Text Structure Freebie

This is a small sample of this No Prep Scaffolded Resource

to Help Your Students Understand Text Structures.
This resource has
students develop an
understanding of each
of the 5 major text
structures in isolation
before having them
practice distinguishing
between them.

It provides plenty of
practice with both short
texts and longer texts.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCING PROBLEM & SOLUTION Page 2

PRACTICE WITH SENTENCES Pages 3 - 4

PRACTICE WITH PARAGRAPHS Pages 5 - 6

PRACTICE WITH 1 PAGE TEXTS Pages 7 - 8

ANSWER KEY Pages 9 - 15

 Text Structures
Problem and Solution
The texts below use the problem and solution text structure. Use the information from the
paragraph to fill in a problem and solution graphic organizer.

Crows like to eat insects like beetles and grubs. These insects
can be hard to find, however. Many of them will bury inside a tree
trunk or other hard to reach places. Crows have figured out a clever
way to reach insects like this. They will find a stick, sometimes
bending it into a good shape, and poke tree trunks to reach the
insects.

Problem Solution
Insects that
crows want to
eat can be
buried in hard
to reach
places.

Black bears usually avoid humans, but they are interested in

finding and eating human food and trash! To avoid attracting bears
while camping, try to keep your campsite from smelling like food. For
example, keep your tent clean and store food in bear canisters.

Problem Solution

© 2022 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.

 Text Structures
Problem and Solution
Circle the sentence that uses a problem and solution text structure. Cross out the
sentence that does not. Then, fill in the graphic organizer below using information from
the text.

When playing hide-and-seek, one player closes their eyes and counts
while everyone else hides.

Keeping your glasses in a designated spot every time you take them off
can help you remember where they are.

Problem Solution

When making a quilt, first choose a pattern and then begin cutting and
sewing the patches together.

Staying at home and washing your hands regularly when you are sick can
help keep viruses from spreading to other people.

Problem Solution

© 2022 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.

 Text Structures
Problem and Solution

Circle the sentences below that have a problem and solution text structure. Cross out
the ones that do not.

1. Airplane engines can be incredibly loud, but noise cancelling

headphones can make flying more bearable.

2. Pineapples don’t grow well in colder areas that don’t get a lot of
sun.

3. Cleaning a cut or scrape will not stop the pain, but it will prevent
infection.

4. If the Internet goes out in your house, you can play board games or
read a book to amuse yourself.

5. Single-use plastics like water bottles can only be used once and,
when thrown away improperly, can end up in the ocean.

6. After eating a spicy pepper, drinking cold milk or eating a spoonful

of yogurt can help cool your mouth down.

7. Fences are structures that are usually made of wire or wood and
are used to enclose an area.

Choose one of the sentences above that has a problem and solution text
structure. Use the information to fill in the graphic organizer below.

Problem Solution

© 2022 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.

 Text Structures
Problem and Solution

Read each text. Decide whether the passages use a problem and solution text structure
or do NOT use a problem and solution text structure. Glue the passages in the correct
column on the next page.

Crooked teeth can cause a lot Have you ever heard of a

of issues. Many people dislike the
way crooked teeth look. The
crookedness also makes it harder
to keep your teeth clean and often
leads to teeth grinding.
The most effective way to
straighten crooked teeth is
through braces. Braces put
pressure on teeth, slowly moving
them to the right spot.
In the summer of 1881, President
James Garfield was shot. He was
taken back to the White House to
be cared for, but it was HOT in
Washington D.C. and air
conditioners had not yet been
invented. To cool him down, navy
engineers got some blocks of ice
and soaked fabric in ice water.
Then, they had fans blow on the
fabric and ice. It worked!
The abacus, a tool made of
beads on rods, was the first
calculator. People would slide the
beads up and down the rods to
help them count.
In the 1600s, slide rules were
developed. These helped people
multiply and divide quickly.
The modern calculator that we
use today wasn’t invented until the
1960s.
thimbleberry? It is a small, red fruit
that is similar to a raspberry. It has
a sweet, tart taste and a lot of
seeds.
Thimbleberries grow in a lot of
different places, from New Mexico
to Michigan. You won’t find this
fruit in grocery stores, however,
because it is so soft that it doesn’t
pack or ship very well.
Emergencies can be a huge
strain on finances. Whether a
house floods, a car breaks down, a
family member gets sick, or
something else unexpected comes
up, it will be expensive.
Setting aside a little money
every month as an “emergency
fund” can help you prepare for an
emergency. You will have money
to pay for the unexpected.
Gus, a 700 pound polar bear
that lived in the Central Park Zoo,
seemed to be bored and stressed.
He was often seen swimming back
and forth in a figure eight pattern
for up to 12 hours a day. He
seemed neurotic. Animal experts
said this was probably because he
lived in a habitat that was much
smaller than it would have been if
he lived in the wild.

© 2022 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.

 Text Structures
Problem and Solution
Glue the passages underneath the correct column.

