TEXT STRUCTUREHOW ARE STORIES ORGANIZED?

MR. FULKERSON

HOW IS TEXT ORGANIZED?

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WAYS TO ORGANIZE YOUR WRITING•SEQUENCE•QUESTION/ANSWER

•COMPARISON/CONTRAST,•CAUSE/EFFECT•PROBLEM/SOLUTION.

SEQUENCING

• ITEMS ARE ORGANIZED IN THE ORDER THAT THEY HAPPEN.

• ALSO KNOWN AS CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.

• USE WORDS LIKE FIRST, NEXT, AND FINALLY TO TELL THE READER THE CORRECT ORDER.

• EXAMPLE:• BEFORE WE MOVED TO OUR NEW HOUSE, MOM PACKED OUR THINGS IN BOXES. FIRST, SHE

WENT TO GROCERY STORES AND ASKED THE WORKERS THERE FOR SOME EMPTY BOXES. THEN, SHE BOUGHT TAPE AND MARKERS SO WE COULD SEAL THE BOXES TIGHT AND LABEL THEM. FINALLY, WE ALL WORKED TOGETHER AND HELPED MOM PACK OUR THINGS IN THE BOXES.

QUESTION AND ANSWER• ITEMS ARE ORGANIZED BY FIRST ASKING A QUESTION AND THEN ANSWERING

IT.

• DO NOT FORGET TO USE A QUESTION MARK WHEN YOU WRITE THE QUESTION.

• EXAMPLE:• MANY PARENTS IN COLUMBUS, OHIO, ARE THINKING ABOUT THIS QUESTION: HOW

CAN WE MAKE PLAYING OUTSIDE FUN FOR KIDS? PLAYING GAMES CAN MAKE THE OUTDOORS FUN FOR CHILDREN. ONE SUCH GAME CHILDREN CAN PLAY IS TAG.

COMPARE & CONTRAST• ITEMS ARE ORGANIZED BY SHOWING HOW THEY ARE ALIKE AND DIFFERENT.

• YOU MAY WANT TO FIRST WRITE ABOUT ALL THE WAYS THEY ARE SIMILAR, THEN ABOUT THE WAYS THEY ARE DIFFERENT.

• EXAMPLE:• BRANDI'S PIZZA PALACE IS A BETTER RESTAURANT THAN LITTLE ITALIAN SPOT.

BRANDI PUTS MORE CHEESE AND TOPPINGS ON HER PIZZAS THAN THEY DO AT THE OTHER RESTAURANT.

CAUSE & EFFECT

• ITEMS ARE ORGANIZED BY WRITING ABOUT:

• SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS (CAUSE)

• THEN WHAT HAPPENS BECAUSE OF IT (EFFECT).

• EXAMPLE:• I DID NOT SLEEP LAST NIGHT. AS A RESULT, MY HEAD HURTS TODAY.

PROBLEM/SOLUTION• ITEMS ARE ORGANIZED BY FIRST STATING A PROBLEM AND THEN LISTING SOLUTIONS.

• EXAMPLE:• YOST CITY OFFICIALS HAVE ANNOUNCED THAT THE CITY HAS RUN OUT OF MONEY

TO GIVE TO THE PUBLIC LIBRARY. THIS MAY CAUSE THE LIBRARY TO CLOSE LATER THIS YEAR. MANY CITIZENS WHO HOPE TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM HAVE COME TOGETHER. THEY BELIEVE THE SOLUTION IS TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE LIBRARY THEMSELVES. THEY PLAN TO HAVE GARAGE SALES AND BAKE SALES AND GIVE THE MONEY THEY MAKE TO THE LIBRARY.

• THE PROBLEM - HOW CAN THE PUBLIC LIBRARY GET ENOUGH MONEY TO STAY OPEN?

• THE SOLUTION - CITIZENS WILL HAVE GARAGE SALES AND BAKE SALES TO TRY TO MAKE ENOUGH MONEY FOR THE LIBRARY.

OTHER WAYS…….

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DESCRIPTION• WHEN YOU WANT TO PAINT A PICTURE WITH WORDS, USE DESCRIPTION TO ORGANIZE

YOUR IDEAS. TO MAKE THE PICTURE COME ALIVE IN YOUR READER'S MIND, USE A LOT OF ADJECTIVES AND DESCRIBE WHAT YOU WOULD SEE, TASTE, SMELL, FEEL, OR HEAR.

• THE FOLLOWING WORDS ARE SOME ADJECTIVES YOU COULD USE TO DESCRIBE SOMETHING.

• SOFT, STICKY, BRIGHT, PECULIAR, LOUD

• EXAMPLE:• MY CAT'S FUR IS SMOOTH AND SOFT. WHEN MY CAT TAKES A NAP, SHE CURLS HERSELF UP

AND LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE FURRY BALL. SHE SNORES QUIETLY WHEN SHE SLEEPS.

NARRATION• THE TEXT HAS DETAILS ABOUT PEOPLE AND EVENTS THAT TELL A STORY.

• EXAMPLE:• WAYNE WALKED SLOWLY AS HE HELD HIS RED TOY CAR IN THE AIR. HE WAS

PRETENDING THAT HIS CAR COULD FLY. WAYNE FROWNED AS HE THOUGHT VERY HARD AND USED HIS IMAGINATION. HE WAS WAITING FOR HIS FATHER TO PICK HIM UP FROM SCHOOL. WAYNE HAD BEEN WAITING FOR A LONG TIME, BUT HE LIKED TO PLAY WITH HIS TOY CAR.

