tant role in the life of a paper boy, read “No Gumption” by. Russell Baker, page
554. 1. Nonfiction tells about real characters and events or contains the personal.
Read Literature? Nonfiction tells about real characters and events or contains the personal views of a real person. People most often read nonfiction to be informed about a subject. However, people may also read nonfiction to learn about other people’s lives or to reflect on someone else’s thoughts, concerns, or position on a particular subject. Preview three of the purposes you might set before reading the nonfiction pieces in this unit.
1
Read for the love of literature. Newspapers are an important part of American life. It has been estimated that the typical American will spend an average of two years of his or her life reading newspapers! To read how newspapers played an important role in the life of a paper boy, read “No Gumption” by Russell Baker, page 554.
2 Read for information. Laws are sometimes created to cover very specific situations in a time and place. Sometimes, when circumstances change, the law that covered the situation is left “on the books,” even though it is outdated. For example, in Florida, did you know that if an elephant is left tied to a parking meter, you must pay the parking meter just as you would for a car? Or that in Hartford, Connecticut, it is illegal to cross the street on your hands? The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments, or adjustments, to the Constitution. Over the course of history, lawmakers have made additional amendments to ensure that our most important American legal document, the Constitution, stays up-to-date. Read the Bill of Rights, page 539.
3
Read to understand people’s concerns. Chief Dan George began an acting career at age sixty-two and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in Little Big Man. Before this second career began, however, he was a spokesperson for Native American rights and environmental protection, as you can read in “I Am a Native of North America,” page 528. Did you know that rattlesnakes gather in groups to sleep through the winter? Sometimes, up to 1,000 of them will coil up together to keep warm! To read an essay in which one writer’s feelings about snakes change from fear and horror to cautious respect, read “Rattlesnake Hunt” on page 518.
Take It to the Net Visit the Web site for online instruction and activities related to each selection in this unit.
www.phschool.com
514 ◆ Nonfiction
to Read Literature Use Strategies for Reading Nonfiction Each day, you are bombarded with facts and ideas from all directions. When you scan a cereal box, read a textbook, or cruise the Internet, you make decisions about what, who, and how much to believe. The strategies you learn in this unit will help you read the nonfiction you encounter every day.
Use organization. If you recognize how a work of literature is organized, you will be able to read it more easily. In this unit, you will learn some general ways, like the ones shown below, in which authors organize nonfiction: Chronological Order: Events are told in the order in which they occur. Order of Importance: Details are arranged to lead up to the most significant point. Spatial Order:
Details are presented to show the physical arrangement.
Understand the author’s purpose. Details in nonfiction work can help you understand why it was written. To identify the author’s purpose, look for facts, quotations, and persuasive or humorous language as clues to the author’s reason for writing. There may be more than one purpose, but usually one purpose is most important.
Distinguish between fact and opinion. Readers sometimes assume that an idea in a nonfiction work is a fact when it is just the writer’s opinion. To differentiate fact from opinion, ask yourself these questions:
• • •
Can this statement be proven to be true? Is this statement someone’s personal belief?
Clu
es t oA uth ly or or’ exag gera s Purp ose ted s to am ituat use ions • Ad vice to som ethin believe or to g do to pe rsua de • Fac ts or expl anat ions to in form • Sil
Can this statement be supported by factual evidence?
In this unit, you will practice using the answers to these questions and distinguishing between fact and opinion.
Evaluate support. An author’s message in an essay is supported by the details and examples he or she includes. Learn to evaluate support and to recognize whether writing includes problems such as bias—preconceived attitudes—or stereotypes—the qualities of an individual being used to represent an entire group. As you read the selections in the unit, review the reading strategies and look at the notes in the side column. Use the suggestions to apply the strategies and interact with the text.
How to Read Literature ◆ 515
