non-fiction text structure identifying & analyzing for understanding created by laurie walsh...

Non-Fiction Text Structure

Identifying & Analyzing for Understanding

created by Laurie Walsh Copyright ©2013 all rights reserved http://www.5thgradecommoncore.com

Why?Authors of non-fiction use text structure to organize information

This helps readers find what they need quickly and keep their thinking organized. (Just like honeybees organize their hives so they don’t waste time.)

And . . . it helps writers organize THEIR thinking!


Desc

ripti

on


DescriptionWhat author does: Words to watch for:

•explains topic, idea, person, place or thing

•may list characteristics, features, examples

•focuses on one topic

•such as•for instance•characteristics are•for example•in addition•also•most important


Questions to Ask Yourself. . .

1.What is being described?2.How is it described? 3.What are the most important traits or characteristics?

4.Can the topic be classified?


Honeybee Hives

A beehive is an enclosed structure where honeybees create their home. There are

many types of hives. Specifically, some bees live in man-made hives. These hives are

made from wood and look like a tall dresser with drawers. Some hives are made of large

baskets turned upside-down. Often, wild bees find their own hive locations, such as in

tree hollows.

No matter the exterior, the interior of hives are very similar. Bees create hexagonal cells out of wax (excreted from their bodies) that are called honeycomb. In addition to storing

honey, the honeycomb houses the larvae and as well as the pollen stores and honey.


Pro

ble

m &

Solu

tion


Problem & SolutionWhat author does: Words to watch for:

•states problem•offers solution(s) to the problem

•could include pros and cons of the solutions

•problem•solution•issue•main challenge•this led to •therefore•if, then•as a result



1.What is the problem? 2.What is the solution?3.What is the cause of the problem?


Honeybee Health

Over the last several year, the honeybee has faced a great many problems; the largest of

these is pesticides. Scientists believe that as a result of farmers using insecticides to kill harmful

insects, this leads to accidentally harming the bees.

In Europe last year, government officials had an idea . . . ban the pesticides that are believed to be causing the death of the bees. Time will tell, but it looks like they may have found a solution.

The initial results look promising as bee populations seem to be thriving and healthy.


Com

pare

&

Con

trast


Compare & Contrast

What author does: Words to watch for:

•explains how two or more things are alike and different

•compared•contrast•similar•both•as opposed to•like, unlike•as well as•difference•on the other hand



1.What is being compared? 2.What characteristics do they have in common?

3.What characteristics belong solely to one?4.How are they the same?5.How are they different?


Honeybees vs. Bumblebees

Honeybees and bumblebees seem quite similar, but they are actually quite different! Both are types of

bees of course, but that’s where the similarities end. The body of a honeybee is slender, as opposed to the bumblebee’s, which is quite round. The bumblebee is

much larger in size in contrast to the smaller honeybee; although both do have furry bodies for

pollen collection.Honeybees are very social creatures and depend

largely on the work of all of the colony members to survive, unlike bumblebees that generally lives a

solitary life.


Cause

& E

ffect


Cause & EffectWhat author does: Words to watch for:

•lists one or more events and the consequence of those events

•explains how or why something happened

•problem is•since •consequently•causes•the effect of•as a result•due to•as a result of•if/then•brought on by•influenced by



1.What happened and why?2.Were there many causes?3.Were there many results?


The SmokerBeekeepers the world over use smoke to calm their bees. Why does smoke have that effect on bees? The calming

effect is due to an adaptation in the bees. When the beekeeper pumps the smoke around the hive it leads to

the masking of the “alarm pheromones” (or scent) that the bees give off when they’re panicked due to an intruder.

Another instinctive behavior the smoke causes is one of “flight due to danger” - in other words, they get ready to abandon the hive. Because the bees think there is a fire,

they eat a lot of the honey to tide them over until they can create more. The result of that is that it slows them down.

As a consequence of both of these triggers, the bee keeper can interact with the bees and their hive without agitating them. As a result, the bees are much calmer, do not get

stressed, and do not sting the bee keeper (as much!) created by Laurie Walsh Copyright ©2013 all rights reserved

http://www.5thgradecommoncore.com

Sequenc

e


SequenceWhat author does: Words to watch for:

•lists items or events in chronological order

•writes the information in the steps that it occurs

•lists items or events in number order

•time related words•first, second, third•next•last•after•before•following•preceding



1.What are the steps or directions to follow?2.What sequence of events is the author describing?

3.What is the first of the events?4.What is the final event?


Honeybee Life Cycle - The Worker

The honeybee worker starts out its first stage of life like most insects: as an egg. First, the queen bee lays an egg in a cell of the hive. After about

3 days, the egg turns into a larva. The nurse bees feed each larva bee milk as they grow.

Then, after about 10 days the larva turns into a pupa and the worker bees finally cap the cell

where the pupa stays for 11-20 days. Lastly, the bee emerges and gets ready for her very, very

busy, albeit short, life.


non-fiction text structure identifying & analyzing for understanding created by laurie walsh...

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interior of hives

manmade hives

types of hives

wild bees

nonfiction use text

enclosed structure