Use Non-Fiction Texts to Analyze Direct Quotes

Because the majority of reading done in life is non-fiction, the ability of students to read and understand non-fiction texts is a necessary skill that must be explicitly taught (Harvey, 1998). Teachers must expose students to many varied experiences with non-fiction texts in order to prepare them to read and write effectively, both for information and to achieve literacy success. In addition, educators must teach the specific strategies, text features, and text structures that are necessary for students to access and understand non-fiction texts. The use of these texts builds upon a child’s natural inherent curiosity of the world, and the more exposure and opportunities to interact with informational texts the better equipped our students will be to be life-long readers and writers.

SAMPLE LESSON

Direct Quotes

Locate direct quotes said by _____________________ in the text.

On the front of index cards write the direct quote(s).

On the back of the index cards write your personal response to the quote(s).

Direct Quote
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
-Martin Luther King Jr.

Personal Response
I think we must always speak up for what we believe in and care about what is happening in the world.
-Bobby