Analyze Genres of Nonfiction

Young people need to be able to go to the best resource to solve a problem or address an issue. From books and posters to websites, students need to be able to identify the purpose of works and select the best resource for the job. Older children need to be able identify bias and the author's perspective. Use evaluation tools and checklists to assist in this work.

Genre: Categories of Nonfiction

Young people need experiences working with a wide range of nonfiction materials. Check out a list of nonfiction types and definitions at wikipedia.

• English Standard K.2.4 Identify types of everyday print materials.
• English Standard 2.2.2. State the purpose for reading. (Core Standard)
• English Standard 2.2.3. Use knowledge of the author's purpose(s) to comprehend informational text.
• English Standard 4.2.2. Use appropriate strategies when reading for different purposes.
  
• English Standard 7.2.1 Understand and analyze the differences in structure and purpose between various categories of informational materials (such as textbooks, newspapers, and instructional or technical manuals). (Core Standard)
• English Standard 8.2.7 Analyze the structure, format, and purpose of informational materials (such as textbooks, newspapers, instructional or technical manuals, and public documents). (Core Standard)

Let's explore some of the different types of nonfiction.

Focus on Databases. Databases, identification keys, and collections provide key word access to information. By using search words or making choices, records of information are presented to users. Children need to learn how to search and select information to meet their need.

• Inspire. A website providing access to electronic databases such as Kids Search and Student Research Center that can be accessed through a search tool.
• Tree Identification Guide. An identification key that helps users identify a tree through a series of questions.
  • Comprehension and Notetaking. Start with needles or leaves from trees around the school. Students work their way through a series of questions to identify the tree.
• Collections. From photo collections to historical documents, young people can access primary source materials on a wide range of topics.

Focus on Historical Documents. Most well-known historical documents are available online.

Historical Documents (K-12 students). Easy-to-read versions transcriptions of the original documents.

• Declaration of Independence
• Articles of Confederation
• Constitution
• The Bill of Rights
• Emancipation Proclamation
• Gettysburg Address

Historical Documents from National Archives. The best source for digital reproductions of the documents.

• American's Historical Documents
• Charters of Freedom
• Our Documents - 100 Important Documents

Focus on Labels. Young people need to be able to read a wide range of labels. Explore the web for examples. Here are a few. Use bubbles in Powerpoint for explanations. Or, complete math activities based on serving sizes.

• A Homeowner's Guide to Fertilizer Labels
• Understanding Food Labels
• Understanding Food Labels
• Nutrition Fact Label from Wikipedia
• Nutrition Information. Place where you can search for food.

Focus on Periodicals. Explore print magazines, but also consider activities with online magazines.

• Structure Questions. Ask students to examine the structure of a print or online magazine.
  • What does the cover tell you about the issue?
  • How are magazines organized?
  • What are the features found in the magazine?
  • National Wildlife. Provide each child with a different issue of the magazine and compare the structure and contents.
    • Primary: Your Big Backyard. Explore a sample issue.
    • Intermediate: Ranger Rick. Explore a sample issue.
    • Middle/High: National Wildlife.
  • National Geographic has three levels for young people:
    • Primary: National Geographic Explorer: Little Kids
    • Intermediate: National Geographic Explorer: Pioneer
    • Middle: National Geographic Explorer: Pathfinder
• Comprehension Activities. Ask student to read articles and address questions.
  • Compare the online article with a print resource.
  • Develop questions for a peer related to an article.
  • Use an article for the beginning of a project rather than a topic.
  • Print Magazines: Highlights, Pop Magazine, Zoobooks, Master List of Children's Magazines Online
  • Online Magazines:
  • Smithsonian Magazine (Middle School)
  • Natural Inquirer - Middle School Science Journal
• Analysis Activities. Involve young people in examining articles in-depth.
  • What is the perspective of the author?
  • Why did the author writing this article at this particular time and place in this magazine?
  • Use the article as a starting point to learn more about a topic: What are your questions about the article? What do you want to learn? Where can you go to find additional information about this topic?
  • Explore historical magazines. Select one of the magazines above to analyze.
    • How have the articles changed over the years?
    • How have the advertisements changed?
    • How have the fashioned changed?

    Hightlights Magazine- Time machine. Explore the history of the magazine.

  • Google Books - Magazines. Recently, Google has begun digitized magazines, no children's magazines are currently available. Explore the following magazines from Google books. Notice that a timeline of issues is provided.

    • American Cowboy (1990-present)
    • Baseball Digest (1940-present)
    • Bicycling (2006-2008)
    • Indianapolis Monthly (1990-present)
    • Men's Health (2006-present)
    • Mountain Bike (2006-present)
    • New York Magazine(1965-1997)
    • Popular Mechanics (1900-2005)
    • Popular Science (1870 to 2008)
    • Prevention (2006-present)
    • Running (2006-present)
    • Vegetarian Times (1980-2004)

Focus on News Sources

• Newspapers for Kids. Many newspapers and online news sources provide a version for kids. Ask a different group of children to report on the news each day.
  • Indianapolis Star
  • Kids Post from Washington Post
  • Yak's Corner from Detroit Free Press
  • New York Times Learning Network (Middle School)
    • Indepth Topics
  • NYT Teaching Ideas
    • The Careful Reader (PDF) from New York Times. A curriculum guide with ideas for promoting critical thinking through reading.
    • Literacy Skills Across the Curriculum (PDF)
      
