Text Structures Unit Planning Guide
Unit Title: Text Structures
Goal: Readers compare how different text structures
contribute to meaning and impact the reader.
Focused Subject Areas: ELA
Grade: 5
Created By:
Nicole Gardin and Amy Hughes
Enduring Understandings:
The understanding of text structures and their uses aids
in reading comprehension.
Essential Questions:
How do various text structures aid in comprehension?
Duration:
21 days
Stage 1
What do we want students know?
*I can analyze how the story elements develop and interact within text.
*I can demonstrate an understanding of the importance of story elements.
*I can apply a knowledge of text features in various text structures for fiction and nonfiction.
Factual Knowledge
Students will know:
• Text structures are
found in both fiction
and nonfiction.
• Different text
structures help you
comprehend texts.
• Readers use more
than one text
structure at a time.
Procedural Knowledge
Students will be able to:
7.2 Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes, topics, and patterns of events depicted in diverse modalities. 8.1 Cite evidence within text to: a. analyze two or more characters, events, or settings in a text and explain the impact on the plot; and, b. explain the influence of cultural,
historical, social and political context on
characters, setting, and plot development.
Identify problem and solution
12.1 Explain how text structures in prose, drama, or poetry differ using terms unique to the genre. 12.2 Compare how different crafted text structures contribute to meaning and impact the reader 10.1 Use cause and effect relationships and comparisons to determine the meaning of words or phrases. 11.1 Apply knowledge of text structures across multiple texts to locate information and gain meaning.
Conceptual Knowledge
Students will understand:
• How setting influences the problem of
the story.
• Use graphic organizers to analyze
cause and effect relationships.
11.1 Explain how the author’s choice of the point of view of a narrator or character impacts content, meaning, and how events are described. 2.1 Analyze ideas, perspectives and information using examples and supporting evidence related to the topic.
Stage 2
How will we know that students understand what has been taught and what should they be able to do?
*Daily Assessments
*Create Common Assessments
*Determine expectations and levels of proficiency
Projects, Research, etc.
Unit Pre-Assessment:
• Computer generated game on text structures
as a pre-assessment of student knowledge
Other Evidence/Assessments:
• Assessments noted throughout the lessons
Extensions:
Students create their own books utilizing one of the
studied text structures.
Differentiation Considerations:
Various levels of text
Interest of students
Student’s choice
Integration of core subject matter
Stage 3
What daily instructional strategies, activities, and resources will be used to facilitate student learning?
*Instructional Strategies *Literature/Multimedia Resources *Materials *Professional Resources *Field Studies/Speakers
Strategies
I see, I think, I wonder,
Graphic Organizers
Story Maps
Use of novel excerpts
Stage 4
Daily Lesson Plans
Will be reflected weekly
Day 1: Standards: SCCCRS RL 8.1, 12.2, 12.1 Vocabulary: Character Setting Problem Solution Plot Event
Day 2: Standards: SCCCRS RL 8.1, 12.1, 12.2 Vocabulary:
Day 3: Standards: SCCCRS RL 8.1 Vocabulary:
Day 4: Standards: SCCCRS RL 8.1 Vocabulary: Rising Action Climax Falling Action Resolution
Day 5: Standards: SCCCRS RL 8.1
Lesson:
• Introduce story elements using an anchor chart.
• Choose a read aloud to help introduce story elements.
• Suggestions: Enemy Pie, The Other Side, The Sweetest Fig, Thundercake, Verdi
• Introduce vocabulary
• Create a story map using your chosen read- aloud and story elements.
Figure 1 Story Map Day 1
Lesson: • Review the story
elements chart. • Complete another
read aloud (refer to yesterday’s suggestions) and story map. Possibly turn story map into a poster sized anchor chart.
• Have students complete a story map on their own during independent reading.
Figure 2 Vertical Story Map Day 2
Lesson:
• Review plot from the story elements chart.
• Discuss what plot is more in depth.
• Use the plot diagram. Make sure every child has a copy in his/her journal.
Figure 3 Plot Diagram Day 3
• Read aloud the
book Henry’s Freedom Box, Enemy Pie, or Verdi and complete a Plot Diagram.
Figure 4 Blank Plot Diagram Day 3
Lesson:
• Review plot from yesterday.
• Introduce the more complex vocabulary terms that accompany plot.
