Nonfiction Study Guide

The assessment for the nonfiction unit we have just completed will be a test made up of a combination of multiple choice questions and open response questions.

Here are some topics that may be on the test:

general comprehension questions from the following reading selections: “Conversational Ballgames” “Fragment on Slavery, 1854” “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” “Apologies for Past Actions are Still Appropriate” “Frederick Douglass: Fighter for Freedom” “Picking Strawberries” “The Circuit” “Cesar Chavez” “The United States vs. Susan B. Anthony” “Eleanor Roosevelt: On Her Own” Preamble to the Constitution Bill of Rights “Don’t Know Much About Liberty”

Making inferenceso Drawing a conclusion based on clueso Example:

The teacher told us that “we did much better on our test this week than we did last week.”

Based on her quote, what can you tell about last week’s quiz? The class must have struggled for her to now point out how much

more successful they were this week. Key vocabulary

Words that are essential to understand after reading this unit. For example: after reading the story “Lincoln is Shot,” you should know what the word assassin means. It is a key vocabulary term.

Cause and effecto One event leads to another. o Example:

Cause: A child gets a bad grade. Effect: The child cries.

Proposition and support

o Proposition: The author’s opiniono Support: The evidence the author uses to back up their claims.

Author’s tone towards a subject through word choiceo Author’s can show bias based on their word choiceo Example:

A woman was robbed outside of a local store yesterday. The woman, a grandmother of four, lost all the money she planned to deposit at the bank.

Notice that the author tells you she was a grandmother of four. This creates an emotional appeal and makes us feel bad for the woman.

Sources of information for nonfiction workso Sources that can be verified (encyclopedias, interviews, diaries, letters, etc.)

Chronological ordero When topics are organized in order of when they happenedo Makes it easier for the reader to follow since the events are presented in the order

in which they happened. Characteristics of biographical works

o The story of a real person or peopleo Contain actual facts from their lives

Difference between fact and opiniono Facts can be verified as true, where opinions cannot.

Treatment, Scope, and Organizationo Treatment

How a topic is presented (or treated) Lighthearted/Serious Casual/Formal Favorable/Unfavorable Subjective/Objective

o Scope The information that is presented

Broado Lots of information or a long period of time

Limited (Narrow)o Just a few ideas or a short amount of time

o Organization Chronological order (time) Sequential order (point by point) Order of importance (grocery list)