Methods of Organization

Analyze ways authors organize and present ideas

Making Information Clear

Authors choose structure to organize information and make their meaning clear.

Readers use strategies to support interpretation of text.

Writing ClarityAuthors use organization to develop their

point of viewThey use different approaches to

support their purposesThey pick an organization format that will

help make their ideas clear to the reader

Readers ask…

Can I see a pattern to the argument?

How are the ideas divided and presented?

  Why has the author chosen this particular organization pattern?

Organizational Patterns

ChronologicalCause and EffectComparison and

ContrastMain Idea and

Supporting Details

Chronological

Story or information is told in the order that the events occurred

Sari’s Education

1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade

Chronological Example (1)

First, Goldilocks sat in the great big, Papa Bear chair, but it was too hard.

Then, she sat in the medium sized, Mama Bear chair, but it was too soft.

Finally, she sat in the little, bitty, Baby Chair, and it was just right.

Chronological Example (2)

When the Anglo-Saxons conquered the British Isles they introduced their language which was composed of common everyday words like boat and tree.

Later, the Normans added French words like café.

Cause and Effect

The author establishes a link between the way things are now and how they got that way.

CAUSEEFFECT

Order doesn’t matter

Sometimes the cause will be presented first…

…then the effect will follow

CAUSEEFFECT

Cause/Effect Example (1)

Cause: During the experiment, Henry poured the liquid bromine into the saline solution.

Effect: His hypothesis was proved correct when the solution changed colors.

Order still doesn’t matter

Sometimes the issues are presented with the effects sited first…

…then the causes are offered as explanation

CAUSEEFFECT

Cause/Effect Example (2)Effect: The future of gorillas in the wild

is at risk. Scientists predict that at the present rate of decline, in 30 years all the world’s wild gorillas will be gone.

Cause: Gorilla meat is a dietary staple for nearly 12 million people in Africa.

Comparison and Contrast

One idea is presented first, followed by a similar or different way of seeing things.

OrangesApples

Compare/Contrast Example (1)

Seurat painted scenes of everyday life full of realistic people and objects with soft edges and lines. He wanted his art to capture “feelings” of the moment.

Picasso, on the other hand, used distorted images and strange colors to create mood.

Compare/Contrast Example (2)

Saturn is the second largest planet in the solar system, much larger than Earth. It is mostly made of hydrogen. It rotates more quickly too. A day on Saturn is only about 10 Earth hours long. But it takes about 30 of our years to make one full trip around the sun.

Main Idea and Supporting Idea

Major ideas are presented and supported with evidence or details.

Main Idea

Supporting Idea

Supporting Idea

Supporting Idea

Main Idea Example (1)

Native American tribes lived in a variety of different dwellings. The Plains Indians used tepees that were easy to put up and take down. The Iroquois built longhouses, which were large rectangular homes. The Navajo constructed earth-covered dwellings called hogans.

Main Idea Example (2)

Out on the sidewalk I could hear Ted and his brother arguing. Then the neighbor’s dog started barking because of the loud hammering across the street. It was not a peaceful day.

Question Examples

Key WordsThis story is organized by—comparing a family’s life in an apartment with its life in a housedescribing a series of events that fulfills a family dreamdiscussing what each member of a family thinks about building a homeproviding examples of how people lived in 1925

Which of the following best describes the organization of the passage?Presenting the steps of amber and pearl formation in the order in which they occurComparing the formation of amber to the formation of pearlsDescribing features of amber and pearls that determine their worthPresenting basic information first about amber and then about pearls

Chronology Key Words

First Next Then After Before Sequential dates Events Order

Cause and Effect Key Words

Problem/Solutions Questions/Answers Why Because Reasons

Compare/Contrast Key Words

Differ Same Alike Compare But Both Similar

Main Idea Key Words

Overview Mostly about Details

REVIEWWhat are the 4 organizational

patterns?Why do author’s use different

types of organization?What clues will help you

determine the pattern?

Remember…

ChronologicalCause/EffectComparison/ContrastMain/Supporting Idea