Problem and Solution Not Problem and Solution

© 2022 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.

 Text Structures
Problem and Solution

Read the passage below. Come up with an appropriate title for the passage. Then,
use the information from the passage to answer the questions on the next page.

Title: ___________________________________

The giant panda bear is a much-loved animal, known for its black
and white body and overwhelming cuteness. Despite the universal love for
giant pandas, these animal were once on the endangered list, meaning
there was a very high risk that all the giant pandas in the wild would die.
The extinction of giant pandas would have been a huge loss.
The main threat to giant pandas is a loss of their habitat. Giant
pandas can only be found in China, and the human population of China is
growing rapidly. As humans build roads, railways, and buildings, the forests
where giant pandas live grow smaller. This makes it harder for giant
pandas to find bamboo – which is essential to keep them alive. Without
enough bamboo, these bears starve.
As more cities and roads are built, giant pandas also have a much
harder time moving from one forest to
another. This means that some pandas are
isolated or far away from other pandas and
can have trouble finding mates.
Because of this human development,
the population of wild pandas had grown
small enough that they were once
considered endangered. Through a variety
of conservation efforts, however, the
population of wild pandas is now getting bigger instead of smaller.
The Chinese government, along with other organizations, has worked
hard to protect the forest areas where pandas live. They have created
many panda reserves – areas where trees can’t be cut down and the
bamboo that giant pandas eat is safe. They have also created green
corridors. These are areas that connect one forest to another forest so
that giant pandas can travel without having to go through cities.
All of these efforts to protect the giant panda have helped! They are
no longer considered an endangered species, although they are still
vulnerable. If their habitat is not protected, giant pandas may become
endangered once again.

© 2022 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.

 Text Structures
Problem and Solution
Using the reading passage to answer the questions below.

1. What is the main problem in this passage? What is the main

solution?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

2. Did the solution work? How do you know?

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

3. What detail from the text did you find most interesting? Why?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

4. Draw a problem and solution graphic organizer below, and then fill it
in using information from the text.

© 2022 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.

 Grading Rubric &
Answer Keys
This section includes both a grading rubric and
answer keys that can be used to assess all of
the activities contained in this resource.

The rubric can be used to grade several

resources at a time or to grade a student’s
overall understanding of problem and solution.

Answer keys are included for all of the activities

and can be used to assess specific activities.
For the questions and activities that do not
have one correct answer, a possible answer is
usually given.

GRADING RUBRIC Page 10

ANSWER KEYS Pages 11 - 15

 Text Structures
Grading Rubric

Student Name: _____________________________________

3 points 2 points 1 point

All of the required Most of the Very little of the

Completeness work was required work was required work was
completed. completed. completed.

The student
The student The student needs
demonstrated an
demonstrated an more text
average
excellent structures practice.
Understanding understanding of
understanding of The student
text structures and
of Text the different text struggled with
was able to
Structures structures and was
distinguish
distinguishing
easily able to between the
between the text
distinguish different text
structures most of
between them. structures.
the time.

The student’s
The student’s
answers lacked
answers were The student’s
Quality of thoughtfulness and
thoughtful, logical, answers were
details. The
Content: and interesting. expected and
student answered
The student did predictable.
with the minimum
their best work.
required.

There are many

errors in spelling,
There are very few There are several
capitalization,
errors in spelling, errors in spelling,
punctuation, and
capitalization, capitalization,
Conventions punctuation, and punctuation, or
grammar. Because
of these errors, the
grammar. grammar.
answers are very
difficult to read.

Teacher Comments:

Total Points out of 12:

© 2022 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.
 Text Structures
Problem and Solution
The texts below use the problem and solution text structure. Use the information from the
paragraph to fill in a problem and solution graphic organizer.

Crows like to eat insects like beetles and grubs. These insects
can be hard to find, however. Many of them will bury inside a tree
trunk or other hard to reach places. Crows have figured out a clever
way to reach insects like this. They will find a stick, sometimes
bending it into a good shape, and poke tree trunks to reach the
insects.

Problem Solution
Insects that
Crows use a
crows want to
stick to poke
eat can be
tree trunks
buried in hard
and reach
to reach
the insects.
places.

Black bears usually avoid humans, but they are interested in

finding and eating human food and trash! To avoid attracting bears
while camping, try to keep your campsite from smelling like food. For
example, keep your tent clean and store food in bear canisters.

Problem Solution
Keep campsites
Black bears from smelling like
like human food by keeping
food and your tent clean
trash. and storing food
in bear canisters.

© 2022 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.

 Text Structures
Problem and Solution
Circle the sentence that uses a problem and solution text structure. Cross out the
sentence that does not. Then, fill in the graphic organizer below using information from
the text.

When playing hide-and-seek, one player closes their eyes and counts
while everyone else hides.

Keeping your glasses in a designated spot every time you take them off
can help you remember where they are.

