Jeff Schreiber Germantown High School WEMTA 2013

Goals for today  Define the idea of high interest nonfiction  Discuss the rationale for using it and focusing on it  How I have used it  Strategies for promotion, ordering

What is high interest nonfiction?  Other names: narrative nonfiction, creative nonfiction, literary nonfiction, long-form journalism, fact-based storytelling  Something that reads like fiction, but is nonfiction  Has the ability to teach while telling a story  Informative, yet entertaining  Reality vs. phoniness  Can be extended

Why focus on HI nonfiction?  Common Core skills  By 12 th grade 70% will be informational text  Text complexity  Mirror of fiction skills (plot, character, theme, etc)  Decoding to comprehension(analysis, inference, synthesis)  Coverage across disciplines in one book!  Argument, evidence, critical thinking, reflection  Focus on craft or writing style

Analysis: Physical Space  How many nonfiction books do I have on display?  How is my access to nonfiction sections?  Do I have any promotions for nonficiton?  Would I be moved to browse in the nonfiction sections?  How are my nonfiction sections labeled?

Analysis: Nonfiction Collection Doing some digging!  Look up % of fiction vs nonfiction  Look up age of collection  Analyze Dewey for strong areas and areas of most use

Destiny Data: Age/Circs/Copies

Analysis: YearAverage AgeItems in nonfictionTotal Items ,12119, ,35313,370

Analysis: Audience  What are your student demographics?  What is your school known for?  What about the location/town of school?  What are curriculum strengths?  Dialog with kids about personal interests

Develop a comprehensive plan  How much of the collection do you want nonfiction  Book length – I found 300 pages or so to be a “magic” number  What subject areas need work—prioritize!  What are your strengths/weaknesses?  Weeding  What are the “sacred cows” of the teachers  % of orders nonficiton

Where do I get my ideas for ordering?  Nonfiction- You have to work for it— there really are few “lists” to use  Avid reader of newspapers  Booklist  NY Times and NY Times Book Reviews  Best Seller Lists  Walking through Barnes and Nobles  Read a variety of magazines  Listen to NPR

Titlewave Data: Ordering

Strategies – involve teachers!  Have “staff experts” in fields that you can refer kids to  Promote staff choices-shelfari display  Teacher book review videos  Encourage nonfiction selections to staff members once you know their interests and subject areas

Strategies – in the classroom  Sell the idea of a nonficiton requirement in both curricular and independent areas  Article of week  Social activism units  Promoting current events discussions in classrooms  Remind them that administrators LOVE anything with nonfiction!!

Strategies/promotion - kids  Creating resource lists that have fiction and nonfiction  “Finding it in Dewey” display  Focus on your physical area for promotion  You can’t make this stuff up!! Create interesting connections (see the TV lists!)

Promotion - display

Promotion- displays

Use your imagination!

Teach Perspective Tyler HamiltonLance Armstrong

If you like this—you may like that…….

If you like this—you may like that!

Mistakes? You will make them Hard to trust pop culture!Death will influence buying

Mistakes can be made! People embellishScandal!!

Future issues to consider  Dewey Vs Genre  Fiction as nonfiction – the Armstrong issue – Does it matter?