Text structure is one of the most tested skills in Grade 6 ELA — and one of the most under-taught. Most resources stop at naming the five structures. This unit goes further: students learn to identify signal words, analyse sub-types, explain how each section contributes to the central idea, and write a structure-purpose statement connecting the author’s structural choice to their purpose. Aligned to CCSS RI.6.5.

The unit covers all five informational text structures — Description, Sequence, Compare/Contrast, Cause/Effect, and Problem/Solution — through 10 structured lessons with original passages, a signal words reference chart, sub-type analysis tools, and the contribution statement formula applied across every structure.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

63 PowerPoint slides across 10 structured lessons
3 worksheets (6 pages total) — structure identification and signal words, guided practice with all five structures, independent application with structure-purpose statement
1 exit ticket (L10) — structure ID + contribution statement + structure-purpose statement
1 rubric — 4 criteria, 4-point scale with differentiation notes for all score levels
Teacher speaker notes on every slide
Signal Words Reference Chart (poster-style slide with all five structures)
Structure sub-types: Description (Characteristic, Categorical, Spatial); Sequence (Chronological, Process)
Causal chain mapping task for Cause/Effect
Five-component framework for Problem/Solution
Structure-purpose statement and counterfactual analysis (Lesson 9)
Mixed structure analysis throughout

LESSON OVERVIEW