Text Structures
This text structure describes a problem and offers a solution
What is PROBLEM & SOLUTION
This is the summary for the following:
Picture this: a herd of elephants flies past you at sixty miles per hour, followed by a streak of tigers, a pride of lions, and a bunch of clowns. What do you see? It must be a circus train! One of the first uses of the circus train is credited to W.C. Coup. He partnered with P.T. Barnum in 1871 to expand the reach of their newly combined shows using locomotives. That's another word for train. You see, before trains, moving the circus was hard. They had to lug around all their animals, performers, and equipment with a team of more than 600 horses. Since there were no highways, these voyages were rough and took a long time. Circuses would stop at many small towns between the large venues. Performing at many of these small towns was not very profitable. Because of these limitations, circuses could not grow as large as the imaginations of the operators. After they began using circus trains, Barnum and Coup only brought their show to large cities. These performances were much more profitable and the profits went toward creating an even bigger and better circus. More stages or "rings" were added and the show went on. Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus relied on the train to transport their astounding show until they went defunct in 2017.
What is CIRCUSES USED TO HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME TRAVELING AND HAD TO STOP AT MANY SMALL TOWNS ALONG THE WAY. TRAINS ALLOWED CIRCUSES TO TRAVEL EASILY FROM LARGE CITY TO LARGE CITY.
This is the main idea for the following:
I have a dog named Boots. I taught him lots of tricks. When I tell him to, Boots will sit or lie down. He can also wave his paw to greet people. When I say, "Dance, Boots.", he will stand up on two legs and walk. I don't know of many dogs that can do such amazing tricks.
What is BOOTS IS VERY SMART.
A piece of supporting evidence of the following is:
I have a dog named Boots. I taught him lots of tricks. When I tell him to, Boots will sit or lie down. He can also wave his paw to greet people. When I say, "Dance, Boots.", he will stand up on two legs and walk. I don't know of many dogs that can do such amazing tricks.
What is:
I TAUGHT HIM LOTS OF TRICKS.
WHEN I TELL HIM TO, BOOTS WILL SIT OR LIE DOWN.
HE CAN ALSO WAVE HIS PAW TO GREET PEOPLE.
HE WILL STAND UP ON TWO LEGS AND WALK.
This text structure describes the effect of an action
What is CAUSE & EFFECT
This is the summary for the following:
How do you say “Holy cow” in French? The fastest thing in France may just be the fastest ground transportation in the world. The TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse: French for very high speed) is France’s national high-speed rail service. On April 3rd, 2007, a TGV test train set a record for the fastest wheeled train, reaching 357.2 miles per hour. In mid 2011, TGV trains operated at the highest speed in passenger train service in the world, regularly reaching 200 miles per hour. But what you may find most shocking is that TGV trains run on electric power not petrol. Now if you’ll excuse me; I have a record to catch.
What is THE TGV IS A FRENCH TRAIN THAT SET A RECORD FOR THE FASTEST WHEELED TRAIN AND THE FASTEST PASSENGER TRAIN SERVICE
The main idea of the following is:
In the late 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I sent a group o 115 colonists to start the English settlement, Roanoke. Roanoke is in present-day North Carolina. Mysteriously, the colony vanished. All that was left of the colony was the words on a tree, "CROATAN." There are many theories about what happened to the Roanoke Colony. The first theory is that they were adopted by local tribes and adapted to their ways of life. There was never any proof of this. Another theory is that the colonists headed west towards the mountains. Some may have been killed by violent tribes or sold into slavery. This would explain the later sightings of European looking Native Americans in Virginia and South Carolina. Finally, another theory says the Spanish destroyed Roanoke as they had destroyed other settlements. There is no answer to this day, but archeologists and historians hope one day they will solve this elusive mystery.
What is "THERE ARE MANY THEORIES ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ROANOKE COLONY."
A piece of supporting evidence of the following is:
In the late 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I sent a group o 115 colonists to start the English settlement, Roanoke. Roanoke is in present-day North Carolina. Mysteriously, the colony vanished. All that was left of the colony was the words on a tree, "CROATAN." There are many theories about what happened to the Roanoke Colony. The first theory is that they were adopted by local tribes and adapted to their ways of life. There was never any proof of this. Another theory is that the colonists headed west towards the mountains. Some may have been killed by violent tribes or sold into slavery. This would explain the later sightings of European -looking Native Americans in Virginia and South Carolina. Finally, another theory says the Spanish destroyed Roanoke as they had destroyed other settlements. There is no answer to this day, but archeologists and historians hope one day they will solve this elusive mystery.
What is:
ALL THAT WAS LEFT OF THE COLONY WAS THE WORDS ON A TREE.
THE COLONISTS WERE ADOPTED BY LOCAL TRIBES AND ADAPTED TO THEIR WAYS OF LIFE.
THE COLONISTS HEADED WEST TOWARDS THE MOUNTAINS.
THIS WOULD EXPLAIN THE LATER SIGHTINGS OF EUROPEAN-LOOKING NATIVE AMERICANS.
SPANISH DESTROYED ROANOKE AS THEY HAD DESTROYED RONOAKE AS THEY HAD DESTROYED OTHER SETTLEMENTS.
