Non-Fiction Reading Test

Topic: Modernising Non-Fiction 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/19/train-derails-northern-india-killing-least-23/

Objectives:

DIRT: Identify your personalized reading target/s and write them at the top of a new page in your books.

1) Discuss and apply Blumer & Katz Uses & Gratification Theory to a range of texts.

2) Discuss, analyse and evaluate how the writings use of; language devices and structure impacts the reader.

3) Evaluation/DIRT: go back over your answers and highlight/annotate where you have successfully hit your targets. 

STARTER 

In 1973 Blumer and Katz came up with the Uses and Gratification theory, arguing that readers consume texts for four key reasons:

·      Entertainment

·      Information

·      Socialisation

·      Relationships

In pairs, discuss where these media texts would fit into this theory and complete the tables individually for your books.

Blumer & Katz’s 1973 Uses & Gratification Theory

Reasons for Consuming a Text	Example Texts
Entertainment
Information
Socialisation (learning about society/ having your values reaffirmed)
Relationships (replacing missing relationships like; love/friendship/family)

TASK: Put these texts where you think they fit Blumer and Katz’s categories:

Fiction novels           Broadsheet newspapers          Computer games       Poems

                     BBC News                     Magazines             Tabloid newspapers

Fiction Films              Social Media                Radio 1               Plays 

L7-L9: Also, think about the purpose of a newspaper. What is the main purpose?

How does this impact the way the writer writes? 
 
Key Questions:

What is the purpose of the texts?

Why might a reader buy them?

Which elements of Blumer & Katz theory can be applied to each text?

Can a text fall into more than one category?

Should certain texts fall into more than one category e.g. broadsheet newspapers – should they be entertaining, through use of scandalous hyperbole, or should they just be informative? 

MAIN PART 1:

DIRT/literacy: Look at their personalized targets from their previous reading test and write them at the top of a new page. Under the heading: Non-Fiction Reading Test.

Before you do the test, we are going to do a verbal walk through to remind ourselves what each question is looking for... 

Year 8 Non-Fiction Reading Test

Q1) Read lines 1-8 of the source material and list four things the reader learns about the train crash.

                                                                                                          (4 marks)

Q2) Look in detail at the headline and lines 1-19 of the source:

How does the writer use language here to describe the train crash?

You could include in writers choice of:

-       words and phrases (adjectives, semantic fields etc)

-       language features and techniques (hyperbole, facts/statistics etc.)

-       sentence forms

                                                                                                        (8 marks)

Q3) You need to think about the source as a whole.

How has the writer structured the text to interest the reader?

You could write about:

-       The headline

-       How the first two paragraphs contains the 5ws (lots of facts and exaggeration)

-       How images contribute to the structure/story

-       How the last five paragraphs seem to shift from informative reporting about the crash to assertions connoting through detailed other issues in the country.

                                                                                                          (8 marks)

  

Q4) A student wrote, ‘Broadsheets are trying to entertain readers through using too much hyperbole,’ how far do you agree with this statement in relation to The Telegraph article?

N.B. you could start with applying Blumer and Katz’ 1973 theory to the question e.g. think about the purpose of newspapers and how the current media market might temp/force newspapers to embrace hyperbole.

In your answer you could refer to how the writers use of:

-       Semantic fields

-       Adjectives

-       Assertion

may create a scandal or panic instead of simply informing the reader.

You could conclude by giving your view concerning whether or not this article uses too much hyperbole to entertain readers through shock value and macabre voyeurism along with your view on whether news should be more tightly regulated.

                                                                                                       (20 marks)

How To Get L6-L9 On Long Answer Questions

L7-L9 Language Paper 1 & 2 Check List

Points/arguments that are original and show a clear understanding of the question. Evidence from the text/theory quotes. Explain how the writer’s choices (language/structure/narrative/characterisation/themes) impact the reader. Link every point clearly back to the question using the same language/words the question does to leave the examiner in no doubt your are sticking to the point.
Complex subject specific vocabulary (to show off how able you are).
SPAG accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar (use compound and complex sentences, embed quotes using the correct punctuation).
Make enough points/use enough evidence from the text to cover all the marks available.

Revise Language Devises

that are common conventions of non-fiction (remind pupils to refer to these where appropriate) e.g. FEAR

Facts (use of statistics etc.)

Exaggeration (hyperbole, scandalous language – adjectives, semantic fields etc.) In test, you could link to Blumer & Katz here – exploring whether or not broadsheets should try to be ‘entertaining’ (Blumer & Katz, 1973) or whether they should stick to the facts.

Assertion (journalist somehow putting across their own view)

Rhetorical questions.

Main Part 2

Work individually to complete the non-fiction reading test; making sure you work on hitting your personal targets.

PLENARY 

Pupils will self-assess their work through highlighting where they have hit their main targets so I/and they can see how/where they have improved. 

Homework: Find out about the life story of a famous journalist of your choice and be prepared to talk about them for 1 minute at the start of next lesson (your mini presentation must include at least one quote from their work).