English · Year 5

Active learning ideas

Understanding Text Structures in Non-Fiction

Active learning works well for this topic because students need to see, touch, and manipulate text structures to truly understand how they function. Moving beyond reading and discussing allows Year 5 learners to internalize patterns by sorting, rewriting, and teaching them to peers.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9E5LY03
• AC9E5LY04

• 25–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Jigsaw
• 45 min · Small Groups

Sorting Stations: Structure Cards

Prepare cards with non-fiction excerpts for each structure. Small groups rotate through stations, sort cards, and note evidence for choices. Conclude with a whole-class share-out of examples.

How does recognizing a text's structure help predict its content?

Facilitation Tip

During Sorting Stations, circulate and ask students to justify their card placements using language from the excerpts, not guesses.

What to look for

Provide students with three short, unlabeled paragraphs, each representing a different text structure (cause/effect, compare/contrast, problem/solution). Ask students to write the structure type next to each paragraph and briefly explain their reasoning for one choice.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Jigsaw
• 30 min · Pairs

Pair Rewrite: Switch Structures

Pairs read a short text, identify its structure, then rewrite it using a different one like changing cause/effect to problem/solution. Partners compare original and new versions for clarity.

Compare and contrast the effectiveness of cause/effect versus problem/solution structures for explaining complex issues.

Facilitation Tip

For Pair Rewrite, set a strict time limit to keep the focus on structure shifts rather than sentence-level editing.

What to look for

Display a short informational text on the board. Ask students to identify the primary text structure used. Then, ask them to point out one sentence that clearly demonstrates this structure and explain why.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Jigsaw
• 50 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Teach Structures

Form expert groups for one structure each; they study examples and create posters. Regroup so each shares expertise, then apply to mixed texts.

Analyze how an author's choice of text structure supports their main purpose.

Facilitation Tip

When students teach structures as Jigsaw Experts, provide a simple checklist to guide their explanations and ensure accuracy.

What to look for

In pairs, students take turns reading aloud short informational text excerpts. Their partner listens and identifies the text structure. They then discuss one sentence that best exemplifies that structure. Partners give a thumbs up if they agree or a thumbs down with a brief explanation if they disagree.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Jigsaw
• 25 min · Individual

Individual Mapping: Article Analysis

Students select a non-fiction article, highlight structures with colours, and annotate predictions based on patterns. Share maps in a gallery walk.

How does recognizing a text's structure help predict its content?

Facilitation Tip

During Individual Mapping, require students to label both the structure and the signal words or phrases that identify it.

What to look for

Provide students with three short, unlabeled paragraphs, each representing a different text structure (cause/effect, compare/contrast, problem/solution). Ask students to write the structure type next to each paragraph and briefly explain their reasoning for one choice.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by modeling how text structures shape meaning from the start. Use think-alouds to point out signal words and repeated patterns in read-alouds. Avoid isolating structures to single paragraphs; instead, show how they unfold across entire texts. Research suggests that students benefit most when they create their own examples, so balance direct instruction with hands-on practice.

By the end of these activities, students will confidently identify text structures in full articles and explain how each one supports the author’s purpose. They will also adjust their own writing to match specific structures when needed.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Sorting Stations, watch for students who assume every informational text follows a timeline.

  Hand each pair a mix of timeline and non-timeline excerpts. Ask them to sort first by structure type, then discuss why timeline excerpts might still appear in non-chronological texts.

• During Pair Rewrite, students may think structure only matters in the introduction.

  Have pairs highlight every sentence that signals their new structure, then count how many times it appears in the revised version to prove its spread throughout the text.

• During Jigsaw Experts, students may believe authors choose structures randomly.

  Ask each expert group to present one example of how their structure’s purpose fits the topic, like problem/solution for persuasive pieces, to show intent behind the choice.

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Methods used in this brief

• Jigsaw