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UNDERSTANDING TEXT STRUCTURES - Coggle Diagram
UNDERSTANDING TEXT STRUCTURES
how text parts function to create a whole—is a key concept when analyzing texts.
when thinking about how a piece of writing works or why a writer organized material in a particular way.
Text Structures as Idea Chunking
authors often use headings to help readers recognize different content chunks.
the writer of a text might begin by presenting several paragraphs of historical background for an existing situation
then summarize a number of earlier interpretations and judgments of that background
present his or her own claim and the evidence supporting that claim.
might contain multiple paragraphs—even pages—devoted to the same related topic.
Text Structures as Organizational Patterns
Help students recognize three main organizational patterns they will encounter in their reading
writers use multiple organizational patterns in an extended text as they lay out a series of ideas for readers.
Spatial Organization
structural strategy of description
to transfer a verbal description to a visual mental image
Chronological Organization
organizational structure of narration
use time, presenting the beginning, middle, and end of an event
Logical Organization
structures of analysis: process, enumeration, classification, part- to-whole, problem and solution, comparison and contrast, cause and effect, and definition
• Process structures
to explain how to do something
first, then, next, and finally can help readers recognize process structures.
• Enumeration
listing.
the items in the list are all at the same level of importance. Bullet points or numbers
• Classification
structure that groups similar items based on specific features
A text might classify items within a large group in order to focus on a more limited selection
depend on the level of detail needed to present information or make a point.
• Part-to-whole
used to present an analysis of a complex entity by examining each of its salient parts in turn and considering how they work together.
analysis of a poem might include a discussion of the poet’s use of form, figurative language, rhythm, rhyme, and theme.
• Problem and solution
where the writer begins with an analysis of a problem, recommends a solution, and then sets out the arguments and evidence in favor of the recommended solution over other possibilities
• Compare and contrast
present two items or ideas in a way that allows readers to make logical judgments about each and perhaps choose one over the other
Venn diagrams provide useful organizers for students analyzing texts that compare or contrast one item or idea to another.
• Cause and effect
rarely present a single cause leading to a single effect or event.
causal relationships can occur between events that are geographically or chronologically quite separate.
• Definition
requires two separate but linked logical structures: classification followed by differentiation
the items, events, or ideas under consideration must be classified into a group of similar items, events, or ideas
the particular item, event, or idea must be presented in a way that differentiates it from all similar items, events, or ideas
often used to explore the nuances between or among related ideas such as “bravery” and “recklessness” or “band,” “tribe,” and “chiefdom.”
Text Structures as Architectural Shape
One way to begin a consideration of structure—even before beginning to read—is to look at the physical shape of a text