Thematic Unit: Belonging - Nonfiction

Introduction

Sometimes a reader might want a quick way to find straightforward information. Nonfiction articles and essays can provide brief or lengthy information on a variety of topics. In order to understand the facts behind the information, readers must learn how to take apart a nonfiction article or essay and understand the meaning the author attempts to convey. Interviews give a more personal insight regarding certain topics. The question and answer set-up in an interview give readers a more personal experience with the information discussed within the interview. In this module, examine the different articles, essays, and interviews. Try to understand the subject matter and purpose behind the author's words in each different type of nonfiction text.

Essential Questions

What is nonfiction?
How do articles, essays, and interviews differ?
What is the purpose of reading and understanding articles, essays, and interviews?
What do nonfiction texts reveal about the subject of the writing?
How can we break down articles, essays, and interviews in order to understand the subject matter?

Key Terms

Genre: The term used for a type or category of literature.
Fiction: A genre of literature invented with the imagination.
Nonfiction: A genre of literature that is true and based on real things, people, events, and places.
Historical fiction: A genre of literature including a setting that is usually real and drawn from history and may contain actual historical persons and events, but the main characters tend to be fictional.
Memoir: An autobiography focusing on a specific time period or experience in a person’s life.
Biography: The story of someone’s life written by another person.
Autobiography: The story of someone’s life written by that particular person.
Chronological order: The arrangement of events following one after another in time.
Cultural context: Understanding the behaviors, beliefs, and characteristics of a particular social, ethnic, or age group that may be relevant to understanding the meaning of the story.
Historical context: Understanding the political and social events of a time period that may be relevant to understanding the meaning of the story.
Theme: The meaning behind the story.
Tone: The attitude of the writer conveyed through writing.
Dialect: A particular form of a language or accent that is peculiar to a specific region or social group.
Article: A short and descriptive piece of information regarding a general subject area.
Essay: A long piece of information revealing ideas or perspectives about an event or concept.
Interview: A conversation between two or more people where questions are asked by the interviewer to find out information.

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