Fifth Grade ELA CC Resources



Compare Text StructuresWriters use different organizational patterns to present information in a way that makes sense to the reader. This organizational pattern is often referred to as text structure. The topic, as well as the purpose for writing, helps the writer decide which pattern to use. Listed below are several common patterns for organizing writing. Click on each of the links to learn more about each pattern.Chronological Text StructureAuthors sometimes organize their writing in chronological order. Chronological order is the order in which things happen. It is also called time order.Signal words can help you identify the type of text structure being used. Common signal words used in texts using chronological text structure are:to beginbeforefirstcontinuethennextlaterfinalDates such as 1939 or March 7, 2010 and ages of people mentioned in the text are also helpful cues to determine the order of parison-and-Contrast Text StructureAuthors sometimes organize their writing by comparison and contrast. When you compare and contrast two or more people, places, events, or things, you find ways in which they are alike or different.Signal words can help you identify the type of text structure being used. Writing that uses comparison-and-contrast text structure often includes these common signal words:likebothalsoalthoughbutmorewhilehoweverCause-and-Effect Text StructureAuthors sometimes organize their writing by cause and effect. A cause is why something happens. To determine the cause, ask “Why did it happen?” An effect is what happens. To determine the effect, ask “What happened?”Signal words can help you identify the type of text structure being used. Writing that uses cause-and-effect text structure often includes these common signal words:becausesinceas a resultthusfor this reasonin order toif…thenProblem-and-Solution Text StructureAuthors sometimes organize their writing by problem and solution. The author will present a problem that needs to be solved. A problem can be between individuals or groups, or it might relate to something that is going on in the world. A problem might even occur with just one person. Identifying the problem and solution will help you understand the text better.Signal words can help you identify the type of text structure being used. Writing that uses problem-and-solution text structure often includes these common signal words:the problemas a resultresolvedthe solutiondifficulthelpWhen you compare and contrast text structures you are better able to think more deeply about the events, ideas, concepts, and information presented in different texts.The passages below present similar information about hurricanes but use different text structures. In the first paragraph, the author’s purpose was to provide factual information about Hurricane Andrew. The author chose to present this information chronologically so readers follow the formation, expansion, and destruction of Hurricane Andrew.Hurricane Andrew was one of the worst hurricanes to hit the United States. Andrew?first?formed in the warm waters of the southern Atlantic Ocean.?To begin with,?the storm had winds of only 40 miles per hour. As the storm continued?to move over the warm ocean, it gained energy and grew stronger. When the wind speed reached 74 miles per hour, the storm was officially a hurricane and was named Andrew.?Then?Andrew’s winds climbed to 175 miles per hour!?Next,?heavy rain moved onshore as Andrew made landfall in southern Florida. Seven inches of rain fell, and storm tides were as high as 17 feet. Hurricane Andrew caused significant destruction to property in the United States.?Final?damages eventually totaled $25 billion.???The words and phrases?first, to begin with, continued, then, next?and?final?tell in what order the events happened.In this second passage, the author’s purpose is to compare and contrast two very destructive hurricanes—Hurricane Andrew and Hurricane Katrina. The text uses a compare-and-contrast structure in which the author points out similarities and differences between the two hurricanes.Two of the most destructive hurricanes to hit the United States in recent years were Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.?Both?hurricanes inflicted massive destruction and damage to parts of the southeast United States.When Hurricane Andrew made landfall in Homestead, Florida, it was a category 5 hurricane—the strongest measure for hurricanes. At landfall its winds measured 175 miles per hour and it dumped seven inches of rain on southern Florida. With storm surges nearly 17 feet, the damage was extensive. Estimated property damage was $25 billion and 26 people died as a result of the hurricane.Hurricane Katrina struck the Mississippi and Louisiana coast as a category 3 hurricane with winds of 120 miles per hour at landfall.?Although?Katrina was?not as strong as?Andrew, it was?far more?destructive and deadly. This is because the city of New Orleans was in its path. A storm surge of 12 feet reached the city and caused the protective levees to break, flooding 80% of the city. More than 1,800 people died and property damage was about $81 billion.Both?hurricanes caused suffering and devastation to the people who lived through them. In measuring hurricane strength, Andrew was the?stronger of the two. However,?Katrina inflicted?more?destruction and fatalities because its path was through New Orleans.???Signal words include both, not as strong as, however, the stronger of the two. These words help to compare and contrast the two hurricanes.Both passages discuss hurricanes and their destruction. Let’s compare how the text structure influences the ideas and information that the authors present.The first passage tells facts and events related to Hurricane Andrew in the order they happened. The author first presents the facts about the beginning of the hurricane and then tells about the strengthening of the storm and finally its impact on the people and property in its path. Chronological order helps give the author a clear structure to tell what happened.The second passage also tells about Hurricane Andrew, but the author’s purpose is to compare two hurricanes. While some of the same facts are presented about Andrew as in the first passage, there are also similar facts about Hurricane Katrina added. Readers can compare both hurricanes. This comparison lets readers see that Andrew was the more powerful hurricane, but Katrina was more destructive in terms of loss of life and property. ................
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