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Joyce Ahn

Kosa 7

Nonfiction Outline

Thesis Statement: writings that deal with real people, places, and event are called nonfiction

I. Forms of nonfiction

A. Autobiography

1. First-person point of view

2. Types

a. journals

b. diaries

c. letters

d. memoirs

B. Biography

1. Third-person point of view2. Writer gets information by conducting interviews, reading, letters diaries, and

documents

C. Essay

1. Short piece of writing on a single subject2. Typesa. expository

b. personalc. persuasive

D. Informative article

1. Provide facts about a single subject2. Types

a. newspaper

b. magazine articles

c. feature stories

d. textbooks

e. pamphlets

f. history books

g. gardening books

h. how-to books

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E. Interview

1. Conversation in which one person asks questions of another for the purpose ofobtaining information

2. Interviewer takes notes on, tape-records, or films the conversation in order tokeep an accurate record

II. Reading nonfiction

A. Preview1. Loot at the title, the pictures or diagrams, and any subtitles or terms in

boldface or italic type.

2. Predict what will come nextB. Clarify the organization

1.

If the work is a biography or autobiography, the organization is probablychronological

2. As you read, look for dates and signal words that clarify the sequence ofevents, such as before, during, after, first, next, and last

C. Summarize main idea1. Think about the main idea2. Think about the details

D. Separate facts and opinions1. Facts are statements that can be proved2. Opinions are statements that cannot be proved3. Opinions express a persons beliefs

E. Evaluate what you read1. Form your own opinions about people2. Form your own opinions about events3. Form your own opinions about ideas

F. Evaluate authors purpose1. Ask yourself whether the author wrote this work to inform you2. Ask yourself whether the author wrote this work to influence you3. Ask yourself whether the author wrote this work to express an opinion or bias

III. Setting in fiction and nonfiction

A. Authors give details1. Location2. Historical period

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3. Time of year4. Weather5. Time of day

A. Historical fiction1. Historical fiction in past2. Informative3. Contemporary4. Short5. Novels

a. yearsb. decadesc. centuries

B. Source material1.

Vivid depictionsa. photographsb. diagramsc. quotesd. fine arte. newspaperf. magazine articles

2. Typesa. primary sourceb. secondary source

IV. Distinguishing fact from Opinion

A. Statements1. Fact

a. can be proved2. Opinion

a. beliefb. feeling a person accepts as true, but cannot be supported with proof or

evidence

B. Being an active reader1. Clarify statements of fact as true or false2. Look for words or phrases that signal opinions3. Evaluate the writers ideas and reasoning4. Look for supporting evidence

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