Can a piece of nonfiction captivate a student? You bet it can, and even more so when that nonfiction work is coupled with a work of complementary fiction. Pairing Creative Fiction and Nonfiction: Reading Strategies, Critical Thinking, and Author Techniques digs dig deeply into a work of creative nonfiction paired with a work of fiction to investigate what the author is “doing” in both genres to get our attention. Pairing of nonfiction with fiction is required by many state standards, and this book offers five paired selections with assignments and activities that allow students to make connections be­tween nonfiction and fiction text.

Five genres are explored through paired excerpts:

• Journalism
• Memoir
• Historical Documents
• Biography
• Narrative Nonfiction

Handouts, activities, and assignments work together to aid the students in their analysis of all 10 selections:

• Vocabulary (context clues, usage)
• Primary and Secondary Sources handout and activity
• Literary Devices and Literary Elements, with Definitions handout
• Literary Tools for Analyzing Creative Nonfiction handouts
• Critical Reading Strategies for Creative Nonfiction handouts
• Universal Essential Questions handout (25 universal questions to connect both the paired selections as well as all 10 selections)

Culminating Assignments tie it all together, including an assignment that introduces students to research through the use of endnotes and bibliographies. Includes an Answer Key.

©2018. English. High school. Reproducible. 168 pages.

Book Download: PDF. Adobe® Reader® required to view PDF. PDF pages include some color images and clickable web links.

Print Book: Spiral-bound. 8 x 11 inches. Black and white pages.

About the Author

Judy Wilburn Hill earned her bachelor’s degree in Education at Texas Christian University and her master’s degree in English at the University of North Texas. She has taught secondary English, served as Coordinator for Advanced Academics, and worked as a Curriculum Specialist. She served as English department head and created the SAT Prep programs for various high schools.

Judy’s passion is British literature, and she has visited England three times to enhance her knowledge and teaching. Having taught ninth-grade English through Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition, she has a passion for teaching all levels of students.