English Language Arts and Reading.7.8.D.i

The student is expected to

analyze characteristics and structural elements of informational text, including:

 

the controlling idea or thesis with supporting evidence;

multiple genres TEKS talk image

Knowledge and Skills Statement

Multiple genres: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--genres. The student recognizes and analyzes genre-specific characteristics, structures, and purposes within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse texts.

After reading an informational text aloud to the class, engage students in a conversation regarding the controlling idea of the text. Students should provide text evidence to support their responses.
 

Further Explanation

This assessment provides an opportunity for the teacher to observe student understanding of the distinguishing characteristics of informational texts, such as such as the use of a controlling idea to guide the focus of the writing. Additionally, students understand that texts can be structured in various ways to serve specific purposes. Students must be familiar enough with these characteristics and structures to be able to examine the intent and effect of their use in texts.

Students should understand that informational texts have distinguishing characteristics, such as the use of a controlling idea or thesis to guide the focus of the writing, and that these texts can be structured in various ways to serve specific purposes. Students in this grade should be familiar enough with these characteristics and structures to be able to examine the intent and effect of their use in texts.
Informational texts are centered around a focused message that the author hopes to clearly communicate and explain to the audience. This controlling idea is often the point around which the rest of the writing is structured. Sometimes the message is implied but central to overall text or controls the direction of the information within the text. Since the goal in informational texts is to be as clear and straightforward as possible, the message will often be explicitly stated as a thesis statement and included near the beginning of the text so the reader knows exactly through what lens the information will be provided.
the available body of supporting, valid, and relevant details, facts, or information that supports an inference, idea, or proposition
a text that presents information in order to explain, clarify, and/or educate
in a speech or piece of writing, the premise or main idea that is supported by details and commentary

Research

1. VanDerHeide, J., & Juzwik, M. M. (2018). Argument as conversation: Students responding through writing to significant conversations across time and place. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 62(1), 67–77. doi: 10.1002/jaal.754

Summary: When students are tasked with writing in a particular form, students often lose focus on why they are writing. More emphasis is placed on whether each component of the form is included. In this article, the author presents an instructional model that reconnects to the why of writing. The model of information reasoning requires students to learn how to make claims, provide supporting evidence of that claim, and create additional examples of the claim through the use of analogies and stories. In this study, students were asked to write a letter in response to an ongoing conversation that was of particular importance to them. The experience helped to develop the students' ability to advocate for a position through writing. The approach requires scaffolding on argumentative writing instruction. This study includes multiple templates to guide the writing of the responses.This approach fosters the opportunity for students to participate in conversations that have a historical background. In doing so, students engage in topics of debate that have continued over time and in various spaces. Students are invited to participate in these discussions through their writing positions as arguing for or against a position. 

2. Mason, L. H., Kubina, R. M., & Taft, R. (2011). Developing quick writing skills of middle school students with disabilities. The Journal of Special Education, 44(4), 205–220. doi: 10.1177/0022466909350780

Summary: Two studies were designed to examine the use of persuasive quick write responses with seventh-grade students with disabilities  In both studies, the written responses of the students were evaluated before, during, and after students developed their personal strategy to address the quick response. Two strategies were used by the students: POW—pick my idea, organize my notes, write and say more; and TREE: topic sentence, reasons—three or more, explain, and ending. All students improved in their ability to create a strong persuasive response after a few weeks of instruction and practice.

3. Hedin, L. R., & Conderman, G. (2010). Teaching students to comprehend informational text through rereading. The Reading Teacher, 63(7), 556–565. doi:10.1598/RT.63.7.3

Summary: Hedin and Conderman describe specific strategies that students can use to make meaning of the text and increase reading and writing comprehension. The study reveals strategies are successful with struggling readers. The approach uses paraphrasing and rereading to identify the placement of the main ideas, key terms, and definitions. The approach also includes pronouns, appositives, or text enhancements. Charts, samples, and references are included.