1. Introduction to Nonfiction
Types
&
Organization

2. B) An Introduction to Nonfiction
There are 4 types of nonfiction and
each has a different purpose.
Narrative nonfiction
1) ___________________
2) ____________________
Expository nonfiction
Persuasive nonfiction
3) ___________________
Reflective nonfiction
4) __________________

3. A)
Narrative Nonfiction = ________________ 1)
To inform, to explain 2)
Tells a true story about a person’s life that focuses on events 3)
Can still have a plot full of real
events that actually happened 4)
Still has real-life characters
who deal with conflict 5)
EX: Biographies and Autobiographies

4. Expository Nonfiction = _________________ 1) B)
Expository Nonfiction = _________________ 1)
To inform or to explain;
Gives no opinions – just facts 2)
Gives information about a topic 3)
Factual discussion of anything from
chocolate to the solar system 4)
EX: Textbooks, news articles,
how-to writings, encyclopedia
entries, etc.

5. C)
Persuasive Nonfiction = ________________ 1)
To persuade the reader
to do or to
buy something 2)
Attempts to convince the reader
to agree with the author’s point of
view 3)
Includes facts and opinions to
support the author’s position 4)
EX: Editorials, advertisements,
speeches

6. D)
Reflective Nonfiction = _________________ 1)
Presents the writer’s
thoughts, feelings, and
memories about an experience or an event 2)
The author thinks back through
experiences or ideas. 3)
The author tells what he/she
learned, why the experience was
important, and why it matters. 4)
EX: Memoirs, letters, journals

7. Four Main types of nonfiction in our 7th grade standards
Narrative
Expository
Persuasive
Reflective

8. Narrative
This is most commonly seen in biographies and autobiographies.
The writing tells a true story.
It can include a plot, with many events that took place.
The characters are real-life and deal with conflict.

9. Expository
This gives information about a topic.
Think about how chocolate is made, where animals live, the planets, etc.
Newspapers, magazines, directions, encyclopedia entries are all examples.
Expository = Explain.

10. Persuasive This writing is to convince someone to see things your way.
Facts and opinions will be used to support the author’s point.
Advertisements, speeches, and letters to the editors are all great examples of persuasive writing.

11. Reflective
This writing shows the author is thinking about ideas or experiences.
Letters, journals, diaries, and memoirs are examples of reflective writing.

12. ORGANIZING NONFICTION
Nonfiction is organized, or written, in many ways.
There are 5 that are the most common:
Description
Chronological Order
Cause & Effect
Compare & Contrast
Problem and Solution

13. Chronological order
The writing is done in the order in which the events occur.
This pattern is marked by such transitions as next, then, the following morning, a few hours later, still later, that day, by noon, when she was seventeen, before the sun rose, that month.

14. example
It seemed like an ordinary day when she got up that morning, but Lynda was about to embark on the worst day of her life. First, she fell in the bathtub because her mother forgot to rinse out the bath oil. Then she spilled orange juice on the outfit she had spent hours putting together for school pictures. When she changed, she messed up the French braid her mother had put in her hair. As she walked out the door, she dropped all of her school books and her math homework flew away. Once she made it to the car she thought everything would be all right. She was wrong; her father didn't look before he backed out of the driveway and ran into the neighbor’s truck. Lynda’s side of the car was damaged the most, and she ended up with a broken arm. That night, she cried herself to sleep.

15. Cause & Effect
This writing shows how one event will lead to another event.
Commonly used transitions for this type of writing are as follows:
* For causes- because, due to, on cause is, another is, since, for, first, second.
* For Effects- consequently, as a result, thus, resulted in,
one result is, another is, therefore.

16. example
Because toys have become electronic devices, some children today are unable to entertain themselves. Gone are the days when children invented their own adventures and used sticks as swords. cookie sheets as armor, and refrigerator box as a fortress to defend. The electronic age has delivered children all sorts of gadgets and gizmos that are supposed to be realistic. Some toys even have buttons to push so prerecorded messages can be played to begin scripted adventures that require no imagination. No imagination? No wonder some children today have short attention spans.

17. Interact!
All students need to stand up.
Listen to the examples read by me.
IF it is chronological order, clap your hands!
IF it is cause & effect, stomp your feet!

18. Compare & Contrast
This is writing is used to show how things are the same and different.
Popular transitions used in this type of writing are: contrast, by the same token, conversely, instead, like-wise, on one hand, on the other hand, on the contrary, rather, similarly, yet, but, however, still, nevertheless, in contrast.

19. example
As a child, I thought my parents were ignorant and out of touch with reality. They couldn’t possibly understand anything I thought or felt. When they weren’t annoying me with their ridiculous lectures, or grounding me for minor infractions of the rules, they were embarrassing me in public. Similarly, I find it frustrating that my children think I have no clue about their lives, even though I understand perfectly well what they are thinking or feeling. I find myself giving my children the same lectures I once thought were ridiculous. However, my children can not seem to follow the rules their father and I have set, and they are continuously embarrassing me in public. My, how things have changed.

20. 5 Organizational Styles of Nonfiction:
Problem-Solution which identifies an
issue and then provides a resolution
5B) Signal Words: 1) 2) 3) 4)
If / then
The problem is …
The question is…
One possible solution is …

21. In the early 1800s, the United States needed room to grow
In the early 1800s, the United States needed room to grow. The problem was most people lived in the East. The cities were crowded. New land was expensive. Young families couldn’t afford to buy farms.
Then, as a solution, the United States government purchased land from France. The government also acquired land from Mexico. Soon the country stretched all the way to the Pacific Ocean. People looked to the setting sun with outstretched arms and said, “Go west!”
Settlers rode in wagons or on horses. They followed long, dusty trails across hot plains for thousands of miles. There was no shelter. People slept in tents on the ground. They had to watch out for wild animals like wolves and snakes. The trip west could take months.
Then a railroad was built that stretched from the East Coast almost to the West Coast. The railroad made travel faster. More people poured into the new lands. The settlers quickly built small towns where the farming, fishing, and mining were good.

22. Description
A topic, idea, person, place, or thing is described by listing its features, characteristics, or examples.
Signal Words
For instance
Such as…
To begin with
An example
To illustrate
Characteristics
*Look for the topic word (or a synonym or pronoun) to be repeated

23. Description
This type of text structure features a detailed description of something to give the reader a mental picture. EXAMPLE: A book may tell all about whales or describe what the geography is like in a particular region.