Problem Solution

Keep them in a
Not
designated
remembering
spot every
where your
time you take
glasses are
them off.

When making a quilt, first choose a pattern and then begin cutting and
sewing the patches together.

Staying at home and washing your hands regularly when you are sick can
help keep viruses from spreading to other people.

Problem Solution

Stay at
When you are
home and
sick you can
wash your
spread viruses
hands
to others
regularly

© 2022 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.

 Text Structures
Problem and Solution

Circle the sentences below that have a problem and solution text structure. Cross out
the ones that do not.

1. Airplane engines can be incredibly loud, but noise cancelling

headphones can make flying more bearable.

2. Pineapples don’t grow well in colder areas that don’t get a lot of
sun.

3. Cleaning a cut or scrape will not stop the pain, but it will prevent
infection.

4. If the Internet goes out in your house, you can play board games or
read a book to amuse yourself.

5. Single-use plastics like water bottles can only be used once and,
when thrown away improperly, can end up in the ocean.

6. After eating a spicy pepper, drinking cold milk or eating a spoonful

of yogurt can help cool your mouth down.

7. Fences are structures that are usually made of wire or wood and
are used to enclose an area.

Choose one of the sentences above that has a problem and solution text
structure. Use the information to fill in the graphic organizer below.

ANSWERS Problem Solution

WILL
VARY:
Cuts or
Possible
scrapes can Clean it
Answer get infected

© 2022 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.

 Text Structures
Problem and Solution
Glue the passages underneath the correct column.
Problem and Solution
Crooked teeth can cause a lot
of issues. Many people dislike the
way crooked teeth look. The
crookedness also makes it harder
to keep your teeth clean and often
leads to teeth grinding.
The most effective way to
straighten crooked teeth is
through braces. Braces put
pressure on teeth, slowly moving
them to the right spot.
In the summer of 1881, President
James Garfield was shot. He was
taken back to the White House to
be cared for, but it was HOT in
Washington D.C. and air
conditioners had not yet been
invented. To cool him down, navy
engineers got some blocks of ice
and soaked fabric in ice water.
Then, they had fans blow on the
fabric and ice. It worked!
Emergencies can be a huge
strain on finances. Whether a
house floods, a car breaks down, a
family member gets sick, or
something else unexpected comes
up, it will be expensive.
Setting aside a little money
every month as an “emergency
fund” can help you prepare for an
emergency. You will have money
to pay for the unexpected.
Not Problem and Solution
Have you ever heard of a
thimbleberry? It is a small, red fruit
that is similar to a raspberry. It has
a sweet, tart taste and a lot of
seeds.
Thimbleberries grow in a lot of
different places, from New Mexico
to Michigan. You won’t find this
fruit in grocery stores, however,
because it is so soft that it doesn’t
pack or ship very well.
The abacus, a tool made of
beads on rods, was the first
calculator. People would slide the
beads up and down the rods to
help them count.
In the 1600s, slide rules were
developed. These helped people
multiply and divide quickly.
The modern calculator that we
use today wasn’t invented until the
1960s.
Gus, a 700 pound polar bear
that lived in the Central Park Zoo,
seemed to be bored and stressed.
He was often seen swimming back
and forth in a figure eight pattern
for up to 12 hours a day. He
seemed neurotic. Animal experts
said this was probably because he
lived in a habitat that was much
smaller than it would have been if
he lived in the wild.
© 2022 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.
 Text Structures
Problem and Solution
Using the reading passage to answer the questions below.

1. What is the main problem in this passage? What is the main

solution?
The main problem is that giant pandas became endangered because
_____________________________________________________________
their habitat got smaller became of humans. The main solution is that
_____________________________________________________________
the Chinese government created panda reserves to protect forest
_____________________________________________________________
areas.
2. Did the solution work? How do you know?
The solution worked because panda bears are no longer considered
_____________________________________________________________
endangered animals.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

3. What detail from the text did you find most interesting? Why?
ANSWERS WILL VARY
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

4. Draw a problem and solution graphic organizer below, and then fill it
in using information from the text.

Problem Solution
Giant pandas The Chinese
became government
endangered created panda
because their reserves to
habitat was taken protect the
over by humans. forests pandas
live in.

© 2022 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. All rights reserved.

 Thank You Follow Me

Feel free to contact me with

any questions or comments:
kalena.baker@teachingmadepractical.com

Free text features chart TPT

Minimize Prep.
Maximize Learning.

Thanks To:
TERMS OF USE
© 2022 Kalena Baker: Teaching Made Practical. Updated 2024.
All rights reserved.

By copyright law, the download of this product entitles one

teacher the use of the digital and printed files for a single
classroom. Files are not to be shared or published (including
being displayed on a website) in any way without direct
permission from the author, Kalena Baker.
MORE FROM TEACHING MADE PRACTICAL

Fun Fraction Scaffolded Summarizing

Review Activities

Character Trait Equivalent Fractions

Activities Practice