overview of nonfiction...

OVERVIEW OF NONFICTION SIGNPOSTSOBJECTIVE: Increase our understanding of nonfiction writing through meaningful, interpretive, and evaluative

analysis, discussion, and presentation.

Beers, Kylene, and Probst, Robert E. 2015. Reading Nonfiction: Notice and Note Stances, Signposts, and Strategies. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Signpost Task [a Brief Overview of each Signpost] Annotation Symbol

When you’re reading and the author shows you a difference between what you know and what is happening in the text, or a difference in the text, you should stop and ask yourself: What is the difference and why does it matter? Answering the question wil help you see details that show you: ❑ Main Ideas ❑ Compare and contrast ❑ Author’s Purpose ❑ Inference / Generalizations ❑ Cause and effect

CCWhen you’re reading and you notice the author uses a word or phrase you don’t know, you should stop and ask yourself: Do I know this word from somplace else? Does this seem like technical talk for experts about this topic? Can I find clues in the sentence to help me understand the word? Answering the question wil help you decide if: ❑ you need to look the word up ❑ you need to keep reading for more information / look for context clues

WWhen you’re reading and you notice specific numbers, number words, or amounts, you should stop and ask yourself: Why did the author use those numbers or amounts? Answering the question wil help you: ❑ come to a conclusion ❑ make a comparison ❑ see details ❑ make inferences ❑ find facts or recognize evidence

S/NWhen you’re reading and you notice the author quoted a Voice of Authority, a Personal Perspective, or cited Other’s Words, you should stop and ask yourself: Why did the author say it like that? Answering the question wil tell you: ❑ author’s point-of-view ❑ author’s purpose ❑ the difference between facts and opinions ❑ how to make a generalization

“ ”When you’re reading and you notice the author uses language that leaves no doubt, exaggerates, or pushes the limit, you should stop and ask yourself: Why did the author quote or cite this person? Answering the question wil help you: ❑ think about the author’s point-of-view and purpose ❑ think about the author’s bias or conclusion ❑ gain a perspective ❑ decipher between facts and opinions ❑ make a generalization

E

CONTRASTS and CONTRADICTIONS DEFINITION: THE AUTHOR SHOWS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT YOU KNOW AND WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE TEXT.

QUESTION: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

SIGNAL WORDS: ALTHOUGH, AS OPPOSED TO, EVEN THOUGH, HOWEVER, INSTEAD, ALTERNATIVELY, NEVERTHELESS, ON THE OTHER HAND, OTHERWISE, STILL, THEN AGAIN, UNLIKE, YET, IN CONTRAST, IN SPITE OF THIS, NOTHING LIKE TEXT FOCUS: AUTHOR’S PURPOSE, AUTHOR’S POINT-OF-VIEW, AUTHOR IS EXAGGERATING TO GUIDE YOUR THINKING ABOUT AN ISSUE.


What did I notice?

What are my final thoughts?

I think the author uses this contrast or contradiction to show the reader…

Where in the text does the unexpected event or statement

show up?

What did I notice?

What inferences can be made about why the author would include this difference?

Where in the text does the unexpected event or statement

show up?

What inferences can be made about why the author would include this difference?

WORD GAPS

DEFINITION: THE AUTHOR USES A WORD OR PHRASE YOU DON’T KNOW.

QUESTION: DO I KNOW THIS WORD FROM SOMEPLACE ELSE? IS THIS WORD TECHNICAL TALK FOR EXPERTS? CAN I FIND CLUES IN THE SENTENCE TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND THIS WORD? TEXT FOCUS: LOOK UP THE WORD OR KEEP READING TO FIND MORE INFORMATION / CONTEXT CLUES.


What did I notice?


I think the author uses this word or phrase to show the reader…

What is the unknown word or phrase?

What did I notice?

What does the word mean? What context clues help me figure out what the word means?

What is the unknown word or phrase?

What does the word mean? What context clues help me figure out what the word means?

NUMBERS & STATS

DEFINITION: THE AUTHOR USES SPECIFIC NUMBERS, NUMBER WORDS, OR AMOUNTS. QUESTION: WHY DID THE AUTHOR USE THOSE NUMBERS OR AMOUNTS?

TEXT FOCUS: COME TO A CONCLUSION, MAKE A COMPARISON, SEE DETAILS, MAKE INFERENCES, FIND FACTS, RECOGNIZE EVIDENCE.


What did I notice?


I think the author used this number or amount to show the reader…

What is the number or amount?

What did I notice?

What inferences can be made about why the author included this number or amount?

What is the number or amount?


QUOTED WORDS

DEFINITION: THE AUTHOR QUOTES A VOICE OF AUTHORITY, A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE, OR CITES OTHER’S WORDS.

QUESTION: WHY DID THE AUTHOR QUOTE OR CITE THIS PERSON?

TEXT FOCUS: AUTHOR’S POINT-OF-VIEW, AUTHOR’S PURPOSE, AUTHOR’S BIAS, GAIN A PERSPECTIVE, DISTINGUISH BETWEEN FACT AND OPINION.


What did I notice?


I think the author included this quote or citation because…

QUOTE:

What did I notice?

What inferences can be made about why the author quoted or cited this?

QUOTE:


EXTREME / ABSOLUTE LANGUAGE

DEFINITION: THE AUTHOR USES LANGUAGE THAT LEAVES NO DOUBT, EXAGGERATES, OR PUSHES THE LIMIT. QUESTION: WHY DID THE AUTHOR SAY IT LIKE THAT? SIGNAL WORDS: EVERY, ALL, ALWAYS, INARGUABLY, NEVER, NONE, UNCONDITIONALLY, UNQUESTIONABLY, ENTIRELY, COMPLETELY, EXCLUSIVELY TEXT FOCUS: AUTHOR’S PURPOSE, AUTHOR’S POINT-OF-VIEW, AUTHOR IS EXAGGERATING TO GUIDE YOUR THINKING ABOUT AN ISSUE.


What did I notice?

What are my final thoughts? What is the word or phrase that

uses extreme or absolute language?

What did I notice?

Why do you think the author said it like this?

What is the word or phrase that uses extreme or absolute

language?

Why do you think the author said it like this?

TITLE: _________________________________ AUTHOR: _______________________


CONTRASTS & CONTRADICTIONS

WORD GAPS

EXTREME / ABSOLUTE LANGUAGE NUMBERS & STATS QUOTED WORDS

Signpost What I noticed Response / Note

overview of nonfiction...

Documents