PROPOSITION/SUPPORT• THE TEXT PRESENTS A SUGGESTION OR A PROPOSITION.

• THEN, THE AUTHOR SUPPORTS HIS OR HER SUGGESTION WITH REASONS.

• THIS PATTERN IS OFTEN FOUND IN EDITORIALS.

• EXAMPLE:• THE HILLSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS SPEED BUMPS ON THE ROAD TO GET DRIVERS TO SLOW

DOWN. DRIVERS SPEED UP AND DOWN THE HILL. THIS IS DANGEROUS FOR CHILDREN CROSSING THE STREET. IT IS ALSO DANGEROUS FOR PEOPLE BACKING OUT OF THEIR DRIVEWAYS. SPEED BUMPS WOULD FORCE DRIVERS TO SLOW DOWN. THEY WOULD MAKE THE STREETS SAFER FOR THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD.

EXAMPLE:

HAVE YOU EVER FAILED A TEST AT SCHOOL? THERE ARE MANY REASONS THAT KIDS MIGHT FAIL A TEST. SOMETIMES THEY JUST HAVEN'T STUDIED. OTHER TIMES, THEY DON'T READ THE TEST QUESTIONS CAREFULLY. OR THEY MAY GET NERVOUS AND FREEZE UP. OR THEY MIGHT NOT BE FEELING WELL. IF STUDENTS DON'T GET ENOUGH SLEEP, THAT CAN ALSO CAUSE POOR TEST SCORES. AND SOMETIMES, THE KID IS JUST HAVING A REALLY BAD DAY!

THIS PARAGRAPH IS ORGANIZED USING

A. COMPARE/CONTRAST.

B. PROBLEM/SOLUTION.

C. CAUSE AND EFFECT.

D. SEQUENCE.

E X A M P L E

DRUG ABUSE CAUSES MANY PROBLEMS. UNLAWFUL DRUGS CAN HARM THE BODY AND MIND. PEOPLE WHO KEEP USING THESE DRUGS MAY END UP IN THE HOSPITAL. DRUGS ALSO INCREASE CRIME. SOME PEOPLE WILL STEAL TO GET MONEY TO BUY DRUGS.

THE FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS IS IMPORTANT. MANY COMMUNITIES PULL TOGETHER TO TRY TO STOP DRUG ABUSE. THE FIRST STEP IS TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT HOW BAD ILLEGAL DRUGS ARE. IF PEOPLE KNOW HOW BAD DRUGS ARE FOR THEIR BODIES, THEN THEY CAN CHOOSE TO AVOID USING DRUGS. TALKING ABOUT DRUGS AT HOME AND IN SCHOOL IS IMPORTANT SO CHILDREN CAN BE WARNED ABOUT HARMFUL DRUGS. THE PEOPLE WHO SELL ILLEGAL DRUGS ARE CALLED DRUG DEALERS. SELLING AND USING CERTAIN DRUGS IS AGAINST THE LAW. POLICE OFFICERS TRY TO STOP DRUG DEALERS AND DRUG USERS FROM BREAKING THE LAW.

HOW IS THE TEXT ABOVE ORGANIZED?

A. CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

B. PROBLEM/SOLUTION

C. COMPARE/CONTRAST

D. CAUSE/EFFECT

FIRST, DARKEN THE CLASSROOM, BUT TURN ON A SINGLE LIGHT BULB IN A CORNER. SECOND, CHOOSE SOMEONE TO HOLD A BALL IN THE CENTER OF THE ROOM. THEN STUDENTS SHOULD SKETCH WHAT THEY SEE OF THE BALL FROM WHERE THEY ARE SITTING. INCLUDE THE LIGHT AND SHADOW ON THE BALL, AND THE LOCATION OF THEIR SEATS IN RELATION TO THE LIGHT AND THE BALL. FINALLY, TURN ON THE LIGHTS, AND COMPARE THE SKETCHES.

THE TEXT ORGANIZATION IN THIS PASSAGE IS AN EXAMPLE OF

A. CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.

B. SIMILARITY AND DIFFERENCE.

C. CAUSE AND EFFECT.

D. QUESTION AND ANSWER

EXAMPLE:

EXAMPLE

TESSA'S BACKYARD IS HER FAVORITE PLACE TO BE. SHE LOVES TO SIT ON A BIG LAWN CHAIR AS THE SUN SETS. CUTE RABBITS WITH PLUSH COTTONTAILS EAT GRASS AND HOP AROUND. THE TALL TREES SWAY IN THE WIND, AND THE LEAVES MAKE A PEACEFUL SOUND. THE BUSHES ARE BEAUTIFULLY DECORATED WITH PINK AND PURPLE FLOWERS. TESSA'S CAT SLEEPS UNDER A BUSH, AND THIS MAKES THE BACKYARD SEEM EVEN MORE PEACEFUL.

THIS PARAGRAPH IS ORGANIZED USING

A. CAUSE/EFFECT.

B. QUESTION/ANSWER.

C. DESCRIPTION.

D. COMPARE/CONTRAST.

RESOURCES

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