Decomposing and Analyzing Text Structures with Flowcharts

Students are working in pairs to analyze two historical texts. Using decomposition, one group breaks down the cause/effect structure in a passage about climate change, identifying each cause and its effect, while another group deconstructs a problem/solution text about a water crisis. As they fill in their flowcharts, students see how breaking the text into smaller steps helps them understand the relationships between ideas. 

During presentations, each group explains how decomposition helped them uncover key connections between the main ideas, using flowcharts to visually represent their findings.

Objective: 

Students will analyze the cause/effect and problem/solution structures of two texts by breaking down (decomposing) the information into smaller, manageable parts and creating flowcharts to visually represent the relationships between key ideas and events.

Materials Needed: 

• Printed copies of two historical or scientific texts

• Flowchart templates

• Markers

• Problem decomposition worksheets

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • The teacher explains how decomposition is a computational thinking skill that involves breaking down complex problems or information into smaller pieces. 

  • Students are introduced to two texts—one focused on cause/effect and another on problem/solution. 

  • They will analyze these structures by creating flowcharts to map out the relationships between key ideas.

• Activity: 

  • In pairs, students read their assigned text, using problem decomposition worksheets to break down the text into smaller steps. 

  • For example, when analyzing cause/effect, they identify each event and its outcome. If analyzing a problem/solution text, they decompose it by identifying the main problem and the steps leading to the solution. 

  • Students then organize this information into a flowchart, showing how the events or ideas are connected. 

  • This process allows them to visually represent the text’s structure and see how the main ideas are supported by key details.

• Presentation and Discussion: 

  • After completing their flowcharts, each pair presents their analysis to the class, explaining how decomposing the text into smaller parts helped them understand the relationships between the ideas or events. 

  • The class reflects on how this computational thinking strategy clarified the overall text structure and made it easier to identify the main ideas.

Equity and Access: 

Provide step-by-step worksheets for students who need additional guidance, and encourage mixed-ability groupings to foster peer learning.

Real-World Connection: 

Relate the activity to how software developers and data analysts use flowcharts to break down complex processes and visualize data relationships, which helps them solve problems in fields like engineering, medicine, and logistics.

CS Practice(s): 

• Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems: Students identify the key relationships and structures within the text and define how they are connected.

Standard(s): 

• CA CCSS for ELA-Literacy RI.5.5

• CA CS 3-5.AP.13

Objective: 

Students will use a block-based coding platform to create a digital summary of a historical or scientific text, identifying the main ideas and showing how they are supported by key details.

Materials Needed: 

• Tablets or computers

• Historical/scientific text

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • The teacher introduces the concept of summarizing a text and explains that students will use coding to create an interactive digital summary. 

  • The summary will highlight the main ideas of a historical or scientific text and show how key details support these ideas.

• Activity: 

  • Working in pairs, students read the assigned text and identify two or more main ideas. 

  • They then use a coding platform to create an interactive project that presents the main ideas and key supporting details. 

  • For example, students might create an animation where a character explains each main idea, with clickable buttons that reveal supporting details from the text. 

  • As they build their project, students add code blocks that control the animation and the interaction between the user and the main ideas. 

  • They test their program to ensure that each detail is correctly linked to the right main idea.

• Presentation and Discussion: 

  • Each pair presents their interactive digital summary, explaining how they used coding to organize and present the main ideas and supporting details. 

  • The class discusses how the project helped clarify the key information in the text and how coding enhanced their understanding of summarization.

Equity and Access: 

Provide pre-built code templates for students needing extra support, and allow students to work in mixed-ability pairs to foster collaboration and peer support.

Real-World Connection: 

Highlight how educational apps and digital books use similar interactive features to help readers engage with and better understand complex texts.

CS Practice(s): 

• Creating Computational Artifacts: Students design and code an interactive summary of the text. 

• Testing and Refining Computational Artifacts: Students test their program to ensure their digital summary accurately represents the main ideas and supporting details.

Standard(s): 

• CA CCSS for ELA-Literacy RI.5.2

• CA CS 3-5.AP.13, 3-5.AP.17