• Read ThundercakeProbuditi, or The Sweetest Fig and complete Plot Mountain together. Figure 5 Blank Plot Mountain Day 4
Lesson: • Review plot from
yesterday. • Go over the
diagram we created together.
• Give students a short fictional passage to read.
• They will read and annotate this passage as they complete another plot diagram independently.
• This will be counted as an Assessment.
• Choose one of the provided plot diagrams or one that you have found.
Day 6: Standards: SCCCRS RL 8.1, RI 11.1 Vocabulary: problem solution conflict resolution
Day 7: Standards: SCCCRSRL 8.1, RI 11.1 Vocabulary:
Day 8: Standards: SCCCRS RL 8.1 Vocabulary:
Day 9: Standards: SCCCRS RL 8.1 Vocabulary:
Day 10: Standards: SCCCRS RL 8.1, RI 11.1, RL 12.2, 12.1 Vocabulary:
Lesson: • Introduce problem
and solution. • Make sure to
discuss conflict (problem) and resolution (solution) as well.
Lesson: • Review problem
and solution • Use several
passages (on varying levels) to assist students in identifying
Lesson:
• Review setting from the early chart on story elements.
• Make sure students understand that
Lesson: • Review
Setting from yesterday. Reinforce the concept that setting is TIME and PLACE.
Lesson: • Use this day to
review/reteach the story elements taught so far.
• Use a variety of short passages, fiction and nonfiction, for
• Choose a read aloud and identify problem and solution together.
• Suggestions: Miracle Mud, When the Wolves Returned: Restoring Nature’s Balance in Yellowstone, Where Does the Garbage Go, Jamaica’s Find, Dog Breath, and Something Beautiful.
problem and solution.
• These can be found on newsELA.com, readworks.org, and other online platforms.
• Students will identify Problem and Solution on their own.
• Come together and check.
Figure 6 Problem and Solution Chart Day 7
setting is TIME and PLACE.
• Use excerpts from well-known novels to discuss how the setting impacts the plot.
• Discuss how the plot would have changed had the setting changed.
• Choose a read-aloud where the change of the time or place would totally change the story. As you read, have students filling out and responding to a graphic organizer on setting.
• Some read-aloud suggestions are: Owl Moon, Nettie’s Trip South, Thundercake
Pink and Say, The Wall, The Name Jar, The Other Side
Figure 7 Setting Chart Day 9
students to read and identify the text structure/story element contained within.
Day 11: Standards: SCCCRS RL 8.1, RI 11.1, RL 12.2, 12.1 Vocabulary:
Day 12: Standards: SCCCRS RL 7.1, 7.2, RL 8.1, 8.2, RL 10.1, 11.1, RL 12.1, 12.2 Vocabulary: Cause / Effect Problem and Solution in nonfiction Compare and contrast Sequencing Description
Day 13: Standard: SCCCRS RL 10.1 Vocabulary:
Day 14: Standard: SCCCRS RI 11.1 Vocabulary:
Day 15: Standard: SCCCRS RI 11.1 Vocabulary:
Lesson: Assessment Use this day to assess the skills taught thus far.
Lesson: Text Structures of Informational Text Introduce these text structures using an anchor chart. • Introduce
vocabulary. • Text Structure
video from Flocabulary
• https://www.flocabulary.com/unit/text-structure/ • Explain that writers use certain text structures to organize information in informational text.
Lesson: • Introduce cause and effect; how something makes something else happen (how something occurred because of something else)
• Begin a chart of text structure signal words
Figure 8 Cause and Effect Signal Words Day 13 • Also, from a nonfiction article-create cause and effect paper chains.
Lesson: • Introduce
problem/solution innonfiction text; has events that lead to a problem being solved in the end.
• Use nonfiction articles (pertaining to science and SS) to help determine problemand solution
• Add signal words to the chart for problem/solution
Figure 9 Problem/Solution
Lesson: • Choose a book to
read and share with your students.
• Have them complete a graphic organizer as you read or give them a printed section of the book to use after you finish reading.
• They can complete the organizer independently or in small groups.
• Once finished, come back together to share.
• Create a “noticings” chart from a nonfiction passage. Have students identify the structure they believe it to be. • Suggestions: Use a read aloud from a current unit of study that correlates with Science or Social Studies.
