Amazing Nonfiction Blog Mentors!

Check out these great examples of non fiction blog posts! They are organized, consider the author's craft, and thought-provoking!

Lizzie

Augie

Waniso

Ava R.

Marley

Sadie

Sophia L. 

New Monthly Non-Fiction Blog Post!

Starting now, you will be required to include at least one blog post per month that is in response to a NON-FICTION TEXT.  

You are looking for an article that is at least 5-6 paragraphs long that presents an idea that you can analyze and think deeply about.  Doing this assignment well requires finding an interesting article! Take the time to do that! Ask your family what kind of online news sources they read.  Great resources for this response are: 

The New York Times' Upfront Magazine (There are also copies in the classroom) 

USA Today's Opinion Section

The Daily News' Opinion Section 

The New York Times


You should use the same techniques for reading non-fiction that we have been working on in class.  Think about the main ideas (the explicit, or, what the author wants you to know) and what the author wants you to feel or think (the implicit, subtle ideas) and how the author achieves this (what intentional craft moves did he/she use?)  Your response will be structured like your non-fiction summaries, with an added third part - YOUR OWN OPINION.  Each paragraph MUST be 5-7 sentences long.  You must formally cite where your article came from (page R-3 in your agenda or noodle tools at ms51library.org) and provide a link if possible. Here is an overview of the structure: 

Part 1: a summary that includes what the author wants you to know? 

Part 2: an analysis of what the author wants you to feel and think and HOW the author achieved it (statistics, an appeal to emotion, loaded words, perspectives that are present or missing, etc.)

Part 3: your personal response to the article: formulate your own opinion on the ideas and issues presented in the text.
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Here is a writing guide with questions to help you get started.  This is a review from what we did during the first unit.  Revisit your notes!

For Part 1 of a Nonfiction Blog Post, answer these questions:

1.  What is the overall main idea of the text (remember, you found this by looking at the main who+what of each paragraph)?  What is the entire text mostly about?  Include 3-4 details and try to directly quote at least one. 

     For Part 2 of a Nonfiction Blog Post, answer these questions:

        1. What does the author want readers to think or feel?

           2.. What are some craft moves the author uses to achieve this?  How do they work?  Try to include at least one direct quote here.

  
For Part 3 of a Nonfiction Blog Post, write your personal response, using these as sample questions:

         1. What will you take away from it?  

         2. How has your thinking been shaped or changed, and why?  

         3.  Do you have an opinion on the issue now?

3       4. Is there anything else you want to know?

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Use the Non-fiction Blog Response Student Checklist in order to help you prepare for and write your posts! 

Critically Thinking in Video Research

It is important to look at video research with the same critical eyes that we used to analyze written texts.   When you are watching these videos, consider our three questions:

1. What does the director/creator want me to KNOW?

2. What does the director/creator want me to FEEL?

3. What does the director/creator want me to THINK?

***and, of course, what "craft moves" are used to convey these things?

Here are some specific questions that will help you notice "craft moves" that can guide your viewing experience both now and whenever you are watching visual media. 

Notice and write about how the creators use any or all of the following:

Images/imagery, in visual media, can be in the form of pictures or words

What images do you see?  

What images do you hear described?

What feelings/thoughts do they elicit?  How?

The words that are being spoken can add to the image you are seeing

The images are presented in a certain order; how are they organized?

Sounds are really important.  What incidental sounds do you hear (from the real world) and what added sounds (music, sound effects, etc.)?  

What is the tone of voice of the people who are speaking?

What are the elements of the video (interviews, clips, etc.?)

Who is represented?  Whose perspective is missing?  (Just like in written media!)

What emotional, opinion, or loaded words are used?  (Also as in written media!)

1. A video that gives a bit of background on child soliders and talks about what UNICEF is doing to help former child soldiers heal: http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=232161 (almost 4 minutes)

2. A video that accompanies "Armed and Underaged" by Jeffrey Gettleman, one of the articles we read in class: http://vimeo.com/12563578 (3 minutes)

3. A video put out by Invisible Children that includes people of faith and in education and peace promotion asking for the world, and specifically the United States, to aid in the fight against Joseph Kony: http://vimeo.com/38406755 (3 minutes)

4. Invisible Children put out a video in 2006 when the topic of child soldiers was relatively new to much of the United States.  How is this video similar to and different from the other videos we have watched? http://vimeo.com/3765452 (5 minutes)

Going Beyond the Our Classroom...for extra credit and for building those critical thinking muscles in your brain.  

Follow the directions below that include watching a video and reading an article that responds to the video.  Write a response that addresses the questions that follow.  Minimally, write a paragraph on the video, a paragraph on the article and a concluding paragraph of your own thoughts.  Each paragraph must be at least 5-7 sentences.  Feel free to search for other video or textual resources and include links to them as well.   This is worth 5-10 points onto a "major grade" assignment, depending on the quality of the post.  Below explain in further detail the three parts of the extra credit assignment:


1. This is the full length "#Kony2012" video by Invisible Children, which went viral and started many conversations and controversies: http://vimeo.com/37119711 (29 minutes).  Watch this video in light of what you have learned throughout this unit and be a critical thinker. Use these questions to guide your response.

• Is arresting Joseph Kony going to solve the problem of child soliders? How might this help? 
• What other things, based on your research, might help solve the problem of child soliders? 
• What techniques did the film makers use to appeal to your emotions (just like we studied in non fiction reading)? Are they effective? Does analyzing them critically impact what you think about the video?
• Is there anything you would add or take away from this video, based on our research? 

2. Now, critically read this article called "Beyond Kony 2012" article by Bryan Early and Robert Tynes.  How does this add to, change or support your ideas and opinions?

3. After reading and watching so much about the issue of child soldiers, what are your thoughts, opinions and responses?  Do you think there is value in considering lots of different sources?

Read more non fiction and be inspired at the same time.

One of my favorite magazines and online journals is Good.

They run a regular series called People Are Awesome and it's one of my favorites.  Feel free to read any of these stories and respond to them on your blog.

You're welcome.

Social Action Wrap Up/Nonfiction worth checking out

I have read and been inspired by a number of social action stories this week.  Here are links to read and discover on your own.  If you are moved by one, please write your next blog post in response.

Anonymous Donors Pay Off Kmart Layaways

Time Magazine names "The Protester" their Person of the Year.  Click HERE for a photo essay of 35 different protesters.  Click HERE to read the stories behind this choice.

Google just donated millions of dollars to help fight human trafficking. Read the story HERE.

Google's marketing campaign to raise awareness also includes a Slavery Footprint interactive tool for individuals to become educated on how people are contributing to modern day slavery.  Visit Slavery Footprint and check it out for yourself.