NARRATIVE+NONFICTION

Mini-Lesson A __Connection:__ Sometimes when I am reading I have trouble figuring out what type of nonfiction reading am I reading. I have noticed that some non-fiction text has passages telling the story of someone's life and others just give me information. __Teaching Point__: Today I am going to show you how to determine if you a re reading informational text or narrative nonfiction by looking for key characteristics. I want you to listen as I read the book //Tarra and Bella//. (After reading the text ask students to vote 1 for info text and 2 for narrative nonfic). Now listed as I read the "about the sanctuary" section at the end. (Ask students to vote again). __Student Notes__: Think aloud as you create a T-chart to compare info text and narrative non-fic. Informational text: list of facts, no personal opinions or feelings, to inform, examples-textbook, dictionary, encyclopedia, some biographies Narrative non-fiction: story with facts, may include personal opinions or feelings, to inform or entertain, examples-biography, autobiography __Active Engagement__: Turn and talk with a "neighbor" to decide which part of the text is narrative non-fic and info text. (Call on students to tell their answers and ask WHY they think so.) __Link__: Readers as you begin reading your narrative non-fiction text, I want you to think about what kind of non-fiction text you are reading. (Transition back to seats-begin independent reading time). __Extension__: view Tarra and Bella on Oprah or view live feed Elephant Sanctuary

Mini-Lesson B: Students will have been reading self-selected biographies or autobiographies as a part of the narrative nonfiction unit requirements. The teacher will have also selected a biography s/he has used in modeling throughout the nonfiction unit. I used //Picasso//. __**Materials**:__ Enough sets of //The Fight for Right// for paired reading. Whiteboard. Flipchart. *Outline examples copied in //Materials// //The Fight for Right// page #s: 1-8, p. 19-21 “School for Claudette,” p. 28 “Rosa Parks,” p. 23, first paragraph, p. 39, “Moving On” to end. __Teaching Point__: Reading for main idea and main conflict in biographies and identifying the main idea as a potential thesis statement for an essay on non-fiction In pairs, the students read several pages the teacher selected on Claudette Colvin in the book, //The Fight for Right.// They then identified the main idea (or main event or purpose) of the selection, answering the question: why should Colvin be remembered? Students then selected three events from Colvin’s lfe as details or evidence supporting their interpretation of the main idea. **__Goal:__** Students will understand when they read closely, for main idea and supporting details, their essay plan will develop naturally. **__Model:__** The teacher modeled selection of main idea and supporting details and introduced main conflict. The teacher introduced reading for essay planning, plugging student selected answers into an outline on the whiteboard. **__Closure:__** Close reading as an element of pre-writing. Prewriting mini-lesson on crafting an outline for an essay responding to a biographical text. __Lead-In:__ //Brainpop!// “Outlines” as a lead in to outlines as a method to organize longer pieces of writing or notes. __Model__: meaningful outline in response to //Picasso//, connecting each outline section with the preceding day’s lesson on Reading for main idea and supporting details. Workshop: Students worked in pairs, creating their own outlines in response to their self-selected biographies. Sharing/Closure: Students volunteered to share their selected main ideas and supporting evidence. Brief class discussion on main idea as thesis statement. The teacher poses the question if the three supporting details are distinct enough to be developed into a full paragraph. I would have liked to have added on a couple days to introduce evaluating and citing online sources, but time did not allow. Instead of teaching them separately, I would add those lessons to this unit in the future. I created a “Research Writing” file folder for each class period and collected ALL their materials at the end of each class (students had to paperclip their work together). I passed back these materials at the beginning of each class. When students submitted their final drafts, their outlines, quote cards, bibliography cards, and prior drafts were all attached (and assessed) together. Students found the introduction to research writing and writing about nonfiction less daunting broken up this way. Having solid outlines gave them confidence in drafting and revision. Generally, they felt by that point that they had something to say and a solid organizational plan. Additionally, the idea that reading closely makes writing about text easier seemed to resonate with them, once they saw the results.
 * Writing about Biographies: Meaningful Outlines & Research Writing Mini-Unit**
 * __Connection__:**
 * Day 1**: **Reading for Main Idea and Supporting Details**
 * Day 2**: **Essay Structure: Crafting Meaningful Outlines**
 * Day 3:** Citing Sources lesson. Activity: Students wrote an MLA biography citation of their biography on an index card.
 * Day 4:** Quoting Lesson. Activity: Students selected a quote from their biographies, writing it on an index card, listing page number and which paragraph of their essay they planned to insert the quote as support.
 * Day 5:** Drafting. Activity: Students wrote a draft of their 5 paragraph essay on their biography, using their outlines and quote card.
 * Days 6 + 7:** Students Revised and Polished their drafts in the computer lab. 5 paragraphs, including the intro, 3 body paragraphs, a “two-part” conclusion, one quote, and a bibliography citation required.
 * Extension**
 * Helpful Hint**
 * Reflection**