Nonfiction Reading

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NonfictionReading
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Whats special about nonfiction?

• It addresses students interests and questions
• It develops and expands vocabulary
• It builds knowledge of the world
• It is everywhere!

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Examples of nonfiction texts
announcements
grocery list
Informational books
schedule
magazine articles
Memo
telephone messages
letters
teachers' manuals
recipes
newspaper
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For this Workshop, the focus will be onreading
nonfiction articles about Alien Invaders.
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Understanding Nonfiction Text

• The five most common nonfiction text structures
  include
• Description
• Sequence
• Comparison and contrast
• Cause and effect
• Problem solution

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Nonfiction TextDescription

• Description
• Presents a topic and provides details that help
  readers understand characteristics of a person,
  place, thing, topic, or idea.
• Example Bats by Gail Gibbons, Amazing Snakes by
  Richard Parsons, and Ant Cities by Arthur Dorros.

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Nonfiction Text Sequence

• Sequence
• Putting facts, events, or concepts in their order
  of occurrence.
• Signal words, like first, second, third, then,
  next, last, before, after, and finally indicate
  order of events.
• Authors use sequence when giving directions for
  an experiment or explaining the stages in an
  animals life cycle.

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Nonfiction Text Comparison and Contrast

• Comparison and Contrast
• Identification of similarities and differences
  between facts, concepts and people.
• Signal words include same as, alike, similar to,
  resembles, compared to, different from, unlike,
  but, and yet.
• For example, authors use this structure to
  compare and contrast crocodiles and alligators or
  life in ancient times with life today.

VS
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Nonfiction Text Cause and Effect

• Cause and Effect
• Description of cause and the resulting effects.
• Cause and effect is often signaled by if, so, so
  that, because of, as a result of, since, in order
  to, and the words cause and effect.
• For example, when authors explain the effects of
  an oil spill or the reasons for animal extinction
  they use this structure.

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Nonfiction Text Problem and Solution

• Problem and Solution
• Shows the development of a problem and its
  solution.
• Signal words include problem, solution, because,
  cause, since, as a result, and so that.
• For example, authors use this structure to
  explain why inventions are created, why money was
  invented, or why you should buy a particular
  product.

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Text Features

• Text Features Help Students Understand Nonfiction
  Text

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What are text features?

• Text features to help the reader better
  understand what they have read.
• Text features provide additional information.
• Text features help the reader visualize the text.

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Table of Contents
Where do find this in a nonfiction book?

• Lists the major parts of a book with page
  numbers.
• It outlines the main topics or main points.
• Readers can use the table of contents to help
  locate information and see how everything is
  organized.

Table of Contents Chapter 1 All About
Animals Animal Adaptations ..Page 1 Animal
Food...Page 2 Animal Habitats . ..Page
3 Animal Homes ...Page 4 Chapter 2 All
About Plants Photosynthesis .Page 5 Types of
Plants .Page 6
Where would a reader find information about where
an animal lives?
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Index
Where is this located?

• Is an alphabetical listing of the key names,
  terms, events, and topics with page numbers.
• Readers use the index to help find pages that
  contain information they are looking for.

A Abu Simbel, temple of, p73 Acadia, Canada,
212-213 Acid rain, 396, c396-c397, 396-397 Animal
Adaptations p1 Animal Food p2 Animal Habitats
p3 Animal Homes p5
Where would a reader find information in the text
about acid rain?
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Glossary
A Glossary is like a mini dictionary it is always
found where?

• A list of key terms in alphabetical order.
• Each key word is defined-gives meaning.
• Sometimes a glossary also tells you how to
  pronounce a word.
• Readers use the glossary to help them better
  learn and understand the subject.

A Acid rain (AS ihd rayn) rain that carries
certain kind of pollution. Adapt (uh DAPT) to
change in order to survive in new environments
How would the glossary help the reader understand
text about animal adaptations?
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Titles
When should you read the title?

• Titles tell the reader the main idea of the text.
  
• Titles help the reader by letting them know what
  they are about to read.
• Titles focus the reader on a topic so they can
  make connections between what they already know
  and the text.

What do the titles of the articles in these
newspapers tell you?
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Subheadings
Another word for subheading is sub_____
Can be found _________ the title or main heading.

• Subheadings divide the text into sections.
• Subheadings tell the main idea of each section.
• They are printed in large or bold type to make
  them stand out.
• Subheadings help the reader to locate information
  in the text by telling them where to look.

Helpful Ants Although ants are frustrating when
they get in homes, ants do help the environment.
They help control the population of damaging
pests such as termites. Types of Ants Types of
ants include fire ants, which cause a painful
sting, and carpenter ants, which damage wood
structures while nest building. Other types of
ants include honey, pharaoh, house, Argentine,
and the thief ant.
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Text (Bold, Color, Italics)
How do the words in italics help the reader
understand the text?

