Expository Text Structures

Subject: Reading

Grades: 6-8

Standards-Language Arts

• Uses reading skills and strategies to understand informational text
• Understands and uses the organizational structure of expository texts to aid comprehension
   

Standards-Process/Thinking

• Identifies traits that can be used to classify text
• Uses the concepts of statistics to analyze data, inerpret results and draw conclutions

 
Teacher Instructions
 

Expository text is not written in the same structure (setting, characters, plot, problem and resolution) as literary works. This often causes readers to experience difficulty in understanding textbooks, especially in science and social studies. Students who are aware of and understand the structures of expository text are better able to determine essential information and comprehend informational text. The accompanying Inspiration® graphic organizer will help students recognize the various informational text structures, identify signal words associated with the text structures, as well as provide examples of each text structure common to informational text. Students will then complete their own graphic organizer, identifying and locating examples of expository text written in the various text structures.
 

This lesson requires the Inspiration® software application published by Inspiration® Software, Inc.; a 30-day trial can be accessed by visiting www.inspiration.com/Freetrial.
 

1. Open the Inspiration expo text-example.ist template found on the Evaluation CD and review it with students. Explain that expository text is not written in the same structure as literary text. Further explain that understanding expository text structures helps readers understand and remember the essential ideas presented in expository text. 
    

2. Begin with Question and Answer and work clockwise on the template. Each text structure contains a note with a brief description of how the writer presents the information and key words that signal the use of that structure. In addition to the description and key words, examples of the expository text structures, stated in a few sentences, are provided using the topic of blisters. Each text structure also includes a hyperlink that provides a full length text example. Pull up each hyperlink, and discuss with the students why each is an example of that specific expository text structure.
3. As each text structure is reviewed, discuss the essential information in the text and how it relates to the organization of the text.
4. After introducing the text structures in a whole group lesson, open Inspiration® expo text-student.ist and review it with the students. Have students complete the graphic organizer, working in small groups. Students may locate text examples from the Internet, text books, trade books, magazine articles, etc.
    

Assessment

• Confirm that students complete the graphic organizer with correct text examples.

Lesson Adaptations

• Students may work in small groups or individually to complete the student graphic organizer.
• Have students select topics, and create examples of text structures stated in a few sentences for additional practice. Students may read aloud their examples and classmates then identify the text structure utilized.
• Assign a brief writing assignment and have students select which text structure they will use to organize the writing.
• Read additional examples of text aloud and have students identify the text structure.
• When reading expository text during other lessons, have students identify the text structure of the text being read.
• The Word Guide can be helpful to students to clarify word meaning. This may be particularly helpful for ELL or special education students.