraph

22. The Basics
Main Idea: A statement that tells the author’s point about the topic. It provides the message of a given paragraph or the argument that is being made about the topic.
Details: The specific information about the main idea or support for the main idea.

23. The Formula
Main Idea = Topic + Author’s Point about Topic

24. How to Find… Topic Main Idea Supporting Details
Ask yourself: What or who is this paragraph about?
Main Idea
Ask yourself: What is the overall message or argument being made by the author about the topic of this paragraph?
Supporting Details
Turn the main idea into a question by asking who, what, when, where, why, or how.

25. Hints
Boldfaced headings or titles may contain the topic and/or the main idea
First and last sentences in the paragraph are usually helpful
Look for repeating words—these often indicate the topic
Remember: Topics, main ideas, and supporting details work together. The main idea tells the author’s point about the topic and the details offer support for the main idea.

26. Topic
Main Idea
Supporting Detail
Supporting Detail
Supporting Detail

27. Florida Vegetation
Florida is full of beautiful scenery, but the vegetation is exceptionally exquisite.
The royal palm is one of the most majestic types of vegetation in Florida.
Hibiscus plants, with their picturesque flowers, are a pleasing addition to any landscape.
Though it has a harsh sounding name, the saw palmetto works well as a buffer between roads and residences.

28. Put It Together
Florida is full of beautiful scenery, but the vegetation is exceptionally exquisite. Shopping plazas, residential areas, and highway medians are often elaborately decorated with grand palm trees and tropical plants. Of the many types of vegetation found in Florida, one of the most majestic is the royal palm. Growing nearly 90 feet tall, it towers over many shopping centers and hotels with splendor. Hibiscus plants, with the picturesque flowers, are a pleasing addition to any landscape. Adorned with pink, red, or orange flowers, the hibiscus sets a tropical scene to homes and businesses alike. Finally, the saw palmetto, though it has a harsh sounding name, works well as a buffer between roads and residences.

29. Practice
Use the worksheet to practice finding the topic, main idea, and supporting details. We will check our answers together.