Name______Date______

Learning About Nonfiction, p. 426

Three important types of nonfiction are essays, articles, and speeches. An essay examines and

discusses a focused topic, often including the writer’s personal viewpoints. In an article, a writer

gives information about a specific topic, person, or event. In a speech, a speaker addresses atopic in front of a live audience. Like essays and articles, speeches may be informative,persuasive, or entertaining.

In nonfiction, just as in fiction, the author’s style and tone are important elements. A writer’s

styleis the particular way that he or she uses language. Here are some factors that contributeto a writer’s distinctive style:

• level of language (formal vs. dialect or slang)

• use of figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, symbol)

• diction, or word choice

• sentence patterns (long or short, variety in types of sentences, repetition)

• sensory imagery

The tone of a work is the author’s attitude toward the subject matter, the characters, or theaudience of readers or listeners. A work’s tone can often be summed up in one word: playful,solemn, mysterious, ominous, personal, or enthusiastic. Be alert to shifts in tone. Different parts

of a single work may deliberately exhibit different tones.

DIRECTIONS: Circle the letter of the answer that best matches each numbered item.

1. the style of a letter you write to your local school board

A. formal B. chatty C. slangy

2. the tone of a birthday card you write to your little sister

A. playful B. scholarly C. pessimistic

3. the tone of a speech urging support for a candidate for public office

A. relaxed B. persuasiveC. hesitant

4. the style of an essay focusing on one of your childhood experiences

A. formal B. informal C. neutral

5. the tone of an after-dinner speech at an awards ceremony

A. solemn B. entertaining C. poetic

6. the style of a descriptive essay focusing on a field of sunflowers in bloom

A. sensory B. persuasive C. narrative

7. the style of a letter to a childhood friend who now lives in a foreign country

A. complex B. remote C. conversational

8. the tone of an article summarizing the Civil War for high school students

A. reflective B. factual C. humorous

“Before Hip-Hop Was Hip-Hop” by Rebecca Walker

P. 435

Rebecca Walker

Listening and Viewing

Segment 1: Meet Rebecca Walker

• What early experiences with literature inspired Rebecca Walker to become a writer?

• What is your favorite piece of literature, and why is it important to you? Explain.

______

______

______

______

Segment 2: Types of Nonfiction

• How can music influence other art forms, especially literature?

• How do you think the emergence of hip-hop has influenced the nonfiction literature thatpeople write today and will write in the future?

______

______

______

______

Segment 3: The Writing Process

• Which method in Rebecca Walker’s writing process would you most likely adopt? Why?

______

______

______

______

Segment 4: The Rewards of Writing

• What does Rebecca Walker want to convey to young people who read her writing?

• Why do you think it is important for young people to be well-informed about currentevents?

______

______

______

______

“Before Hip-Hop Was Hip-Hop” by Rebecca Walker

After You Read:

  1. According to Walker, why did P.S. 141 “crackle” with energy?
  1. In what ways did hip-hop help Walker and her friends bridge differences?
  1. Why was it so important for Walker and her friends to define themselves through dress, special language, dance, and music?
  1. What do teenagers use today to express themselves?
  1. Is the tone of Walker’s essay personal or impersonal?
  1. What other adjectives appropriately describe her tone? Which details in the first three paragraphs support your answers?
  1. What differences does Walker find between the music of her youth and today’s hip-hop?
  1. What overall organizational structure does Walker use to organize her essay?

“Before Hip-Hop Was Hip-Hop” by Rebecca Walker

Model Selection: Nonfiction

An essay is a brief work of nonfiction that discusses a focused topic and often includes the

writer’s personal experiences and opinions. An essayist’s style, or distinctive way of usinglanguage, often reflects his or her personality. The tone of the essay, or the writer’s attitude

toward the subject matter and the audience, is also key to understanding an essay.

Essays can be classified by the author’s purpose, or reason for writing. A narrative essaytells a story of actual events or the life experiences of an individual. A descriptive essay buildsan overall impression of a person, an object, or an experience by using images that appeal to thesenses. An expository essay provides information, discusses ideas, or explains a process. Apersuasive essay attempts to convince readers to take a course of action or adopt the writer’s

viewpoint. A reflective essay expresses the writer’s thoughts and feelings in response to apersonal experience or to an idea.

DIRECTIONS: Read the following passages from “Before Hip-Hop Was Hip-Hop.” In the space

provided in the chart, comment briefly on the style, tone, or purpose of each passage.

Passage from the Essay / Comments on Style, Tone,
or Purpose
1. I noted what they wore and how they wore
it: the razor sharp creases of their Jordache
jeans, the spotless sneakers with the laces left
loose and untied.
2. Intuitively, kids were making a community
where there was none; we were affirming our
sameness in a world that seemed to only
emphasize our difference.
3. I hope they will marvel at the fact that in
the early days of hip-hop, young people were
making it up as they went along, following
their hearts, following what felt good. I hope
they will think about what it takes to create
culture that is unique and transcendent and
honest, and I hope they will begin to dream
about creating a new world for themselves.

1

Grade 9, Unit 3