LESSON FIVE: Evaluating Nonfiction Texts

                             

LESSON DESCRIPTION

Students review the elements of nonfiction texts. They read the nonfiction texts How to be a Dog’s Best Friend and Making Friends and discus the content and accuracy of each article. Students read the article Kids Who Care Program and do a short free-writing evaluating the accuracy of the article.

 

GRADE-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS

R3C         Evaluate the accuracy of information from a nonfiction text.

 

 

LESSON MATERIALS

§         Source of Literature

o        How to be a Dog’s Best Friend  http://www.bhg.com

o        Making Friends http://www.EBSCOhost.com

o        Kids Who Care Program  http://www.paws.org

 

§         Supplies 

o        Transparency of the articles, How to be a Dog’s Best Friend, and Making Friends

o        Overhead projector

 

§         Handouts provided

 

§         Words to know

o         evaluate

o         nonfiction

 

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT 

Students use information from the Kids Who Care Program to answer questions in complete sentences.  Scoring guide provided.

 

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

 

1.        Review the elements of nonfiction texts. Ask students how they would evaluate the accuracy of nonfiction texts. Record the answers on the board. Orally review student responses and discuss other ways to evaluate accuracy of information in a nonfiction text.

 

Questions

for

Students

 

What is nonfiction?

Nonfiction text is prose writing based on fact. Types of nonfiction include autobiographies, biographies, essays, newspaper articles, magazine articles, how-to books, textbooks, history books, letters, reports, etc.

What makes a person an authority about a subject?

His/her level of knowledge and depth of experience.

 

Idea

Elements of nonfiction:

  • Concern real events
  • Intends to explain, inform, persuade, or give directions (ex. Autobiography, biography, memoir, essay, workplace communications)
  • Checklist for informational accuracy:
    • Author/experience
    • Background of author
    • Credentials of author
    • Date of publication (students should be aware that the date of the materials is important to the accuracy of the text because information is constantly being updated)
    • Sources noted
    • References at the end of the article
    • Publication itself-is it reputable or yellow journalism (journalistic practices by Joseph Pulitzer using sensational journalism that wielded much political power in order to increase circulation)

 

2.        Using transparencies of the articles, How to Be A Dog’s Best Friend and Making Friends or other related articles, students participate in a small group discussion concerning the content and accuracy of the information in each article. Students identify resource material used for content and credentials of the article and/or publisher. Each group evaluates the accuracy of each article and gives reasons for its choices. Groups share information with peers.

 

Question

for

Students

Does the credentials of an author make a difference in the accuracy of the articles?

Does the publisher make a difference in the reliability of the author? (Discuss tabloid magazines)

 

3.        Students read Kids Who Care Program and stop periodically for discussion. After students complete the article, they do a short free writing exercise evaluating the accuracy of the information.