Unit 3- Types of Nonfiction What should we learn?

Elements of Nonfiction  Nonfiction- writing that is true or thought to be true  Functional Texts- practical documents that help people perform everyday tasks.  Literary Nonfiction- some of the same literary elements and techniques as fiction.  *writers of nonfiction have a purpose or goal for writing.

Structure of Nonfiction  Chronological- events in order of which they happened.  Spatial- describes items as they appear in space- e.g. left to right.  Comparison and contrast- groups ideas based similarities and differences.  Cause and effect- how one event causes, or leads to, another  Problem and solution- examines a problem and examines ways to solve it.

Narrative Nonfiction  Direct and Indirect characterization reveal the personalities of real people.  Vivid descriptions and figurative language describe real places, real historical areas, and real customs.  Artful pacing and organization describe actual events.

Forms of Literary Nonfiction  Expository- to explain a process.  Persuasive- to convince a reader to do something.  Narrative- to tell a story of a real life event.  Descriptive- provide a vivid picture of something.  Reflective- explain an event or experience.  Humorous- entertain or amuse.  Analytical- break parts down to show how the parts work as a whole.

Analyzing Structure of Literary Nonfiction  Writers of nonfiction deliberately arrange their words, sentences, paragraphs, and sections in ways that develop their key ideas  Text Features  Subheads  charts  Key ideas  First sentence  Point of View  Major Sections

Analyzing Relationships in Literary Nonfiction  Logical Relationships- work show their subjects in relationships to the larger world.  Writers show how they feel about their subject by their word choice.  Tone- attitude toward his or her subject or audience.  Connotations- emotional associations with the word choice: positive or negative.

Analyzing Relationships in Literary Nonfiction (cont.)  Figurative Language- in literary nonfiction, writers often use figurative language, or unusual comparisons, to bring an idea to life and create a certain tone.  “Cyclone Lily”- sarcastic tone  Lily sheds her things like a tree sheds leaves.- matter of fact tone  Lily is bursting with life. She can’t help but drop petals along the way.- adoring tone

Central Idea  The most important idea in a work or a passage of a text. A single central idea may grow out of two or more key points that develop throughout the text.  Direct Central Idea- author tells the reader directly.  Indirect Central Idea- reader has to inference to find the authors most important idea.  Notice how the author groups details  Look for sentences that pull details together.

Reflective Essay  Presents a writer’s thoughts and feelings- or reflections- about an experience or idea.  Communicate thought and feelings so readers will respond with thoughts and feelings of their own.