How a Text Is Organised
A 40-minute Grade 4 lesson on identifying the structure of a text: chronology, comparison, cause and effect, or problem and solution.
How a Text Is Organised is a free 40-minute Grade 4 English lesson plan for Common Core standard RI.4.5 — name the structure a text uses: time order, comparison, cause or problem-solution. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 4
- Length:
- 40 minutes
- Standard:
- RI.4.5
Grade 4 · Reading: Informational Text
RI.4.5
Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
Objective
Students will be able to name a text's structure and give the signal words that reveal it.
Students are successful when they can
- Names one of the four structures.
- Gives the signal words.
- Says what a different structure would have changed.
What you need
- Four short texts, one of each structure
- Signal word cards sorted by structure
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — sort the signals
5 min- Sort twelve signal words under the four structures.
- Note which words belong to two.
Teach — structure is a choice
13 min- Read each text and name its structure from the signals.
- Take one and ask why the author chose that structure for that content.
- Rewrite two sentences of it in a different structure and say what was lost.
- Show a text with two structures nested — comparison inside chronology.
- Say the point: the structure is an argument about how the material relates.
“They chose to tell it in order. They could have told it as a comparison. Why did they not?”
Guided practice — four texts
12 min- Pairs name each text's structure and cite its signals.
- They say what a different structure would have cost each.
- They find one text with a nested structure.
Independent practice
8 min- Students complete the text-structure page.
- The passages are on the sheet.
Close
2 min- Take one structure and two of its signals.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Calls every text chronological.
Why: All texts are read in order, which feels like chronology.
Fix: Chronology is about the content's order in time, not the reading order.
Names a structure from one signal word.
Why: One 'however' suggests comparison.
Fix: Look at the whole. A single signal is a local move, not a structure.
Cannot handle a text with two structures.
Why: The four categories imply one answer.
Fix: Nesting is normal. Name the outer one first, then the inner.
If they are not there yet
- Two structures rather than four.
- Signals highlighted.
If they finish early
- Rewrite a paragraph in a different structure.
- Find a text where the structure hides a weak argument.
- Name the structure of a maths or science textbook page.
Exit ticket
What is this text's structure, and which words tell you?
What to look for: A structure and its signals. 'Chronological' for everything means the content-versus-reading-order distinction needs restating.
Printable practice for RI.4.5
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Naming the StructureTick the right answer.
Questions about How a Text Is Organised
How long does the How a Text Is Organised lesson take?
40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does How a Text Is Organised teach?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.5 — RI.4.5, Reading: Informational Text for Grade 4: “Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.” In plain terms, name the structure a text uses: time order, comparison, cause or problem-solution.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
Four short texts, one of each structure, signal word cards sorted by structure and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: calls every text chronological; names a structure from one signal word and cannot handle a text with two structures. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “What is this text's structure, and which words tell you?.” A structure and its signals. 'Chronological' for everything means the content-versus-reading-order distinction needs restating. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with How a Text Is Organised?
Yes — 1 printable RI.4.5 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is How a Text Is Organised free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to RI.4.5 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.