Reading nonfiction: structure, purpose, and reasons (grade 4) · lesson

Text structure

💡 Texts are built in patterns, such as time order, cause and effect, and problem and solution.

Time order tells steps or events as they happen. Look for first, then, after, and dates.

Cause and effect tells why something happens. Look for because, so, and makes. Problem and solution tells about a problem and how people fix it. Look for words like sadly, but, and to help.

A whole text can follow one pattern, and one paragraph can follow another.

🧠 Let's work it out

Paragraph: Sadly, the swings at our park broke. To help, parents held a bake sale and bought new ones.

Ask: what goes wrong? The swings broke. That is the problem.
What do people do? Raise money for new swings. That is the solution.
So the paragraph is problem and solution.

What do you think comes next?

text structure: the pattern a text is built in
cause and effect: one thing makes another happen
problem and solution: a problem and how it is fixed

Author's purpose

💡 Every part of a text is there for a reason, so ask what job each part does.

An author may write to inform, to persuade, or to entertain. A text full of reasons and should is written to persuade.

Each part has a job too. A last paragraph often wraps up the big idea. A comparison might make a hard idea easy to picture.

Ask: what would be missing if this part were cut?

🧠 Let's work it out

Text: A heart pumps blood all day. It works like a water pump that never shuts off.

Ask: why compare a heart to a pump?
Most people know what a pump does.
The comparison helps you picture how the heart pushes blood.

What do you think comes next?

inform: to give facts
persuade: to try to get someone to agree
purpose: the reason for writing

Reasons and evidence

💡 Good reasons are backed by evidence, and a sentence that doesn't help the point doesn't belong.

A reason tells why the author's view is right. Evidence proves the reason. Evidence can be facts, numbers, or what real people said.

A survey is strong evidence. It asks many people the same question and counts the answers.

Some sentences give no reason at all. They may be about the author's own likes. They do not help convince anyone.

🧠 Let's work it out

Text: Our town needs more benches. In a survey, 18 of 20 walkers said they wish they could rest. I like the color green.

Ask: which sentence proves people want benches? The survey.
Which sentence gives no reason? I like the color green.
It has nothing to do with benches.

What do you think comes next?

evidence: facts or numbers that prove a point
survey: asking many people the same question

🔗 Integration of knowledge and ideas (grade 4) · Khan Academy ↗

Answering the other side

💡 Strong writers name what others might worry about and then answer it.

A counterclaim is what someone who disagrees might say. Authors often start it with Some people say or Some people worry.

Then the author answers. The answer may agree in part and then give a fix. Look for but or however.

To find the answer, read the sentence that comes after the worry.

🧠 Let's work it out

Text: Some people say a class pet would distract kids from their work. But the pet could live in a quiet corner, and kids could visit it only at break time.

Ask: what is the worry? Kids will not get their work done.
How does the author answer? Keep the pet in a corner and visit only at break.
That is the author's answer to the other side.

What do you think comes next?

counterclaim: what someone who disagrees might say