Non-Fiction Writing

Goals

  • review the genre of nonfiction writing by examining the characteristics of procedural writing
  • read an example of procedural writing and identify the characteristics of expository writing within it
  • write a piece of procedural writing

The Learning Task

Last week our literacy prompts focused on generating our personal writing territories* or ideas that we can return to for writing inspiration (heart maps, hands, life map, awesome ideas).

This week we will explore different genres of writing beginning with nonfiction. Genre is the form that a piece of writing takes. Each form of writing has its own unique characteristics or traits.

All writing that is not poetry is prose. Prose is writing that is made of sentences and paragraphs. Poetry is made up of lines and stanzas.

Non-fiction writing provides factual information about a subject; often uses exposition but may include narration, description, or persuasion.

Procedural Writing is one form of Nonfiction Writing. Procedural Writing is everywhere: It is found in recipes, how to manuals and rules to a game. Your task is to go on a hunt in your home for examples of procedural writing and make generalizations about what makes an effective piece of procedural writing. Check your understanding against: The Procedural Writing Framework.

Your turn! Write a piece of procedural writing based on your experiences living through a pandemic. Possible topics could include: how to cut your own hair; or, the popular internet trend, how to make sourdough bread.

Daily task! Don’t forget to engage with your Writer’s Notebook: Creating a Place for Reflection

Note: please see the information in this lesson for guidance.

*term coined by Nancie Atwell