    • Elementary Enrichment (PDF)
    • Writing Skills and Strategies(PDF)
• News Websites
• Scholastic News. Focus on particular articles and sections.
  • Kid's Press Corps. Explore student-produced articles.
    • Special Reports. Explore a topic in-depth.
• Vote Online. Explore issues and vote on topics. Explore previous polls.
• Teacher Materials for Scholastic News
• KWL (PDF), Idea Web (PDF), T-Chart (PDF), Get the Scoop (PDF), A Site to See (PDF)
• Graphic Organizers
• Global Gang
• News Hour Extra
• Nick News
• Press Pack News
• Time for Kids
• Write a News Article from Time for Kids
• Blogs. Blogs provide an introduction, then "more" option. This would be a good introduction to blog reading for Intermediate readers. Also consider ways to use the comments function.
• National Geographic Kids News
• Sticky Situations (Grades 3-4 and Grades 5-6). Explore the ethical dilemma of the week. Similar to a blog format.
• Scholastic News Blog
  • Teaching Materials on Using Blog (3-8)
• Weekly Reader New Blog
• EcoKids
• Podcasts. Rather than reading the news, ask students to listen and respond to news broadcasts.
• Scholastic News Podcasts
• Earth and Sky and Earth and Sky Kids
• NASA Podcasts
• Science Net Links
• News Writing from Scholastic
  

Focus on Reference. Explore print and online reference resources including dictionaries and almanacs.

• Primary
  • Picture Dictionary
• Intermediate
  • Fact Monster
  • World Almanac
• Middle School
  • World Factbook

Focus on First Hand Accounts. Whether witnessing an historic event or telling the story of a scientific discovery, first hand accounts are some of the most exciting types of nonfiction resources. Some stories are told in diaries or journals, while others are learned through interviews.

• Extraordinary People
• Interview with Robert Bateman - Wildlife artist
• Interview with Sheila Watt-Cloutier - Expert on Inuit people
• Inspirational Kids
• Kids and Careers
• Voices from National Geographic. Choose Archives for many field tales.
• Lesson Ideas
  • Oral history through personal narratives

Focus on Biography. Because there are endless biography resources available to young people. Focus on making comparisons.

• Primary. Weekly Reader Biographies (with audio support)
  • The Story of Christopher Columbus
  • The Story of Johnny Appleseed
  • The Story of Squanto

Write a Biography from Time for Kids

Biography Writing from Scholastic

Focus on Letters. Explore a wide variety of letters and other types of communications such as email.

• Provide examples of Dear Ranger Rick letters. Read an article and write a letter containing facts from the article.
• Letters from the Mayflower: Lizzy Turner: Autumn 1620, Winter 1621, Harvest 1621
• Write a Business Letter from Time for Kids

Nonfiction Across the Curriculum

English and Science Standards. As you examine the standards, look for connections with nonfiction reading experiences.

• English Standard 6.2.1 Identify the structural features of popular media (newspapers, magazines, online information) and use the features to obtain information. (Core Standard)
• Science Standard 6.1.6. Explain that computers have become invaluable in science because they speed up and extend people's ability to collect, store, compile, and analyze data, prepare research reports, and share data and ideas with investigators all over the world.
• Science Standard 6.1.7. Explain that technology is essential to science for such purposes as access to outer space and other remote locations, sample collection and treatment, measurement, data collection and storage, computation, and communication of information.
  • Explore how news websites are used to communication scientific findings
    • Science News for Kids
    • The Why Files
• Science Standard 6.2.7. Locate information in reference books, back issues of newspapers and magazines, compact disks, and computer databases.
  • Explore back issues of Popular Science (1870 to 2008)

Science for a New Generation. It's been a long time since our parents were in middle school. How much has changed? Let's explore scientific news resources and share something that's changed in the past 10, 20, or 30 years. Focus on science blogs and magazines for information about the latest scientific discoveries. Compare articles on the same topic.

• English Standard 8.2.3. Find similarities and differences between texts in the treatment, amount of coverage, or organization of ideas. (Core Standard)
• Science Standard 8.1.1. Recognize that and describe how scientific knowledge is subject to modification as new information challenges prevailing theories and as a new theory leads to looking at old observations in a new way.
• Science Standard 8.1.8. Explain that humans help shape the future by generating knowledge, developing new technologies, and communicating ideas to others.
  • Nature.com. Magazine.
  • Science Daily. News Feed.

Young People as Consumers. The purpose of some websites and print materials is to provide consumer information to assist people in making decisions about purchases.

• English Standard 7.2.2. Locate information by using a variety of consumer and public documents. (Core Standard)
  English Standard 8.2.1 Compare and contrast the features and elements of consumer materials to gain meaning from documents. (Core Standard)
• English Standard 8.2.5. Use information from a variety of consumer and public documents to explain a situation or decision and to solve a problem.
• Science Standard 4.2.6. Support statements with facts found in print and electronic media, identify the sources used, and expect others to do the same. (Core Standard)
• Social Studies 1.4.1. Identify goods that people use. (Core Standard)
• Social Studies 3.4.8. Illustrate how people compare benefits and costs when making choices and decisions as consumers and producers. (Core Standard)
• Social Studies Standard 6.2.9. Compare consumer products, such as generic and brand-name products, and consider reasonable personal trade-offs among them on the basis of features, performance, durability, and costs.
  • Cnet - consumer electronics reviews
  • Consumer.gov - Government resources about being a good consumer
  • Consumer Product Safety Commission
  • Consumer Resource from New Zealand
  • Kids & Family Product Reviews
  • Google Shopping
  • Don't Buy It from PBS Kids
  • I Buy Different
  • Media Awareness Interactives - Co-Co Crunch
  • Teen Consumer Scrapbook