Nonfiction English 9 Elements of Literature: Third Course Holt Rinehart Winston

Nonfiction vs. Fiction Compare and contrast

Reading Nonfiction: Critical Thinking We ask about the writer. – We don’t believe everything we read. We ask if the writer is qualified, if the writer has bias or a special purpose. Is the writer informing or trying to persuade? We try to determine if what we are reading is fact or opinion. – Statements of fact can be verified, but opinions cannot.

Reading Nonfiction: Critical Thinking We interpret. – It’s important that we trust our own knowledge and judgment when we read. We try to figure out the writer’s main idea, and we decide if we agree with it. We analyze. – We look to see how convincingly—and how thoroughly—the writer supports the main idea. What facts, examples, incidents, anecdotes, comparisons, and other kinds of information hold up the main idea.

Reading Nonfiction: Critical Thinking We extend the text. – We put the new information to work. We might want to search for more information or look for another point of view. We challenge the text. – We reflect on the vision of the world the text offers us, questioning it, perhaps even disagreeing with it.

“Some memories are realities and are better than anything that can ever happen to one again.” –Willa Cather How can memories be realities? Can you think of any examples of memories that continue to surface in their awareness?

Purpose: the author’s reason for writing – To inform – To persuade – To entertain

“Not Much of Me” and “With a Task Before Me” Abraham Lincoln Tone: the attitude a writer takes toward an audience, a subject, or a character. Autobiography: an account of an author’s own life Speech: an oral performance that is delivered to an audience

Lincoln’s important life events: – Born February 12, 1809 – Mother died at age 10 – Little formal education – Worked on a farm until age 22 – Captain in the Black Hawk War (1832) – IL Legislature: lost race in 1832 but later elected and served from – Moved to Springfield, IL and practiced law – Served one term in House of Representatives from

Did these two pieces tell you anything new about Abraham Lincoln? Did they affect the way you feel about him? People reveal a great deal about themselves when they look back on their lives. What words would you use to describe Lincoln’s tone as he writes about himself in “Not Much of Me”? Find details from the selection to support your answer. How does Lincoln describe his education? What do you think enabled him to achieve so much? If someone asked any of the recent presidents to sum up their lives, what might they focus on? What tone do you think these modern presidents might take?

“When I Lay My Burden Down” Maya Angelou Imagery

“Women” and “Choice…” Alice Walker (1944- ) – Wrote “Women” for her mother – Short story writer, poet, and essayist – Most famous for her novel, The Color Purple

“Choice: A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” Alice Walker Main idea: the message or concept communicated by an author

“The Talk” Gary Soto Exaggeration: overstating something in a big way—make that “in a colossal way”