Teacher resource: Informational Text Structures Resources
Read aloud suggestions: Milk: From Cow to Carton, What Happens to a Hamburger, Flash, Crash, Rumble, and Roll, Oil Spill, and Aliens from Earth: When Animals and Plants Invade Other Ecosystems
Signal Words Day 14 Figure 10 Problem/Solution Signal Words 2 Day 14
Day 16: Standard: SCCCRS RL 7.2 Vocabulary: Compare Contrast Similarities Differences
Day 17: Standard: SCCCRS RL 7.2 Vocabulary:
Day 18: Standard: SCCCRS C 2.1 Vocabulary: Sequence Steps Chronological order
Day 19: Standard: SCCCRS C 2.1 Vocabulary:
Day 20: Standard: SCCCRS RL 11.1 Vocabulary: description
Lesson: • Introduce compare
and contrast; it compares similarities and differences
• Add signal words to the chart for compare/contrast
• Complete a graphic organizer for comparing and contrasting together.
Figure 11 Compare/Contrast Signal Words Day 16 Book Suggestions: Cats Vs. Dogs, The Pain and the Great One, any Cinderella variant, any fractured fairy tale, Tops and Bottoms, Jumanji and Zathura, any version of the Night Before Christmas
Lesson:
• Choose another book to read and share with your students that is good for comparing and contrasting.
• Have them complete a graphic organizer as you read or give them a printed section of the book to use after you finish reading.
• They can complete the organizer independently or in small groups.
• Once finished, come back together to share.
Figure 12 Venn Diagram Day 17
Lesson: • Introduce sequencing; events written in a specific time order or with steps
• Add signal words to the chart for sequencing
Figure 13 Sequence Signal Words Day 18 • Social Studies articles and read-alouds are good resources for sequencing
Book Suggestions: Anansi the Spider, Rosie Revere,
Engineer, Thundercake, A Chair for My Mother, Dog Breath, Looking at Glass Through the Ages, Trapped by the Ice, Tricky Vic
Lesson:
• Choose another book to read and share with your students that is good for sequencing.
• Have them complete a graphic organizer as you read or give them a printed section of the book to use after you finish reading.
• They can complete the organizer independently or in small groups.
• Once finished, come back together to share.
Figure 14 Sequence Chart Day 19
Lesson: • Introduce
description; has details that tell more about something, someone, or someplace Figure 16 Description Signal Words Day 20
• Distribute a passage, having students identify the topic, then using a bubble map, list attributes of the subject.
Figure 15 Bubble Map Day 20
Day 21: Standard: all those covered Vocabulary:
Lesson: • Assess students
on the various types of text structures taught.
• Distribute a copy of the text structure chart which includes the definition, signal words, graphic organizer, paragraph frame, and summary questions.
Figure 17 Text Structure Chart page 1 Day 21
Figure 18 Text Structure Chart page 2 Day 21
Assess the students possibly using sorting cards as an informal assessment and a teacher created formal assessment.
Stage 5
How many students met the learning target?
*Revisit the standards and reflect on instruction
*Analyze student work
*Discuss progress toward proficiency
*Discuss strengths, weakness, and misconceptions identified
*Determine reteach and extend
Scripted Lesson for Day 12
Concept: Introducing Text Structures
Teaching Point: Readers must understand how authors organize their information to improve their
comprehension.
Connection: Students should begin to note the connection between fiction and nonfiction text in how
the text is structured.
Teach:
“Today we will continue working on text structure, but we will focus on the structure of informational
text. Authors organize their information intentionally. They present their ideas in an organized pattern.
This is called text structure. Understanding text structure empowers readers. When you can identify a
specific structure, you know how to categorize all the details, and seeing relationships between all
these ideas improves your comprehension.”
• The teacher should have an anchor chart made with the text structures listed with a brief
description or signal words and graphic organizer. Figure 20 Informational Text T-chart
(scripted lesson) Discuss this chart with students.
• We can help students discern what structure a text is written in by noting key words.
Transitions act as road signs to help readers navigate a text; they signal to the reader how the
next detail or idea is related to the previous one.
• By highlighting the transition words in a passage before reading it, students begin associating
certain transitions with particular text structures.
• Teacher should explain all the text structures that are utilized in informational texts and how
they differ from fictional texts.
