Text Organization

Text Organization Reading Comprehension Strategy

Comparison Description: Two or more events, concepts, objects or places are compared, showing how they are alike and/or different Signal Words: but, however, in contrast, different from, unlike, similarly, the same, alike

“Cold Vs. Flu” The flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses but they are caused by different viruses. Because these two types of illnesses have similar flu-like symptoms, it can be difficult to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. In general, the flu is worse than the common cold, and symptoms such as fever, body aches, extreme tiredness, and dry cough are more common and intense. Colds are usually milder than the flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. Colds generally do not result in serious health problems, such as pneumonia, bacterial infections, or hospitalizations.

Comparison: “Cold Vs. Flu” Cold Flu *respira-tory illness *caused by virus

Sequence Description: Items or events are listed in numerical or chronological order. Signal Words: first, second, later, next, then, finally, after when; may include dates

“About Jeff Kinney” Jeff Kinney was born in Maryland and attended the University of Maryland in the early 1990s. It was there that Jeff ran a comic strip in the school newspaper and decided to become a cartoonist. He was not successful, however. Then, he began publishing installments of Diary of a Wimpy Kid on Funbrain.com. In 2006, he signed a book deal for his Wimpy Kid ideas. Soon, his book was a New York Times bestseller. He followed up this success with several more Wimpy Kid books. In 2009, Kinney’s books were made into a movie. Finally, Kinney realized that his early failures were what helped him become successful. Just think, if Kinney had not persevered, we’d never know the comic adventures of Greg Heffley!

Sequence: “About Jeff Kinney”

Cause & Effect Description: The causes of an event and its resulting effect(s) are presented. Signal Words: if, then, as a result, therefore, consequently, since, because, thus, this led to, hence

“Benefits of Playing Sports” Playing a sport is much more than the sole act of pushing your body through exhaustion or using your skills to reach your goal. There are many other physical and social benefits to becoming involved in a sport. To begin with, if you participate in sports, then your muscular mass, stamina, lung capacity, and elasticity will all increase. Further, most sports test a person’s ability to handle tense situations. Thus, an athlete will develop strong character, a competitive spirit, and personal responsibility. Finally, playing sports enriches a person’s life with a variety of new people, including teammates, other competitors, and coaches. Hence, an athlete is likely to make many new friends as a result of playing a sport. As you can see, sports can change one’s life for the better!

Cause & Effect: “Benefits of Playing Sports” EFFECT CAUSE EFFECT Playing a Sport EFFECT

Description Description: A topic is described by listing characteristics, details, features, attributes, and examples. Signal Words: for example, for instance, such as, also, including, in particular, is like

“My Guitar” My most valuable possession is an old, slightly warped blond guitar--the first instrument I taught myself how to play. It's nothing fancy, just a Madeira folk guitar, all scuffed and scratched and finger-printed. At the top is a bramble of copper-wound strings, each one hooked through the eye of a silver tuning key. The strings are stretched down a long, slim neck, its frets tarnished, the wood worn by years of fingers pressing chords and picking notes. The body of the Madeira is shaped like an enormous yellow pear, one that was slightly damaged in shipping. The blond wood has been chipped and gouged to gray, particularly where the pick guard fell off years ago. No, it's not a beautiful instrument, but it still lets me make music, and for that I will always treasure it.

Description: “My Guitar”

You decide!!! An earthquake can cause a lot of damage and sometimes deaths. An earthquake is shaking ground caused by breaking and sliding rocks. The closer you are to these rocks, the more damage you will see. Many people die because buildings are shaken apart and fall on them. Earthquakes also can cause large waves in the oceans and lakes. They also can cause landslides and mud volcanoes. These resulting events can lead to floods, fires, and disease.

Which one???? • Description • Comparison • Cause and Effect • Sequence • Problem and Solution

You decide!!! One problem with the modern Olympics is that it has become very big and expensive to operate. The city or country that hosts the games often loses a lot of money. A stadium, pools, and playing fields must be built for the athletic events and housing is needed for the athletes who come from around the world. And all of these facilities are used for only 2 weeks! In 1984, Los Angeles solved these problems by charging a fee for companies who wanted to be official sponsors of the games. Companies like McDonald's paid a lot of money to be part of the Olympics. Many buildings that were already built in the Los Angeles area were also used. The Coliseum where the 1932 games were held was used again and many colleges and universities in the area became playing and living sites.

Which one???? • Description • Comparison • Cause and Effect • Sequence • Problem and Solution

You decide!!! A butterfly makes a lot of changes in its life. First, a male and a female mate. Next the female lays eggs. Then the eggs hatch into little caterpillars. After shedding its skin several times, the caterpillar forms a chrysalis.

Which one???? • Description • Comparison • Cause and Effect • Problem and Solution • Sequence

You decide!!! A pencil and a pen are alike in most ways. They both are long and thin. Both are writing tools to use on paper. Both writing tools cost very little. Pencil marks can be erased because they are made with graphite. Most pen marks cannot be erased, because they are made with ink.

Which one???? • Description • Comparison • Cause and Effect • Problem and Solution • Sequence

Text Organization