Students are going to study how authors employ text structures to communicate meaning in this lesson. At the end of the lesson, they are able to:
- Analyze the structure of nonfiction text and explain how ideas develop.
- Give an oral presentation to show that you understand the nonfiction text structures.
- Elucidate the connection between the author's goal and the text's structure.

- How can readers decide which information from what they hear, read, and see to believe?
- How do literary and informational texts become meaningful to strategic readers?

- Author’s Purpose: The author’s intent is to inform or teach someone about something, to entertain people, or to persuade or convince the audience to do or not do something. 
- Informational Text: It is nonfiction, written primarily to convey factual information. Informational texts comprise the majority of printed material adults read (e.g., textbooks, newspapers, reports, directions, brochures, technical manuals, etc.). 
- Text Structure: The author’s method of organizing a text. 
- Cause/Effect: Causes stem from actions and events, and effects are what happens as a result of the action or event. 
- Compare/Contrast: Placing together characters, situations, or ideas to show common or differing features in literary selections. 
- Problem/Solution: An organizational structure in nonfiction texts, where the author typically presents a problem and possible solutions to it. 
- Sequence: The order in which events take place.

You need at least one example of each nonfiction text structure at the reading level of your students. The following examples have been chosen because they have the distinct traits of each text structure. Teachers may substitute other books or materials to provide a range of reading and level of text complexity.
- Question/Answer:
+ “Q&A: Daniel Radcliffe” http://www.timeforkids.com/news/qa-daniel-radcliffe/10721
+ “Interview with Reza: Photographer” http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Stories/PeoplePlaces/Interview-with-reza
+ “Role Models for Careers” http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/pagegen/galleryachieve.html
+ Belinda Weber. (2008). I Wonder Why Caterpillars Eat So Much: And Other Questions About Life Cycles. Kingfisher.
+ Scholastic Question and Answer Series (various science titles)
+ Bill Nye. (2000). Bill Nye the Science Guy’s Consider the Following: A Way Cool Set of Science Questions, Answers, and Ideas to Ponder. Hyperion Books for Children.
+ Catherine Ripley. (2004). Why? The Best Ever Question and Answer Book About Nature, Science, and the World Around You. Maple Tree Press.
+ Barbara Taylor. (2003). I Wonder Why Zippers Have Teeth: And Other Questions About Inventions. Kingfisher.
- Problem/Solution:
+ Lynne Cherry. (2002). A River Ran Wild: An Environmental History. Sandpiper.
+ Mordicai Gerstein. (2003). Sparrow Jack. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Sequence:
+ “How to Grow Salt Crystals” available at http://www.ehow.com/how_3864_grow-salt-crystals.html
+ Jean Potter. (1995). Science in Seconds for Kids: Over 100 Experiments You Can Do in Ten Minutes or Less. Jossey-Bass.
+ Janice VanCleave. (1991). Janice VanCleave’s Earth Science for Every Kid: 101 Easy Experiments That Really Work. Wiley.
+ Renée Skelton. (2005). Harriet Tubman: A Woman of Courage. HarperCollins.
+ recipes
- Cause/ Effect:
+ “Pollution at the Ends of the Earth”: https://www.snexplores.org/article/pollution-ends-earth
+ “Watching Out for Vultures”: https://www.snexplores.org/article/watching-out-vultures
+ “Watering the Air”: https://www.snexplores.org/article/watering-air
+ Seymour Simon. (2004). Danger! Volcanoes. Chronicle Books.
- Comparison:
+ “New Waves for Safe Flying”: https://www.snexplores.org/article/new-waves-safe-flying
+ “Ready, Unplug, Drive”: https://www.snexplores.org/article/ready-unplug-drive
+ Susan Goldman Rubin. (2001). The Yellow House: Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin Side by Side. Harry N. Abrams.
+ Rosalyn Schanzer. (2007). George vs. George: The American Revolution as Seen from Both Sides. National Geographic Children’s Books.
- Other Materials:
+ copies of Nonfiction Text Structures Information Page (L-6-4-1_Nonfiction Text Structures Information Page)
+ markers
+ sticky notes

- This lesson aims to deepen students' comprehension of nonfiction text structures and how they aid in the reader's comprehension of the material. 
- Monitor the students as they converse with their partners. Assess pupils' proficiency in the following areas:
+ Determine the nonfiction text's text structure and examine its evolution.
+ Describe the ways that a nonfiction text's structure affects its meaning.
+ Describe how the author's goals are served by the text's structure.

Explicit instruction, active engagement, and scaffolding
W: Go over the qualities of nonfiction writing. Give each student a single text structure to study and practice analyzing.
H: Assign students to teach one another about the different text structures and how the author employs them to make their points clear to the reader. 
E: Assist students in determining which text structures they comprehend and which ones they need to review. 
R: Give students the chance to share what they've learned with a partner before presenting it to the class as a whole. Invite students to talk about their findings. 
E: Allow students to show what they have learned by observing them to gauge their comprehension and growth of nonfiction text structures. 
T: Assemble students into flexible groups according to their instructional reading levels. Include extension activities for all levels by recommending both more challenging and practice-level materials to push students' thinking to new levels. 
O: This lesson's learning exercises include large-group instruction and discussion, small-group inquiry, partner work, and individual application of the material. 

Focus Questions: How do authors of nonfiction use text structure to express meaning? What role does text structure play in readers' comprehension of the author's intent?

Make sure you have one example of each text structure when you prepare the lesson. Divide the students into five groups. Give a text structure and a passage to read to each group. Don't let the students know what kind of text structure they will be reading about.

Display the recreated Nonfiction Text Structures Information Page (L-6-4-1_Nonfiction Text Structures Information Page) to the students on the interactive whiteboard, board, or chart paper. Discuss the qualities of each of the five text structures after reading them aloud. Inform the class that they will read a passage of nonfiction and respond to the following questions:

Which textual structures does the passage use?
Which textual cues—such as keywords or sentences, the order of ideas, or textual features—indicate the text's organization?
How does the text structure assist the reader in understanding the author's purpose?
Give a passage and the Nonfiction Text Structures Information Page to every student. Have students discuss with other group members what text structure was used in their passage, what clues they found to indicate the text structure, and how the text structure helps them understand the author's purpose after they have completed reading the passage and filling out the information page. To encourage conversation in the groups, move around the room. Assist students in comprehending how the use of text features, repetition of important words or ideas, and transition words and sentences support text structure.

To create five new groups with at least one student who is an "expert" on each text structure, have one member of each group move into a new group. Ask each expert to present a passage and the text structure, pointing out to the group any evidence that supports the structure. While the student is presenting, the other students in the group should be taking notes on their information page. The information page for each student should then be completed with details about each text structure.

As a class, complete the information page on the interactive whiteboard, chart paper, or board. Advise students to check that the data on their individual information page is accurate. Give them a chance to adjust at this time. 

Extension:

Give students a brief passage with a clear text structure from their science or social studies textbook to read to gauge their understanding of the material. Let them read the passage for a while, then have them write the text's structure and the reason behind it on a sticky note. Ask pupils to turn in their sticky notes. Identify whether students were successful in determining the text's structure and purpose. If necessary, give further instructions.
Ask students to select a research topic. Once they have decided on the best text structure to use, ask them to present the information. Ask them to justify their selection of that particular text structure. It might be necessary to give the students a list of subjects that complement the text structures they have been studying.
Give students copies of last year's assignments to review for text structure (without names on them).