• Show students the “Text Structure” video from Flocabulary -
https://www.flocabulary.com/unit/text-structure/
• Teacher will choose a read aloud (ahead of time) for this lesson. The read aloud can be an
article that supports the science/social studies content area or an informational text. Read this
text aloud to the students.
“Today, as I read (title) aloud, I want you to pay special attention to the text structure of this piece.
When I finish, we are going to create a chart on things we notice about the text and try to determine
which text structure or structures were used.”
Active Engagement:
• After you finish the read aloud, create an anchor chart on “noticings” in the text. Have the
students share what they noticed about the text you read – it may have been some
cause/effect situation, a sequence of events, a specific description, some compare/contrast
they noticed – whatever the students noticed, put on the chart.
• Then have the students group the “noticings” into categories that could begin to point to certain
text structures.
Link:
Today as you are reading, I want to see you making notes as you try to determine the text structure of
the book you are reading. Remember our noticings chart. Make noticings yourself and see which
category they fit in. Use your Post-Its to flag certain sections of your book that you think really
highlight the text structure.
Share:
Restate what the objective during independent reading was. You should have noticed some students
using their flags and really identifying text structures as you were conferring with students. Ask those
students to share what they discovered and add to the anchor chart.
Explaining Vocabulary:
1. Sequencing / Chronological Structure--Use the train image with its sequenced beginning, middle, and
end to show a series of events that happen over time. If the sequence includes numerous steps, use this
longer train image. (This text structure could also be applied to literature specifically using the image of the
train climbing the mountain to symbolize the chronology of plot development.) Access all versions of the
matching Figure 19 Chronological Structure Plot Map. Fine-tune students' ability to retell the sequence of a
text. This will include retelling stories (literature) or processes (informational text) like explaining the life cycle of
a butterfly or the change in the seasons.
2. Main Idea/Categorical Structure--Use the vegetable tray image with its different sections or categories to
explain that enumeration is an organized collection of information. Each item is named and described, one by
one. This is the text structure for main idea/supporting details and descriptive writing. Access the matching
Figure 2020 Enumerative Structure Donut Map.
3. Compare-Contrast Structure--Use the railroad track image to compare the similarities and differences of
two topics, feature by feature. For more than two items being compared, flip the tracks horizontally. Access the
matching Compare/Contrast graphic vertical organizer and the matrix/horizontal version, too.
Using T-Charts, show students how to separate comparable information about each of the topics. Here's an
example completed after reading about two birds--eagles and owls. Show students how to sort information in
the text, grouping like ideas and clustering details about similar facets. Foldables are great for taking notes
while reading about the different facets of a big concept.
4. Cause-Effect Structure--Use Figure 21 Cause/Effect Domino Structure to demonstrate one or more
reasons why something happened. Figure 22 Cause/ Effect Chicken Feet Structure is perfect for one cause
with multiple effects. Using the concepts of before and after, teach students to identify the relationships of
cause(s) and effect(s).
5. Problem-Solution Structure--The concepts of problems and solutions are not foreign to students. They
have heard from an early age that they need to compromise and cooperate. Teach students to read for the
problem first, and then read for the solution(s).
Figure 20 Informational Text T-chart (scripted lesson)
Figure 1 Story Map Day 1
Figure 2 Vertical Story Map Day 2
Figure 3 Plot Diagram Day 3
Figure 4 Blank Plot Diagram Day 3
Figure 5 Blank Plot Mountain Day 4
Figure 6 Problem and Solution Chart Day 7
Figure 7 Setting Chart Day 9
Figure 8 Cause and Effect Signal Words Day 13
Figure 9 Problem/Solution Signal Words Day 14
Figure 10 Problem/Solution Signal Words 2 Day 14
Figure 11 Compare/Contrast Signal Words Day 16
Figure 12 Venn Diagram Day 17
Figure 13 Sequence Signal Words Day 18
Figure 14 Sequence Chart Day 19
Figure 15 Bubble Map Day 20
Figure 16 Description Signal Words Day 20
Figure 17 Text Structure Chart page 1 Day 21
Figure 18 Text Structure Chart page 2 Day 21
Figure 19 Chronological Structure Plot Map
Figure 2020 Enumerative Structure Donut Map
Figure 21 Cause/Effect Domino Structure
Figure 22 Cause/ Effect Chicken Feet Structure