LSSL 5360 Textbook Chapter 11: Nonfiction

NONFICTION

What did I already know about the topics?
Nonfiction covers a vast range of information. Anytime I have I needed information, I have been able to find a book that relates to it. The information is factual, based on true events, it may be historical or detail important current events and new studies. My appreciation for nonfiction has increased as I have gotten older and realized the amount of research and effort it takes to compile a single book.

What did I learn after I completed this assignment?
The very first piece of information I learned was that nonfiction is defined by what it is not, because it can include other forms and genres.
To evaluate it, the author's qualifications are important to keep in mind. Some ways to do this include looking at the acknowledgements of who the author credits for assistance, simply looking at the back of the book where there is basic information on the author, and to also explore online for resources. Some authors have their notes available which will provide many details while other authors are recognized as "go to authors" for specific subjects like space or history in which a reader can rest assured that the author is typically credible.
To check the accuracy of the facts included in  a work, reviews are not always reliable because they may be written by anyone. Instead, there are some content vetted lists a reader can check, there are quality series to be aware of, or even bibliographies and referenced materials that the author provides. Another solution offered was to compare multiple books on the same topic and to see what information is agreed upon or if there is anything that stands out for being different or revolutionary.
When thinking of the purpose and scope for a book, it is important to think who the audience will be, and what are the needs for the book such as a broad or narrow consideration of a topic.
Organization is also helpful to understand and to look into for nonfiction whether the book will be for research purposes or simply enjoyment. The table of contents may provide a brief view with an index offering more details. A book can be organized in a variety of ways like chronologically or by topic and some are more helpful depending on the information provided.
Visuals can be extremely important! To engage readers or for those who may not be able to grasp all of the language yet, call out sections/boxes can provide brief but helpful information. Real life photographs of people or artifacts can help those researching specific topics, while paintings may be more appropriate if there are not many images available. Charts, graphs, and even online resources may be included in books increasing their interactivity.
Lastly, there were a variety of questions provided that students can be asked to help them consider a nonfiction work, like if it was intended for adults or children, how much work went into it, what did you learn and was it interesting, and how does time factor in.

What do I still need to learn?
Most of this information was relatively new to me. I have often accepted published works in book form as reliable and accurate without further thought, while being much more cautious with online resources. Applying many of these criteria for evaluating nonfiction will be valuable.

How will I share this information with others?
Nonfiction will be important to many teachers throughout the school like science, history, literature for standard classes but even elements of music, art, or theater may explore them as well. As a result, being well educated on this will be helpful as I aid other instructors in their lessons and to ensure my library is stocked with appropriate materials. In addition, I hope to share many new topics with students who may not realize how enjoyable nonfiction can be.