Today we will identify ways
in which nonfiction texts are organized
in order to select
Reading for Information –
Organizational Structure
When reading nonfiction, you will notice that informational text can be organized in different ways, based on the type of information and the purpose of the text. The way that information is organized is called the “organizational structure” of the text. The most common organizational structures authors use are:
- Description
- Chronological Order
- Cause and Effect
- Comparison
- Problem/Solution
Description
- the writer describes a person (who he/she is), a place (where it is), or an item/thing (what it is)
- Signal Words: none (identifiable through the topic sentence)
Chronological Order
- the writer tells specific events in the order in which they occurred
- Signal Words: first, second, next, finally
Cause and Effect
- the writer presents ideas that state or imply reasons (causes) and results (effects)
- Signal Words: cause, effect, as a result of, therefore, because, so
Comparison
- the writer explains/shows how two or more things are alike, different, or both
- Signal Words: similar, same as, alike, different, in contrast, on the other hand, however
Problem/Solution
- the writer presents and describes the problem, its causes, and the solutions
- Signal Words: problem, solution, dilemma, puzzle, solved
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Read the following selections. With your group, decide which organizational structure was used by each author:
Excerpts of Texts
Example: For hundreds of years, the Native Americans of the Great Plains hunted buffalo. They ate buffalo meat and made clothes and homes out of buffalo hides. The Native Americans needed these animals in order to live as hunters on the plains. In the late 1800s, settlers from Europe wanted to farm the plains. As a result, they destroyed the huge buffalo herds. As buffalo vanished, the way of life of the Plains people disappeared also. The Native Americans had to adapt if they were to survive.
Example: Have you every tried to pry open a can of paint with a short stick? If so, you know that it is rather difficult to do. But what if you use a longer stick or even a screwdriver? The task becomes much easier. What this example illustrates is that where you push or pull on a lever is just as important as the amount of force you apply to it. Less effort/force can move the same load if that force is applied farther away from the fulcrum.
Example: Over the years, Jane found many similarities between chimps and humans. She noted that they used the same facial expressions and gestures as we do and they mean the same things! They hug, kiss, laugh, and play. They tickle each other, pat each other on the back, and hold hands. When they become angry, they sometimes scream and throw things. Most are nice, but some are nasty, just like people. They live in communities. Like us, chimps feel special closeness toward their own family. Chimps think, communicate, remember, and have feelings.
Example: Jane discovered that the chimpanzee’s daily routine is much like ours, too. They awaken, eat a little something, and then groom each other. After they feel properly primped, they search for food. Then, they might take a nap. After they’ve rested, they may play for awhile. At the end of the day, they snuggle up in a comfortable nest and go to sleep.
Example: The eyes of the crowd are fixed on the sleek, dazzling skier as he sweeps down the ski-jump track at 100 kilometers per hour. Reaching the bottom of the track, he leaps into the air. The icy wind lashes at his face. Even with goggles on, he is blinded by the glare of the snow on the mountainside below—far below.
Questions:
What kind of graphic organizer would be best for each organizational structure?
How can understanding organizational structure help US as writers?
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