Descriptive text might describe a person, place, thing or concept. This may be found in a biography or a history text describing an example. Students could go on an adjective scavenger hunt, highlighting descriptive language in a sample of text. They could also become familiar with this structure by filling in a concept map of the main idea surrounded by details.
The cause and effect text structure explains the reason or reasons for an occurrence. At a basic level, students can match cards describing causes with those describing likely effects, to develop an understanding of the relations between cause and effect. "The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash" by Steven Kellogg and "The Little Bug That Went Ka-Choo" by Rosetta Stone are texts that illustrate causes and effects in an entertaining and visual way. Use these for an interactive read-aloud in which you ask students to pose and answer "why" questions about the story.
This text structure offers a level of detail similar to a descriptive text, but it describes two things and enumerates their similarities and differences. Students can practice this text by comparing themselves to a classmate, or to their favorite animal, by using a Venn diagram. Use the left and right to describe how each individual is different, and the overlapping center to describe similarities. To prepare for writing about the comparison, have students highlight the most important details on their diagrams and write about those.
Sequential non-fiction text either describes the way an event occurred or provides the steps for completing a process. Students can become familiar with these texts by taking a scrambled text and using sequence words like first, then and after to order the steps logically. Written directions for making a recipe or creating an origami figure are also good examples of sequential text. After following written directions, encourage students to think about what would happen if steps were written in the wrong order or if key steps were omitted.
In some text, the author's purpose is to sway the reader's opinion instead of simply informing him. Before reading, ask students their opinions about the topic. While reading, students should list the author's support for her side of the argument. After reading, ask students if their opinions have changed, what points they found most persuasive and what counterarguments they would offer to the author. Students can also use some of the strategies used with compare-contrast writing to evaluate two sides of an issue.