Lesson Plan

Teach Text Structure for Nonfiction

Students identify the text structure of a specific passage after learning common text structures used in nonfiction.

Overview

This lesson plan will provide students with a strong foundation for reading, writing, and using nonfiction.

Objective

Students will:

  1. Gain an awareness and general understanding what text structures are
  2. Learn what clues they can use to identify the text structure of a piece of writing

Materials

  1. Five Text Structures (PDF)
  2. Student copies of Stopping a Toppling Tower (PDF) — 1 for each student

Directions

Step 1: Use the Five Text Structures chart to explain what text structures are and what clues students can use to identify text structures.

Step 2: Help students understand the importance of understanding text structure by explaining that a reader who is aware of the patterns that are being used can anticipate the kind of information that will be presented.

Example: If we we know a selection follows a “compare and contrast” organization, we can expect to read about likeness and differences between people or things. This will help us connect ideas and remember them.

Step 3: Have students reread Stopping a Toppling Tower (PDF).

Step 4: Ask students to identify what type text structure this selection is ( problem and solution ). Ask them, “How does the reader know?” They should be able to identify that the first paragraph states that there is a “problem.” The second paragraph states that engineers have found a “solution.” What headings offered clues?

  • Subjects:
    Main Idea and Details, Content Area Reading, Cause and Effect, Compare and Contrast, Drawing Conclusions and Making Inferences
  • Skills:
    Cause and Effect, Compare and Contrast, Main Idea and Details, Problem and Solution, Diagrams
  • Duration:
    1 Day
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