Today, we’re going to explore nonfiction texts! These are stories or articles that tell us about real things, like people, places, events, or objects. Nonfiction is all about facts and real-life happenings. The main goal of nonfiction is to inform, explain, or describe something true to the reader.
When you read, you can ask yourself some questions to figure out if it’s nonfiction. Ask things like: Did this really happen? Are these facts true? Is the author telling me about a real person, place, or event? If you answer “yes” to these questions, then you’re reading nonfiction!
Let’s look at some examples:
Imagine reading a book about the animals in the rainforest. This type of nonfiction is called expository. It tells you all about the animals, like what they eat, where they sleep, and how they live. The main purpose is to inform you about life in the rainforest.
A biography is a story about a real person’s life. It could be about a president, an actor, or a sports star. Biographies tell us about exciting events, funny moments, and challenges the person faced. The goal is to inform us about their life journey.
Have you ever read instructions on how to build something? That’s a how-to text! It gives you step-by-step directions and tells you what you need to complete a task. For example, instructions for putting together a new bike are nonfiction because they teach you how to do something real.
These texts show how two or more things are alike and different. For example, a text comparing cats and dogs might say both are great pets and need food and exercise. But it might also say dogs love to play outside, while cats prefer indoor activities.
A Venn diagram is a helpful tool for comparing and contrasting. It looks like two overlapping circles. In the middle, you write how the two things are similar. On the sides, you write how they are different. For example, in a Venn diagram about cats and dogs, you might write “need food and water” in the middle. On the dog side, you could write “likes to swim,” and on the cat side, “prefers to stay indoors.”
Venn diagrams are useful for both reading and writing. They help organize your thoughts and make it easier to see similarities and differences.
Now that you know more about nonfiction, you can enjoy reading and learning from these real-life stories and facts!
Create Your Own Nonfiction Book: Choose a topic you are interested in, like your favorite animal or a place you have visited. Gather some facts about it from books or the internet. Then, create a small book with drawings and sentences that describe what you learned. Share your book with your family or friends and explain why your book is nonfiction.
Nonfiction Scavenger Hunt: Go on a scavenger hunt at home or in your local library to find examples of nonfiction texts. Look for different types like biographies, how-to guides, or expository books. Make a list of the books you find and write down one interesting fact from each book. Discuss with your classmates or family why each book is nonfiction.
Venn Diagram Activity: Pick two nonfiction topics, such as two different animals or two historical figures. Use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast them. Write down what is unique about each one on the sides and what they have in common in the middle. Share your Venn diagram with a friend and talk about what you learned from this comparison.
**Sanitized Transcript:**
In this lesson, we will learn about nonfiction texts, which have the purpose of informing, explaining, or describing something. These texts can describe, explain, or inform about real-life people, places, events, or things. Nonfiction stories are based on actual events that have occurred in the real world and include facts. The author’s purpose for writing nonfiction is to inform, describe, or explain a real-life topic to the reader.
As we read, we should ask ourselves questions to determine the author’s purpose. Some questions to consider are: Did this really happen? Are these actual facts in the story? Is the author informing, explaining, or describing a real-life person, place, or event? If you believe the answer is yes, then you are reading nonfiction.
For example, a text about the types of animals that live in the rainforest would be an expository nonfiction text. It will inform you about the animals that inhabit that environment and describe their lives, including what they do, what they eat, where they sleep, and various other facts about the rainforest. The text will explain how the animals survive, and while it may be entertaining, the main purpose is to inform, describe, and explain life in the rainforest.
A biography is another example of nonfiction. It tells the real-life story of a person, such as a president, actor, or professional athlete. Biographies inform readers about the person’s life, including exciting events, funny experiences, and challenges they faced. The author’s purpose for writing a biography is to inform the reader about that person’s life.
A how-to text is also a form of nonfiction. It provides instructions on how to do something, detailing the supplies needed and step-by-step directions for completing a task. For instance, a list of directions for assembling a new bike is an example of nonfiction, as the author’s purpose is to inform you on how to put your bike together. There are many how-to books available, covering topics like knitting, drawing, fixing things, playing sports, and cooking.
Another example of nonfiction is compare and contrast texts, where the author compares two or more objects, people, or places. The author will discuss their similarities and differences. Good readers look for word clues to help identify these similarities and differences. Words that indicate similarities include “alike,” “like,” “same,” “both,” and “and,” while words that indicate differences include “instead,” “but,” “however,” “unlike,” and “different.”
For instance, when reading a compare and contrast text about cats and dogs, we find that both make wonderful pets and need food, water, and exercise to stay healthy. However, dogs tend to be more active than cats; they enjoy walks, swimming, and playing catch, while cats prefer to stay indoors and engage in activities like batting toys and hiding.
A useful strategy for readers is to create a Venn diagram when reading a compare and contrast text. This helps visualize the similarities and differences. The similarities go in the center, while the differences are listed on either side, depending on whether they pertain to cats or dogs. For example, on the dog side, we might note that dogs like to swim and play outside, while on the cat side, we could mention that cats prefer to play indoors and do not like to swim. In the center, we would list the similarities, such as both needing food, exercise, and water, and both loving their owners.
This strategy is also beneficial for writers. Before writing a compare and contrast text, creating a Venn diagram can help organize all the information effectively.
