WELCOME to “Teaching Non-Fiction: Increasing Comprehension and Improving Writing” PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LOOK AT THE TEXTS AROUND THE ROOM. DO NOT STEAL THEM,

WELCOME to “Teaching Non-Fiction: Increasing Comprehension and Improving Writing”

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LOOK AT THE TEXTS AROUND THE ROOM.

DO NOT STEAL THEM, PLEASE!

Teaching Non-Fiction: Increasing Comprehension and Improving WritingAbbey DickNew England Association of Teachers of EnglishNovember 3, 20121145 to 100

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Goals for Today

Make the case for more informational texts in the ELA classroom (even pre-Common Core)

Where to find it. What to do with it. How more informational text

leads to better reading AND writing


4

AP Language and Composition Summer Reading: Malcolm X,

An American Childhood, Fast Food Nation, Writers on Writing

In class: Nickel and Dimed, The Bedford Reader, Strunk and White, Sicko, In Cold Blood


5

Informational Text in Assessments Right Now

MCAS—at least 50% AP—50% (AP Language—11th

grade) SAT—90% SAT Subject Tests—95% AccuPlacer—100% PARCC Sample Items—about 50% NECAP—11th grade is 50%


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The New Lingo

In the past“fiction” and “non-fiction”

NOW“narrative” and “informational text”

Also, ELA teachers may use “literary non-fiction” in

addition to “informational text”


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Literary/Creative Non-Fiction In Cold Blood EB White’s “Once More to the

Lake” I Know Why the Caged Bird

Sings The Things They Carried Less information, more

description Memoir


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The Common Core Reading Shift


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The Common Core Writing Shift


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Changes in a Student’s Day: OLD

Class Sci Phys. Ed.

SS Math Study

ELA Span.

Amount of

Reading

10% of total

all NF

90% of total

80% F

10% NF


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Changes in a Student’s Day: NEWClass Sci Phys.

Ed.SS Math Stud

yELA Span

.

Amount of

Reading

15% I 10% I 15% I 10% I 30% N

10% I or “lit. NF”

10% I


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You can still love literature!


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Why do we resist non-fiction?

We only know how to use it as a supplement, not as a text to teach

We love literature! We don’t have any. We hope someone else is doing

it. We think we don’t have time.


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Why is non-fiction great?

Can relate to real-world themes, topics, and events.

Can build significant background knowledge gaps.

Can engage more students. They may never read a novel

again in college.


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Can seriously expand the modes your students use to write, once they see models (pages 3 and 6 of packet)

Can open up a world of writing assignments

Can expose students to different genres (speech, essays, letters, argument)


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More close reading of non-fiction texts (rhetorical analysis) can give students more tools to improve their own writing

Many opportunities for audio, media, technology, graphic representation, etc.


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Where to find more . . . Books of essays

and speeches The Globe/other

papers Kelly Gallagher’s

AoW Time for Kids Weekly Reader Sports Illustrated

for Kids

CNN Student News

National Geographic for Kids

Tween Tribune College

Board/DESE School and public

libraries Newsletters in the

mail


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What to do with it Teach Rhetorical Vocabulary—this is

“academic language” (pages 4 and 5) Teach the models of discourse (model

and imitate) Work non-fiction in any way you can

(pair with literature) Fun Reading/Summer Reading Bring in real world examples of

argument and purposeful writing


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How do to rhetorical analysis

Pages 4-111. Find a passage.2. Label the paragraphs and

make ample space.3. Provide a list of verbs and/or

paragraph bridges4. Have students label and

discuss


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Rhetorical analysis questions

1. Why is the author telling us this?

2. What is the author leaving out?

3. Why type of evidence is he/she using and from where?

4. Is the main idea implied or stated directly?

5. Why is this piece noteworthy?


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Improve Writing

Once you’ve done rhetorical analysis, it’s hard to justify the five-paragraph essay:

1. Author introduces an argument2. Author provides an example3. Author provides an example4. Author provides an example5. Author restates argument


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SOAPSTone Analysis

Pages 13 and 14 The acronym gives a

framework for analyzing non-fiction texts.

Use the graphic organizer before writing about a nonfiction text.

Use for everything (art, posters, propaganda, commercials)


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SAP Writing Assignment

Three paragraphs every time:

1. Summarize—main idea, what happened

2. Analyze—deeper look, what do the parts contribute

3. Personalize—connect to a text or to the world (limit text to self)


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Devil’s Advocate

“Why I Ride without a Bike Helmet,” by Nick Olender

“Voting is a right, but it’s not a duty,” by Jeff Jacoby

“College is a Waste of Time and Money,” by Caroline Bird


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Why Appendix B is Awesome

Provides lists of texts: Stories Drama Poetry Informational texts: ELA Informational texts: HSS Informational texts: SMTS


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Also provides Samples from the texts Performance Assessments

using the texts (ideas for assignments)

More than Shakespeare and foundational American texts


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Also provides Lots of non-fiction ideas for

authors and texts Academic vocabulary in

context How to use new content

literacy standards (beyond the textbook!)


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Samples of Appendix B Texts

Grade 6-8: Tom Sawyer “Eleven” Travels with Charley Freedom Walkers The Number Devil: A

Mathematical Adventure


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Grade 9-10: The Metamorphosis Macbeth To Kill a Mockingbird The Hot Zone: A Terrifying

True Story Lincoln, Roosevelt, MLK,

Reagan


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Grade 11-CCR: Jane Eyre The Namesake Hamlet Thoreau, Emerson, Paine,

Orwell Gladwell, Gawande


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Sample Performance Assessment

6-8Students provide an objective

summary of Frederick Douglass’s narrative. They analyze how the central idea regarding the evils of slavery is conveyed through supporting ideas and developed over the course of the text. (page 93)


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9-10Students determine the purpose

and point of view in MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech and analyze how King uses rhetoric (the resources of language?) to advance his position. (page 130)


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11-CCRStudents analyze how the key

term “success” is interpreted, used, and refined over the course of GK Chesterton’s essay “The Fallacy of Success.” (page 171)


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What makes an assignment more Core?


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Analysis (taking apart) or synthesis (putting together)

Combining literary and informational

Making an argument and supporting it with evidence

Have (or create) a real situation


36


Adding media (videos, music, art, visual texts)

Incorporate the language on academic language sheet

Text-based questions and writing from reading


37


Comparing and contrasting two views of one idea (pages 11-12)

Writing that acknowledges contradictory evidence

Anything that distinguishes HOW something was written and WHY (not just WHAT it says)

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Cool new resource

Writing Standards in Action project:

www.doe.mass.edu/candi/wsa

http://www.doe.mass.edu/candi/wsa





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Documents

WELCOME to “Teaching Non-Fiction: Increasing Comprehension and Improving Writing” PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LOOK AT THE TEXTS AROUND THE ROOM. DO NOT STEAL THEM,