Genre Studies



The bulletin board that introduces nonfiction



November 5, 2010

Today my teacher introduced the students to nonfiction literature.  She told the students that the main purpose of nonfiction books was to inform and explain.  The class has been studying fiction books for a few weeks so now she wanted to introduce another genre.  She asked the students if they could think of any books or reading material that would be nonfiction.  Students named out ideas such as "real-life" magazines, history books, and news stories.  The class had also been talking about responsibility and what it means to be responsible.  The students' challenge was to write about responsibility.  The teacher told the students that they could write about what responsibility is, or something they have done that shows responsibility.  She emphasized that the story doesn't need to have make-believe characters.  The piece of writing needed to explain what it means to be responsible; the students could do this in any way they chose.

In class, we have talked about different genres and the importance of exposing students to all the different types.  We have discussed the different elements of nonfiction books, including: a glossary, index, directions, steps, details, diagrams, etc.  We also talked about how the primary purpose of nonfiction books is to provide information.  At the beginning of the semester, we talked about the importance of having a classroom library.  The classroom I am in has a library, but it is not divided up by traditional genres (fiction, nonfiction, fantasy, etc.).  Their library is divided into categories such as magazines, people, sports, trains, holidays, and animals.  I think this has some advantages and disadvantages.  The students have no trouble choosing a book to read because they are divided into their main categories.  I do feel like that she should maybe have a section of fiction books, nonfiction books, poems, fantasy, etc.  This way the students are being exposed to the genres of literature and their correct names.

The only thing I would have changed about her introduction of nonfiction would be to have shown and/or read examples of nonfiction books.  Some of the students looked really confused when she was talking about what nonfiction literature was.  She really only told the primary purpose of nonfiction; she didn't talk much about what makes a book nonfiction.  Overall, I thought this could be a really effective lesson.  I just feel like she could have been more clear on certain things to help the students understand better.