Analysing Structure and Style

Overview

In this second lesson of Reading Endurance Critically, students examine how the text is organised and how the author’s language choices shape meaning. Building on their initial reading and understanding of the text, students use evidence to explain how structure, style, and audience connect to the author’s purpose.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify structural features in Endurance, including sequencing, paragraphing, and headings.
• WALT analyse vocabulary, sentence patterns, and descriptive techniques.
• WALT explain how structural and language choices support the text’s purpose and engage its audience.
• WALT use precise evidence from the text to justify our ideas.

Success criteria

• I can identify how information or events are ordered and grouped.
• I can describe a language feature and give an example from the text.
• I can explain how a structural or language choice affects the reader.
• I can support my thinking with an accurate quotation or reference to the text.

Curriculum links

• Reading — text form, structure, style, and features: exploring how authors use structure, language, and text features to communicate ideas clearly and support purpose.
• Writing Processes — drafting multi-paragraph texts with headings and subheadings: recognising how headings, paragraphs, and organisation support communication.
• Writing — audience, purpose, and language choice: making deliberate choices about content and language based on how writing may affect others.
• Writing to inform and persuade: recognising logical grouping, precise vocabulary, linking language, and audience engagement.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and retrieval. Teacher displays a striking image of the Endurance trapped in ice and asks, “How could the same information feel different if it were arranged as a diary, a news report, or a scientific explanation?” Open with the hook and retrieval slides and briefly revisit the text’s purpose, audience, and key events. Students discuss with a partner and share one remembered structural feature or language choice.

2. 5–13 min · Direct teaching: structure. Teacher uses the structure teaching slides to model how to notice sequence, paragraphing, headings, and shifts between narrative and informational writing. Think aloud using a short passage from Endurance: identify what comes first, how a paragraph develops one idea, and how a heading prepares the reader. Students annotate their copy by labelling one structural feature and explaining what it helps the reader do.

3. 13–20 min · Direct teaching: style. Teacher models a close reading of two or three sentences, noticing precise or domain-specific vocabulary, sentence length and pattern, imagery, and descriptive detail. Ask: “What does this choice make us picture, understand, or feel?” Students suggest alternatives and discuss how changing one word or sentence pattern could alter the audience’s response.

4. 20–32 min · Paired evidence investigation. Distribute the structure and style analysis worksheet and the Text Evidence Quote Tracker to pairs. Assign each pair one focus: structure, vocabulary, sentence patterns, or descriptive techniques. Students locate two examples in Endurance, record the quotation and page or paragraph reference, then complete: “The author has chosen to… This supports the purpose because… It engages the audience by…” Partners must distinguish between what the text says and what the choice suggests.

5. 32–39 min · Collaborative comparison. Teacher regroups students into mixed-focus groups of four and displays the group comparison and discussion slides. Each student explains one finding while group members ask, “Why this choice?” and “What might happen if the author changed it?” Groups select their strongest example and prepare a two-sentence explanation linking feature, effect, purpose, and audience.

6. 39–45 min · Plenary and exit check. Invite several groups to share. Return to the opening question through the plenary slides. Students complete the final section of the structure and style analysis worksheet: “One structural choice is… Its effect on the reader is… One language choice is… It supports the author’s purpose by…” Collect responses to identify students needing further support in Lesson 3.

Resources

• Endurance class text or selected excerpt
• the complete introduction, modelling, activity, discussion, and plenary slide deck
• the structure and style analysis worksheet
• the Text Evidence Quote Tracker
• Projector or interactive whiteboard
• Highlighters or coloured pencils
• Exercise books and pens

Assessment

• During modelling, check whether students can distinguish a structural feature from a language feature and explain its effect.
• While pairs work, conference with students using the prompt: “What evidence proves that?” Note whether they record accurate quotations and connect evidence to purpose and audience.
• Use the completed final response as an exit assessment: sort responses into secure, developing, and requiring support for structure, language analysis, and evidence use.

Differentiation

• Provide selected paragraphs, pre-highlighted possible features, and sentence frames such as “The heading tells the reader…” and “The word ___ suggests…” for students needing support.
• Allow students to discuss ideas orally before writing and pair developing readers with a supportive peer. Provide audio access to the excerpt or teacher read-aloud where appropriate.
• For EAL learners, pre-teach key terms such as sequence, purpose, audience, imagery, and domain-specific vocabulary, with simple examples displayed on the slides.
• Challenge confident readers to compare two passages or explain how the author balances factual information with narrative tension.