Portuguese Year 5: How a text is organised and how to record what you read
Portuguese, Year 5 (Portugal): Find the parts and sub-parts of a text, then record and process its information: underlining, margin notes, a diagram and a summary in your own words.
Parts, sub-parts and what you do with them
A text has parts and sub-parts. An expository text usually has an introduction (presents the subject), a development (divided into sub-parts, each on one aspect) and a conclusion (closes or sums up). You find the parts through paragraphs, titles and subtitles, and changes of subject. Then you record and process the information: underline key words, write margin notes, make a diagram and a summary in your own words.
Like the plan of a house
Understanding the structure is like seeing the plan of a house: you know where to look for each thing. And recording what you read lets you study without re-reading everything: when you underline only the essentials and make a diagram, you fix the information, and doing it forces you to understand. Processing information goes beyond copying: you reorganise, compare and summarise in your own words.
A text about bees
A text about bees has four paragraphs: 1st presents bees and hives; 2nd says who does what (queen, workers, drones); 3rd explains how they help plants by carrying pollen from flower to flower; 4th says why it is important to protect them. Step 1: summarise each paragraph in a few words. Step 2: group: introduction (1st), development with two sub-parts (2nd and 3rd), conclusion (4th). Step 3: underline key words and draw the diagram: bees → hive | who does what | pollen | protect. Step 4: write a two-sentence summary in your own words.
Underlining everything, copying, mixing up parts and paragraphs
If you underline almost everything, you have stopped choosing: in the end the text still looks all the same. Underline only key words and the sentence that sums up each paragraph. Summarising is not copying sentences from the text either: use your own, shorter words. Another mistake is mixing up parts and paragraphs: one part can have several paragraphs, and sub-parts group paragraphs about the same aspect.
Where you use this
You use this when you study for a test with a diagram for each topic, when you prepare a group project with one card per source, when you search the internet and note the essentials of each page, or when you read a book's contents page to decide where to begin.
Test what you learned
A text has four paragraphs: the 1st presents the subject, the 2nd and 3rd explain two aspects, the 4th concludes. How is it organised?
- a) Introduction, development (with two sub-parts) and conclusion
- b) Only introduction and conclusion
- c) Four parts, one per paragraph, always
Correct answer: a) Introduction, development (with two sub-parts) and conclusion — Yes: the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs form the development, each one a sub-part about one aspect.
You are going to study a text with four paragraphs. What is the best procedure?
- a) Underline everything, so nothing is lost
- b) Underline key words, summarise each paragraph and make a diagram
- c) Copy the whole text into your notebook
Correct answer: b) Underline key words, summarise each paragraph and make a diagram — Yes: choosing, summarising and organising forces you to understand and leaves you with something quick to review.
When you make a summary, what is the right procedure?
- a) Copy sentences from the text, one after another
- b) Pick the longest sentences, because they say more
- c) Say the essentials in your own words, in less text than the original
Correct answer: c) Say the essentials in your own words, in less text than the original — Yes: a summary keeps the main ideas, in your own words and shorter than the original.
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