• The style and color of the text sends the reader
  signals about how to read the content.
• Text in italics is used in picture captions, book
  titles, foreign language, and to emphasize..
• Text in bold, color, or italics draw the readers
  attention to important information.

The Wetlands of the South Why are the Souths
wetlands so important? The Okefenokee (oh
kuh fuh NOH kee) Swamp is a large wetland in the
South. A wetland is a place where the ground is
soaked with water for at least part of the year.
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Photographs Illustrations
How might these photos help the reader understand
the text?

• Photos and illustrations help the reader picture
  the information.
• They give additional information.
• They work with the words and headings to help
  teach material.
• Used to explain difficult sections.

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Captions
How does this caption help the reader understand
the picture?

• A caption explains a picture or illustration.
• Captions help the reader understand information
  that may or may not be in the text.

Photo by MARCIN SZCZEPANSKI These gold coins were
found on the ocean floor!
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Textbox
What is the MAIN purpose of the textbox
belowwhat color is it?

• A textbox can include interesting facts or
  important information the author wants the reader
  to know.
• Textboxes help readers understand by creating
  interest or emphasizing important information.

The textboxes above asks the reader a question.
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Maps
How would a map of the United States help the
reader understand an article about Texas?

• Maps are drawings that show the basic shape of
  the land and other bodies of water, names of
  places.
• Help reader picture or visualize where things
  are.
• They help the reader understand where an event
  happens.
• They help the reader understand how far away an
  event took place.

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Diagrams

• A diagram is a drawing that shows or explains
  something.
• To understand a diagram the reader should read
  the titles, labels, captions, and numbered parts.
• Diagrams help the reader understand steps, how
  objects are made, or information in the text.

How could this diagram help the reader understand
volcanoes?
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Tables

• Tables organize large amounts of information in a
  small space.
• Tables help the reader compare information in the
  text.

How would a table about volcano eruptions help
the reader understand volcanoes?
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Timelines

• Timelines show important events in chronological
  order or time order.
• Timelines help the reader better understand how
  one event caused or effected another event.

How would a timeline help a reader understand why
some older people arent knowledgeable about
computers?
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What text features can YOU find?
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Reading nonfiction is different than reading
fiction so you will need to use different
reading strategies!
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Nonfiction Reading Strategy Read Around the Text

• Predict by skimming the text

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Look at the pictures.
What ideas are being presented?
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Look at the captions and read them.
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Look at the maps, charts, bolded phrases and
graphs.
Discuss what information they present.
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Look at the titles and headings.
What is the big idea?
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Read the first and last lines of each paragraph
for more information.
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Ask questions. Give yourself a reason to read.
?
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Read around the Text

1. Look at the pictures. What ideas are being
   presented?

1. Look at the pictures. What ideas are being
   presented?

1. Look at the pictures. What ideas are being
   presented?

1. Look at the pictures. What ideas are being
   presented?

1. Look at the pictures. What ideas are being
   presented?

1. Look at the pictures. What ideas are being
   presented?

1. Look at the pictures. What ideas are being
   presented?

1. Look at the captions and read them.

1. Ask questions. Give yourself a reason to read.

1. Look at the captions and read them.

1. Ask questions. Give yourself a reason to read.

1. Ask questions. Give yourself a reason to read.

1. Look at the captions and read them.

1. Look at the captions and read them.

1. Look at the captions and read them.

1. Look at the captions and read them.

1. Look at the captions and read them.

1. Look at the maps, charts, bolded phrases and
   graphs. Discuss what information they present.

1. Read the first and last lines of each paragraph
   for more information.

1. Look at the maps, charts, bolded phrases and
   graphs. Discuss what information they present.

1. Read the first and last lines of each paragraph
   for more information.

1. Read the first and last lines of each paragraph
   for more information.

1. Read the first and last lines of each paragraph
   for more information.

1. Look at the maps, charts, bolded phrases and
   graphs. Discuss what information they present.

1. Look at the maps, charts, bolded phrases and
   graphs. Discuss what information they present.

1. Look at the maps, charts, bolded phrases and
   graphs. Discuss what information they present.

1. Look at the maps, charts, bolded phrases and
   graphs. Discuss what information they present.

1. Look at the titles and headings. What is the big
   idea?

1. Look at the titles and headings. What is the big
   idea?

1. Look at the titles and headings. What is the big
   idea?

1. Look at the titles and headings. What is the big
   idea?

1. Look at the titles and headings. What is the big
   idea?

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Reading Strategies for Nonfiction Books

1. Review Table of Contents for the types of
   information found in the book
2. Read the titles and subtitles to know what each
   section will be about
3. Look for bold words that will appear in the
   glossary
4. Read important information that is placed in boxes

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Reading Strategies for Nonfiction Books (contd)

1. Look at the photographs or drawings and read
   their captions
2. Read the captions and labels on diagrams,
   drawings, charts and graphs