Year 7: name the structure before analysing it
Ākonga learn to spot cause/effect and compare/contrast signal words first, then use the structure to organise what the text says.
- Year 7 move: Signal-word hunt, then a structure map of one passage
- Evidence it produces: A completed cause/effect or compare/contrast map with the signal words circled
Lesson 5: Analysing Text Structures: Cause/Effect & Compare/Contrast
Building confident, active readers through Te Ao Māori perspectives, comprehension strategies, and rich Aotearoa texts.
🎯 Ngā Whāinga Akoranga | Learning Intentions
Common non-fiction text structures (cause and effect, compare and contrast, problem and solution, chronological order) and signal transition words (however, as a result, similarly, consequently).
Identify non-fiction text structure types using signal words, construct cause-and-effect flowcharts, and fill Venn diagrams comparing two perspectives.
🎥 Media Anchor & Pedagogical Scaffold
Non-Fiction Text Structures & Signal Words
Video Clip: The 5 Types of Text Structure | Educational Rap for Language Arts Students — Flocabulary (Runtime: 3:49).
🧠 1. Before Viewing (Activate & Predict)
How do signal words like 'because', 'therefore', and 'in contrast' help readers navigate complex non-fiction texts?
👁️ 2. During Viewing (Watch With a Job)
- Pause @ 1:30: Spot cause-and-effect transition words (because, leads to, consequently, resulting in).
- Pause @ 3:15: Spot compare-and-contrast transition words (similar to, unlike, on the other hand, whereas).
- After viewing: Map text information into visual graphic organisers (flowcharts, double-bubble maps).
🗣️ 3. After Viewing & Kaiako Move (Process & Apply)
Kaiako Move: Provide colour-coded signal word bookmark cards for students to reference while reading articles.
Immediate Task: Complete Section 5 of your Reading Journal: Cause-and-Effect Flowchart & Venn Diagram Comparison.
⚡ Whakaoho | Do Now: Reading Warm-Up (10 mins)
Review key reading vocabulary, strategy definitions, and context clues for Lesson 5. Connect previous reading reflections to today's text analysis.
📖 Activity 1: Guided Reading & Strategy Practice (25 mins)
Read selected Aotearoa non-fiction, School Journal articles, or pūrākau passages in pairs. Apply active reading strategies, highlight text evidence, and complete graphic organisers.
📝 Activity 2: Year 7 Reading Journal & Reflection Scaffolding (20 mins)
Draft your formal Reading Journal entry for Lesson 5. Use specific text quotes and reading strategy terminology (e.g., schema, context clues, main idea, evidence-based inference, cause/effect, pūrākau metaphor, author bias, text synthesis) to justify your answers.
🏫 Kaiako Planning & Pedagogy Notes
Year 7 Curriculum Alignment: Te Mātaiaho English Phase 3 — Reading and Viewing for meaning. Builds core comprehension, critical literacy, and cultural connectedness through Aotearoa literature and pūrākau.