Organizational patterns within the actual text

1. Internal Text Structures Organizational patterns within the actual text

2. Chronological or Sequential A series of events that involve time order Signal Words To begin with Eventually Before Then First After Next Finally Following Last

3. Event 3 Event 1 Event 5 Event 2 Event 4 Event 1 Event 2 Event 3 Event 4

4. It all began with the dog barking. Monty never barks at night, so when I heard his yelps coming from downstairs, I knew something had to be wrong. Terrified that a robber might be waiting for me outside, I ran into the spare bedroom and, as quietly and quickly as I could, grabbed the baseball bat from the cluttered closet. Then, realizing I couldn’t really see anything, stumbled back into my room and grabbed my glasses from my night stand. At this point it was decision time: confront whatever was making the noise on my own or wake up Mr. Weis. The latter option won, and after stirring him from his slumber, he and I crept down the stairs, baseball bat and cell phone (just in case we needed to call 911) in hand. Following Monty’s barks, we inched down the stairs to the living room door. “Ready?” Mr. Weis asked. I nodded , quickly flipped on the light switch, and bravely spun towards my husband who was standing before the intruder at the back door. “Back to bed,” he growled as he picked Monty up. “It was just a cat.”

5. Process Begins with After First Next In order to Once you have A series of steps that explain how something is done or created; Results in a product Signal Words

6. It is really easy to make Mrs. Weis happy. First, call up your friendly LCPS snow-delay decider and convince her to delay school for two hours. Then, make sure all of your classmates have completed their homework. After you come into class, make sure you follow all of the directions, including writing down your assignments. Next, when Mrs. Weis asks a question, be sure to raise your hand to offer an answer. Finally, ask really great questions on your own and be sure to tell her how much you love text structures! Once you have done all of this, Mrs. Weis will be happy!

7. ChronologicalorProcess? • An explanation of how to change a car tire • A series of journal entries about your summer trip to Thailand • A description of your terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day • Google Map directions for getting to a friend’s house • A children’s book about how to brush your teeth

8. Teacher asks a question/names a topic, sets a time limit, and provides think time. • When the teacher says “Go!” and sets the timer, each student takes a slip of paper from the center of the table and writes his or her thought on it. He or she says the thought out loud while writing. • Students repeat this process (one thought per slip of paper) until time is up. They attempt to cover the table with their thoughts. • Students read each thought and initial those that they agree with or can explain. Name examples of topics that would be organized in chronological/sequential order Name examples of topics that would be organized using process Jot Thoughts

9. Listing/Enumeration There are many For instance For example In addition Further more Additionally Also Series of specific points or examples about a topic Signal Words

10. Why English is so great I love to write! Reading rocks! Learning about text structures is informative, thought-provoking, and fun! Practicing parts of speech is the highlight of my day! Mrs. Weis is the coolest teacher ever!

11. There are many great reasons to learn to sew. First, sewing is a skill that you will have throughout your entire life. Additionally, it is a practical skill to have and is one that is applicable to real-world problems. Sewing also is a great way to save money. For example, if you know how to sew, you can alter your own clothes and avoid paying enormous fees just to get your pants fitted to your size. All seventh graders should thank their FACS teacher for sharing such an important skill with them!

12. Compare & Contrast Compared to Yet Same as Similar to Is different than Compared with Either … or Opposed to Than Showing similarities and differences between two+ things Signal Words

14. We had hot summers in eastern Nebraska where I was born. Often the temperature rose to well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, with high humidity to match. Our clothes would become so damp from a walk or bike ride that we’d have to change twice a day just to keep ourselves from sticking to the furniture. We never could get enough of the pool! Now we live in Arizona where summer temperatures are even hotter, yet we seldom complain. Perhaps that’s because more buildings are air-conditioned, or it may be the lack of humidity. Arizona has a far drier climate than Nebraska, winter or summer.

15. Listing orCompare & Contrast • An editorial analyzing which of two films should win an award • A campaign speech sharing reasons why you should vote for a certain candidate • A travel book with suggestions for what to do in Florida • A sign with Wegman’s prices and Safeway’s prices • A document containing SOL scores for Blue Ridge and Harmony Middle Schools

16. Practice! Each person will now write a paragraph using one of the four internal text structures we just learned. Using RoundRobin, each person needs to pick a card from the cup on your desk. The person who lost his or her first tooth earliest goes first. 1 – Chronological / Sequential 2 – Process 3 – Listing 4 – Compare and Contrast

17. Cause & Effect The reason something happens and the results of it happening As a result of… Since… Due to the fact that … So… Because of… Therefore… In order to… For this reason… If … then… Signal Words

18. cause effect

19. Pediatricians across the country are concerned about the rise in neck injuries among middle school boys. Waiting rooms are packed with young boys complaining of severe neck pain. What’s the diagnosis? Whiplash. As a result of “Bieber Fever,” boys have mimicked the haircut that helped launch the pop star into fame. One of the trademarks of the “Bieber do” is a sharp, twitch-like, whipping of the head. Boys do this in order to move the long fringy bangs out of their eyes. This sudden movement causes whiplash, a painful neck injury, often times resulting in months of physical therapy. Because of the dramatic increase in the reports of whiplash, Justin Bieber made a bold move. On Wednesday afternoon, the performer debuted a new short haircut on Ellen. Not only are doctors happy with the news, but mothers are too. Gone are the days of sharing their hair products and blow dryers with their sons!

20. Concept/Definition Define a concept by providing appropriate supporting details Refers to Thus Is thought to be (Concept) is (Definition) *Synonyms may also be given Signal Words

21. = = =

22. Internal text structures refer to methods of organizing text to ease comprehension. Thus, internal text structures are writing tools that help people better understand what they read. They are also known as “organizational strategies” and “organizational tools.”

23. Generalization Statements that support one side of an issue Always In fact Typically Usually *Also referred to as “Blanket Statements” Signal Words

24. Whenever the economy is in a slump, people typically tend to cut back on unnecessary spending. For example, people usually decide not to go on extravagant vacations, and they always buy fewer presents for holidays. In fact, when times are tough, it seems like all you hear about is how sales are down.