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Non Fiction Formats As Models for Student Reporting
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Non Fiction Formats As Models for Student Reporting
©2003 Nancy Polette
Expository text structures can provide a framework for both reading and writing
with children.
1. Sequential Order
A. Time Sequence
The Boston Tea Party by
Pamela Edwards. Putnam, 2001 (House That Jack Built format)
Ex: These are the
trees that grew in the woods that became part of the Constitution.
This is the
paper made from the trees that grew in the woods that became part of the
Constitution.
These are the colonists who demanded self government who wrote on
the paper...
White Bear, Ice
Bear by Joanne Ryder . Morrow, 1989 (One day in the
life of a bear.)
One ____ morning your room is ____ and ____. Outside
your window you hear_____, calling you, changing you until you realize that
you are a ___ and live in ____. A ____ covers you. By day you ______. At night
you _____. Hunger calls! You approach ________and see _____ . Silently you
________. But wait! You hear _________ and you ______. Now you sense a familiar
smell. You _______. Good supper smells call you. You _____ through the door and
feel the ___ changing you. You run inside, hungry and happy to be home again.
2. Compare and Contrast
Christmas In The Big House, Christmas In The
Quarters by Pat
and Fred McKissack. Scholastic, 1994.
Pattern: If I lived in the Big House I
would:
(List 4-6 Christmas events)
But I wouldn’t:
(list 4-6 events that take place
in the slave quarters) because the slaves in the Quarters did that.
So You Want to Be President
by Judith St. George. Philomel, 2000
Compares presidents by names,
childhood, physical appearance, personalities, siblings, children, pets, musical
or artistic ability, level of education, favorite pastimes, jobs.
3. Cause and Effect
Accidents May Happen: Fifty Inventions Discovered by
Mistake by Charlotte Foltz. HarperCollins, 1998
Earthquake by Milly Lee. DK, 2001
Earthquakes by Seymour Simon. Mulberry, 1995.
Write about an important event during the school
year. What was the reason for the event (cause),what happened (effect). Bind
copies and give to the local historical society.
4. Questions and Answers.
Bugs by Nancy Winslow Parker. Mulberry , '87
Animal Fact, Animal Fable
by Seymour Simon, Crown, 1979.
The answer to each question rhymes with the last word of the
question.
5. Problems and Solutions.
A Bed for the Winter by Karen Wallace. DK 2001
Forging Freedom
by Hudson Talbot. Putnam, 2001
6. Point of View
Voices of the Alamo by Sherry Garland. Scholastic, 2000. Told from many points of view. Report
on the Alamo using the “Only One” Model.
San Antonio, Texas has many buildings
But ONLY ONE ALAMO.
In 1836 the Alamo was attacked by 6000 men
In ONLY ONE ARMY.
The attacking army had many officers
But ONLY ONE GENERAL.
The Alamo was defended by 182 men
With ONLY ONE PURPOSE
Travis, the Texan’s leader, sent many pleas for help
But ONLY ONE RELIEF PARTY responded
Both sides wanted to win the battle
But there was ONLY ONE OUTCOME.
There are many events to remember in Texas history
But ONLY ONE ALAMO.
7. Factual Information in Story Form
Way Out West Lives a Coyote Named Frank by Jillian Lund. Dutton, 1993. (Substitute information about any
animal)
Way out west lives a coyote named
Frank. In the morning Frank likes to watch the sun come up
and in the evening he likes to watch the sun set. Frank has a
friend named Larry. They both like to chase rabbits and dig up mouses’
houses. Once they chased a skunk but they never did that again. They
both think that scorpions are scary and tortoises are tricky. But more
than anything Frank likes to get together with his coyote friends
and say hello to the moon. For that’s what coyotes do best way
out west.