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Text Structure Examples and Activities for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grades

Teaching nonfiction text structures is an important part of helping students understand and analyze informational texts. Learn about the five main text structures and get examples for each one.

Plus, I’ll share activities to make learning nonfiction text structures engaging and fun for your 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students!

So stick around through the end of this post to get all the ideas! 📚✨

Problem and Solution Text Structure Examples

Definition: This structure presents a problem and then offers one or more solutions to resolve it.

Examples:

  1. Plastic pollution in our oceans is hurting sea animals and plants. Many sea creatures get tangled in plastic or eat it by mistake. To fix this, we can start recycling more and use less plastic. Schools and communities can teach people how to reduce plastic waste. These actions can help protect our oceans.
  2. In some places, people do not have clean water to drink. This can make them sick. One way to help is to build wells that reach clean water underground. Another way is to use filters to clean the water. Teaching people how to save and keep water clean is also important. These solutions can make a big difference.

Activity Idea: Type out a paragraph in large font. Have students cut apart the sentences and then sort the sentences under a ‘problem’ heading and a ‘solution’ heading. Did the author explain the problem in a lot of details (sentences)? Did the author offer multiple solutions?✂️✍️

Cause and Effect Text Structure Examples

Definition: This structure explains why something happened (cause) and what happened as a result (effect).

Examples:

  1. When it rains a lot, water can flood streets and homes. This can make it hard for people to travel and can damage buildings. Flooding can also hurt plants and animals. By fixing drains and planning cities well, we can reduce flooding.
  2. Eating too much sugar can cause cavities in your teeth. Cavities can be painful and may need a dentist’s help to fix. Sugar also gives you quick energy, but it can make you tired later. Eating less sugar and brushing your teeth can help keep your teeth healthy.

Activity Idea: Make a cause and effect chain. Provide students with events and have them draw and connect the causes and effects on paper. 🌧️➡️🌊 You can also do this with construction paper chains.

Compare and Contrast Text Structure Examples

Definition: This structure discusses the similarities and differences between two or more items.

Examples:

  1. Apples and oranges are both tasty and healthy fruits. Apples are usually crunchy and come in many colors like red, green, and yellow. Oranges are juicy and have a bright orange color. They also taste different; apples can be sweet or tart, while oranges are sweet and a bit tangy.
  2. Cats and dogs are popular pets that people love. Cats are often more independent and like to explore on their own. Dogs usually enjoy playing and spending time with people. Both pets can be fun, but they need different kinds of care.

Activity Idea: Create a Venn diagram activity where students list similarities and differences between two topics. This visual tool helps them see the connections clearly. 🐱🐶

Sequencing (or Chronological Order) Text Structure Examples

Definition: This structure presents information in a specific order or sequence, often chronological.

Examples:

  1. First, dig a hole big enough for the tree’s roots. Then, place the tree in the hole and fill it with soil. After that, water the tree well. Finally, keep watering it regularly so it can grow strong.
  2. The American Revolution began with the Boston Tea Party, where colonists protested British taxes. Next, the Declaration of Independence was signed, stating the colonies wanted freedom. Then, the Revolutionary War was fought. Finally, the Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the war and recognizing America’s independence.

Activity Idea: Have students create a storyboard or timeline for a historical event or a simple process. This helps them understand the order of events. 📅

Description Text Structure Examples

Definition: This structure provides detailed information about a topic to give a clear picture.

Examples:

  1. A rainforest is a thick, green forest found in tropical areas. It has tall trees, many kinds of plants, and lots of animals. The weather is hot and wet all year round. You can hear birds singing and see colorful flowers and insects everywhere.
  2. A tiger is a big, strong cat with orange fur and black stripes. Tigers live in forests and grasslands. They are good hunters and can move very quietly. Tigers are known for their powerful bodies and sharp teeth.

Activity Idea: Ask students to write a descriptive paragraph about an animal or place, including as many details as possible. They can then share their descriptions with the class. 🌿🐯

Hands-On Activities to Practice Text Structure

Make a Text Structure Flip Book

Create a nonfiction text structures flip book so students can take notes and later refer back to the description of each type.

This is a great place to define and list keywords.

Print it on colored paper to make it extra fun for your students to create.

Define Text Structures – Graphic Organizer and Keywords Sort

In this activity, students can match the type of graphic organizer, keywords, and definitions that go with each type of text structure.

Students can use an interactive notebook page to define, give examples, and tell keywords for each type of text structure. This is helpful if you have a reading interactive notebook for your students.

Which Text Structure? Paragraph Sorting Activity

In this hands-on activity, students will read five paragraphs written on the same topic.

They’ll cut them apart and match them to the correct text structure.

You can have them underline keywords or highlight the sentences that helped them determine the text structure.

If you’re looking for additional reading passage practice, my nonfiction text structures resource also has short reading passages with graphic organizers and comprehension questions.

Get these nonfiction text structure activities here!👇

Grab free text structure posters!👇

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