Activities 3.01 and 3.02

​Activity 3.01 Non-Fiction Knowledge

By Donna Kapa

​This week...

Begin Module 3: Writing with Purpose
Preparing to write an expository essay

• Finding information

• Mastering the art of the academic essay
  

Activity 3.01

​Objectives

• use text features to understand nonfiction texts

• identify different text structures

• determine the central idea of a text

Activity 3.01

​Assessment

• 3.01 Nonfiction Knowledge quiz

Title

Table of Contents
Headings
Captions
Images, Charts, Graphs
Glossary
Footnotes/End Notes
Appendix

​Text Features

• Cause and Effect

• Chronological

• Compare and Contrast

• Problem/Solution

• Description

​Text Structures

Activity 3.01 Key Words

Activity 3.01 Non-Fiction Knowledge

Text Structures

Cause and Effect

Chronological

Compare and Contrast

Problem/Solution

Description

Multiple Choice

Step 1: Identify the text structure.

“In 1990, researchers first noticed unusual coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef. Over the next decade, warming sea temperatures grew more frequent, and bleaching episodes became more severe. By 2005, scientists had developed continuous monitoring methods that could detect stress in corals before full bleaching occurred. Today, efforts are underway to restore damaged reef areas using coral gardening and transplanting resilient coral species.”

• Problem and Solution

• Cause and Effect

• Chronological Order

• Description

Open Ended

Step 2: Write two clues (signal words, time order, transitions) that support your answer.

“In 1990, researchers first noticed unusual coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef. Over the next decade, warming sea temperatures grew more frequent, and bleaching episodes became more severe. By 2005, scientists had developed continuous monitoring methods that could detect stress in corals before full bleaching occurred. Today, efforts are underway to restore damaged reef areas using coral gardening and transplanting resilient coral species.”

Multiple Choice

Step 1: Identify the text structure.

“Urban parks and rural parks share many similarities: both offer green space, recreational facilities, and a place for community gathering. However, they differ significantly in other aspects. Urban parks are often smaller, have more paved paths, and attract visitors of all ages throughout the year. Rural parks, on the other hand, are larger, less manicured, and may have wildlife habitats that are barely disturbed.”

• Compare and Contrast

• Description

• Sequence

• Problem and Solution

Open Ended

Step 2: Cite at least two clues (signal words, organization, transitions, content) that led you to that conclusion.

“Urban parks and rural parks share many similarities: both offer green space, recreational facilities, and a place for community gathering. However, they differ significantly in other aspects. Urban parks are often smaller, have more paved paths, and attract visitors of all ages throughout the year. Rural parks, on the other hand, are larger, less manicured, and may have wildlife habitats that are barely disturbed.”

Multiple Choice

Step 1: Identify the text structure.

“Many people worry about the impact of plastic waste on the oceans. The root of the problem lies in single-use plastics, which often end up in landfills or washed into rivers. One solution is to ban plastic bags in retail stores; another is to promote biodegradable alternatives. Furthermore, governments can incentivize recycling and penalize plastic dumping to reduce the scale of pollution.”

• Cause and Effect

• Chronological

• Description

• Problem and Solution

Open Ended

Step 2: Cite at least two clues (signal words, organization, transitions, content) that led you to that conclusion.

“Many people worry about the impact of plastic waste on the oceans. The root of the problem lies in single-use plastics, which often end up in landfills or washed into rivers. One solution is to ban plastic bags in retail stores; another is to promote biodegradable alternatives. Furthermore, governments can incentivize recycling and penalize plastic dumping to reduce the scale of pollution.”

Activity 3.01 Nonfiction Knowledge

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Text Structure helps you see how information is organized

  Recognizing patterns (sequence, cause/effect, problem/solution, compare/contrast, description) helps you navigate faster

Activity 3.01 Nonfiction Knowledge

​Finding the Central Idea with Text Features

When researching, you need to find key ideas quickly

• Use text features to scan and locate important information

• Titles, headings, captions, and visuals point you toward central ideas

• Combine what you know about structure + features to capture the main idea efficiently

Multiple Choice

Research Scenario:
You are writing a paper on teen work-life balance. You find an article with:

Title: “The Impact of Teen Jobs on School Success”

Table of Contents Section: “Teen Employment Trends”

Heading: “Benefits and Drawbacks”

Question:
Based on these features, what will this section most likely discuss?

• How to apply for a teen job step-by-step

• A story about one specific teen’s job experience

• The pros and cons of teens working during the school year

• A list of the highest-paying jobs for teens

Multiple Choice

Caption:

“Part-time work can build responsibility but may interfere with homework.”

Question: Which statement best summarizes the information from the caption and chart?

• Teen jobs never affect students’ stress or grades.

• Teen jobs mainly cause benefits with no drawbacks.

• Teen jobs should be eliminated to prevent lower grades.

• Teen jobs can have both positive effects and negative effects .

Activity 3.02 Use It Correctly

​Assessment

• 3.02 Use It Correctly quiz.

Activity 3.02 Use It Correctly

​Objectives

• use knowledge of usage rules to create flow in writing

• produce writing appropriate to audience, task, and purpose

Activity 3.02 Use It Correctly

​Key Concepts

• formal vs. informal language

• commonly confused words

• independent, dependent, and sentence fragments

• sentence fluency through punctuation