This text structure goes by steps to complete a task
What is STEP-BY-STEP
This is the summary of the following: Giddy-up, cowboys and girls! In the Southwest during early half of the 1800s, cows were only worth 2 or 3 dollars apiece. They roamed wild, grazed off of the open range, and were abundant. Midway through the century though, railroads were built and the nation was connected. People in the Southwest could suddenly ship cows in freight trains to the Northeast. The Yankees there had a growing taste for beef and were willing to pay for it. Out of the blue, the same cows that were once worth a couple of bucks were now worth between twenty and forty dollars each. The only problem was that they had to get these cows to the train station. A new profession emerged from this. It became pretty lucrative to wrangle up a drove of cattle and herd them to the nearest train town. Of course it was dangerous too. Cowboys were threatened at every turn. They faced cattle rustlers, stampedes and extreme weather. But they kept pushing those steers to the train station. By the turn of the century, barbed wire killed the open range. Some may say the cowboy, too, was killed by barbed wire. Maybe, but it was the train that birthed them.
What is COWS WERE NOT WORTH A LOT OF MONEY UNTIL THEY COULD BE EASILY TRANSPORTED TO THE EAST AFTER THE INVENTION OF THE TRAIN. MANY PEOPLE THEN BECAME COWBOYS DESPITE THE DANGERS THEY FACED
The main idea of the following is:
A habitat is a place where animals get what they need to survive. An animal's habitat is where it finds food, water, and shelter. Different animals have different needs and so they live in different habitats. For example, a polar bear's requirements are very different than a monitor lizard. That is the reason they live in different habitats. Some of the habitats include the forest, rainforest, wetlands, grasslands, desert, ocean, tundra, and even urban habitat.
What is "A HABITAT IS A PLACE WHERE ANIMALS GET WHAT THEY NEED TO SURVIVE."
A piece of supporting evidence of the following is:
A habitat is a place where animals get what they need to survive. An animal's habitat is where it finds food, water, and shelter. Different animals have different needs and so they live in different habitats. For example, a polar bear's requirements are very different than a monitor lizard. That is the reason they live in different habitats. Some of the habitats include the forest, rainforest, wetlands, grasslands, desert, ocean, tundra, and even urban habitat.
What is:
AN ANIMAL'S HABITAT IS WHERE IT FINDS FOOD, WATER, AND SHELTER.
DIFFERENT ANIMALS HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS SO THEY LIVE IN DIFFERENT HABITATS.
This text structure lists the similarities and differences between two objects
What is COMPARE & CONTRAST
This is the summary for the following: Electric trolley cars or trams were once the chief mode of public transportation in the United States. Though they required tracks and electric cables to run, these trolley cars were clean and comfortable. In 1922, auto manufacturer General Motors created a special unit to replace electric trolleys with cars, trucks, and buses. Over the next decade, they lobbied for laws and regulations that made operating trams more difficult and less profitable. In 1936 General Motors created several front companies to purchase and dismantle the trolley car system. They received big investments from Firestone Tire, Standard Oil of California, Phillips Petroleum, and others in the automotive industry. Some people suspect that these parties wanted to replace trolley cars with buses to make public transportation less desirable. This would then increase automobile sales. The decline of the tram system in North America could be blamed on many things—labor strikes, the Great Depression, regulations that were unfavorable to operators. Yet, perhaps the primary cause was having a group of powerful men from rival sectors of the auto industry working together to ensure its destruction. Fill it up, please.
What is MANY LARGE COMPANIES THAT SERVED THE AUTOMOTIVE MARKET CONSPIRED TO DISMANTLE THE ELECTRIC TROLLEY CAR SYSTEM AND REPLACE THEM WITH LESS DESIRABLE BUSES
What is the main idea of the following:
The potato chip was an invention that accidentally happened. George Crum was a chef, trying to please a customer who kept his French fries back to the kitchen with the complaint that he wanted them crispier and thinner. Crum kept slicing potatoes and cooking them until they became the crispy potato chips we know today.
What is "THE POTATO CHIP WAS AN ACCIDENTAL INVENTION."
A piece of supporting evidence of the following is:
The potato chip was an invention that accidentally happened. George Crum, a chef, trying to please a customer who kept his French fries back to the kitchen with the complaint that he wanted them crispier and thinner. Crum kept slicing potatoes and cooking them until they became the crispy potato chips we know today.
What is:
GEORGE CRUM TRIED TO PLEASE A CUSTOMER WHO KEPT SENDING HIS FRENCH FRIES BACK FOR NOT BEING CRISPY OR THIN ENOUGH.
CRUM KEPT SLICING POTATOES AND COOKING THEM UNTIL THEY BECAME WHAT WE KNOW TODAY.
This text structure tells about the order of events
What is CHRONOLOGICAL
Humpty Dumpty
Sat on the wall
Humpty Dumpty
Had a great fall
All the King's horses
And all the King's men
Couldn't put Humpty
Together again.
What is the main idea of the following:
Tomie dePaola was born on September 15, 1934, in Connecticut. He was an award-winning children's book author and illustrator with over 300 books. Some of his most famous books include Strega Nona, Oliver Button Is a Sissy, and The Cloud Book. Nearly 25 million copies of his books have been sold in many languages. Tomie dePaola died on March 30, 2020.
What is "TOMIE DEPAOLA WAS AN AWARD-WINNING CHILDREN'S BOOK AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR."
A piece of supporting evidence of the following is:
Tomie dePaola was born on September 15, 1934, in Connecticut. He was an award-winning children's book author and illustrator with over 300 books. Some of his most famous books include Strega Nona, Oliver Button Is a Sissy, and The Cloud Book. Nearly 25 million copies of his books have been sold in many languages. Tomie dePaola died on March 30, 2020.
What is:
SOME OF HIS MOST FAMOUS BOOKS INCLUDE STREGA NONA, OLIVER BUTTON IS A SISSY, AND THE CLOUD BOOK.
NEARLY 25 MILLION COPIES OF HIS BOOKS HAVE BEEN SOLD IN MANY LANGUAGES.