Nonfiction Self-Select

Gather your ideas.

Graphic Organizer: Compare/Contrast

Graphic Organizer: Cause/Effect

Graphic Organizer: Problem Solution

Graphic Organizer: Chain of Events

Ethos and Bias: Is the author credible? Appeal to authority

• Ethos=ethical appeal or credibility of the author

• “Given Limbaugh's talent for controversy, it seemed wise to investigate whether the historical details in ‘Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims’ were fact or fiction.”

(Mark Jacob, Chicago Tribune)

Is the supporting evidence trust worthy?• EX: “He's inconsistent on whether the first Indian

to visit Plymouth was named Samoset or Somoset, and he misstates by a year when the visit occurred (it was 1621, not 1620).”

• EX: “There is indeed a historical basis for Limbaugh's view. William Bradford, Plymouth's governor, wrote that common ownership "was found to breed much confusion and discontent and retard much employment," and that more corn was planted when families were given their own land.”

Is the text biased?• “In general, Limbaugh lets the facts tell their

own apolitical story of the Pilgrims, and he's correct almost all of the time.”

• What claims are proposed, and how are they supported? (new examples below)o Terry Pluto says the Browns won’t go to the

Super Bowl because….o In The Lost Daughters of China, after

interviewing mothers, the author says women give up their daughters for adoption because….

Pathos: emotional appeal

• How does the author appeal to the emotions of the audience?o I cried when X tells a story about the

death of her infant.oBecoming a vegetarian sound appealing

after the descriptive passage inside a slaughter house.

(At least 2 quotations)

Logos: logical appeal• How is logic used throughout the text?

oClaim: In 50 years, the world will hit a major food crisis.

o Support: Computer models project X data will lead to Y….

(At least 2 quotations)

Tone• Tonal shifts in The Lost Daughters of China

1) The tone at the beginning is desperate. (Mothers’ views)

2) The tone in the middle is hopeful. (Adoption process)

3) The tone at the end is satisfied yet responsible. (Identity)

(2 Quotations)

Evaluation• Define the audience. Who would like the book?• Are the “strategies” used appropriate and

effective for this audience?o Style:• The endless retelling of facts was boring. • The cartoons and pictures conveyed the

satire.• The included recipes convinced me to try

cricket flour.• The personal stories of redemption reminds

the audience to forgive others.

Tips for a successful paper

• Read the book.• Number and label each section.• Provide the title, author, genre. • Write in complete sentences.• Answer each section thoroughly.• Find different examples and quotations to

support different ideas. Cover the whole text.

• Provide context for each quotation. DO NOT begin a sentence with a quotation.

• Proof read.