How does nonfiction writing differ from a

novel or a poem?
Nonfiction writing is based on fact.
essay
biography
Some Types of Nonfiction
Nonfiction provides facts about people, places,
things, and events.
autobiography
Nonfiction
plays
short stories
novels
Fiction
People, places,
and events
are real.
People, places,
and events can
be made up.
Grand Canyon
In Narnia,
animals
can talk.
An autobiography is the story of a persons life,
written or told by that person.
Some Types of Nonfiction
Autobiography
Miss Sullivan attracted
my attention to . . . a
great horseshoe
crab. . . .
I felt of him and
thought it very strange
that he should carry his
house on his back.
from The Story of My
Life, by Helen Keller
An autobiography
is based on the
authors firsthand
experience
uses first-person
point of view:
It is with a kind of fear
that I begin to write the
story of my life. . . .
A few impressions stand
out vividly from the first
years of my life.
from The Story of My Life
by Helen Keller
I, me, my, we,
us, our, ours
Some Types of Nonfiction
Autobiography
[End of Section]
Some Types of Nonfiction
Biography

Biography
A biography is the story of a real persons life,
written or told by another person.
This is a biography;
someone else wrote
it about a real person.
Helen Keller was
born in 1880. She
grew up in northern
Alabama.
Superman was born
on the planet
Krypton. He grew up
on Earth.
This is not a biography;
Superman is not a real
person.
Fiction
A biography
is based on
primary and
secondary sources
about a real person
uses third-person
point of view:
he, him, his, she,
her, hers, it, its,
they, them, their
Helen Keller was born in
1880. She grew up in
northern Alabama. After
an illness left her blind
and deaf, Helen could
communicate only by
touch. Then Anne
Sullivan became her
teacher.
The Story of Helen Keller
Some Types of Nonfiction
Biography

An eyewitness account is a primary source;
it gives firsthand information.

An autobiography is a primary source.

A secondary source is based on other sources; it
gives secondhand information. Secondary sources
may include information from primary sources, as
well as from other secondary sources.

A biography is a secondary source.

Some Types of Nonfiction
Biography

An essay is a short piece of nonfiction that
examines a single subject or limited topic. An essay
often includes personal observations.
Some Types of Nonfiction
Essay

Topics might be
everyday
experiences, like
walking a dog . . .
or complex ideas
like justice or
freedom.
A personal essay generally reveals a great deal
about the writers personality and tastes.
Its tone is often
conversational,
sometimes even
humorous.
The focus is the
writers feelings
and response to
an experience.
Some Types of Nonfiction
Essay

Quick Check
[End of Section]
Some people might not consider
Elmer Garca a hero. They see a
tall man with slightly stooped
shoulders and large hands. There
doesnt seem to be anything special
about him until those hands
touch an animal. Dr. Garca uses his
gentle hands to win the trust of sick
and wounded pets. He learned the
importance of touch during his first
year in veterinary school.

Is this paragraph
part of an
autobiography
or a biography?
How do you
know?
Some Types of Nonfiction
Quick Check
Some people might not consider
Elmer Garca a hero. They see a
tall man with slightly stooped
shoulders and large hands. There
doesnt seem to be anything special
about him until those hands
touch an animal. Then Dr. Garca
uses his gentle hands to win the
trust of sick and wounded pets. He
learned the importance of touch in
his first year of veterinary school.

Some Types of Nonfiction
This is part of a
biography.

The paragraph
uses third-person
point of view to
describe a real
person.
Nonfiction writers use facts, opinions, or a
mix of these depending on their purpose.
What is the difference
between fact and opinion?
A fact is something that
happened or is true. Facts
can be proven.
Facts and Opinions
We made popcorn.
An opinion reflects a belief or
judgment. Opinions can be
supported by facts, but they cant
be proven.
Popcorn tastes better than
any other snack.
believe
seem
may
think
Nonfiction writers give factual information. However, they
also express their opinions.

How can you tell the difference?
names
dates
measurements
events

Provable Facts
Opinion Words
Facts and Opinions
probably
possibly
likely
Quick Check
House of Horrors has special effects that
have never been used before. Ticket
sales keep setting new records. But I
dont like the movie. The characters are
unlikable, which makes it hard to care
about what happens to them. Theres
talk that Ingrid Ash will win an Oscar for
her role, but even her great performance
cant save this movie.
What are the
facts in this
movie review?
Facts and Opinions
Quick Check
What are the
facts in this
movie review?
House of Horrors has special effects that
have never been used before. Ticket
sales keep setting new records. But I
dont like the movie. The characters are
unlikable, which makes it hard to care
about what happens to them. Theres talk
that Ingrid Ash will win an Oscar for her
role, but even her great performance
cant save this movie.
Facts and Opinions
[End of
Section]
Quick Check
House of Horrors has special effects that
have never been used before. Ticket
sales keep setting new records. But I
dont like the movie. The characters are
unlikable, which makes it hard to care
about what happens to them. Theres talk
that Ingrid Ash will win an Oscar for her
role, but even her great performance
cant save this movie.
What are the
opinions, or
judgments, in
this movie
review?
Facts and Opinions
Quick Check
What are
the opinions, or
judgments,
in this movie
review?
House of Horrors has special effects that
have never been used before. Ticket
sales keep setting new records. But I
dont like the movie. The characters are
unlikable, which makes it hard to care
about what happens to them. Theres
talk that Ingrid Ash will win an Oscar for
her role, but even her great performance
cant save this movie.
Facts and Opinions
Apply Reading Skills
Your Turn
An author writes about learning to be proud of both
her Spanish name and her American nicknames.

1. What form of nonfiction writing would this most likely
take?
2. Write two sentences about your name/s. Use a
combination of fact and opinion.
Organize Information
Comparing and Contrasting

When you compare two or
more things, you look for
ways they are alike.
When you contrast
two or more things,
you look for ways
they are different.
Comparing and contrasting is a way to organize information
you have read.
All are marbles.
Their colors differ.
A Venn diagram helps to compare and contrast people, things,
or ideas.
fawn
stonefish
Differences Similarities Differences
brown,
spotted
coat
skin color
changes
blend
in
hides on
ocean floor
hides in
forest
Organize Information
Comparing and Contrasting

Apply Reading Skills
Your Turn
Compare/contrast your current reading book and your
last book using a Venn diagram.