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You already know that there are major differences between a house and a nest. In contrast to a house, a nest is small and only has one room. Another difference is that a house is typically for humans while a nest is for birds.
However, you might be surprised to find out that nests and houses have some things that are the same. For instance, both nests and houses provide shelter. Another similarity is that both use trees in their construction. Birds use sticks and twigs while humans use lumber from trees. Last, they are alike because they both take up space, although a house usually takes up more space than a nest!
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Use a Venn Diagram to Compare/Contrast houses & nests.

Houses Both Nests
• Large
• More than
1 room
• For humans
• Lumber is used to build
• Provide shelter
• Use trees for construction
• Take up space
• Small
• One room
• For birds
• Sticks & twigs are used to build

What type(s) of nonfiction would this be?
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A account of a family trying to stick together and survive through the Great
Depression in the Midwest in the 1930s.
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Biography, Journal/Memoir

"Mama, is it time to go?"
I hadn't planned to cry, but the tears came suddenly, and I wiped them away with the back of my hand. I didn't want my older sister to see me crying.
"It's almost time, Ruri," my mother said gently. Her face was filled with a kind of sadness I had never seen before.
I looked around at my empty room. The clothes that Mama always told me to hang up in the closet, the junk piled on my dresser, the old rag doll I could never bear to part with--they were all gone. There was nothing left in the rest of the house. The rugs and furniture were gone, the pictures and drapes were down, and the closets and cupboards were empty. The house was like a gift box after the nice thing inside was gone; just a lot of nothingness.
from "The Bracelet" by Yoshiko Uchida
What conclusion can the reader draw after reading this passage? a.
Ruri is getting married and leaving her childhood home. b.
c.
d.
Ruri is going off to college.
Ruri's family is moving to another place.
Ruri's parents are divorcing.

Joe had been fishing for over two hours without a single bite.
Suddenly there was a nibble at the end of his fishing line. He stood up on the boat and leaned out too far. Then there was a sharp yank on the line. Joe fell overboard and landed head first into the water. Later, Joe and his friends laughed and laughed.
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What text organization structure is used in this passage? Signal words used?
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Chronological
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Signal Words – suddenly, just then, later

"Fire!", I yelled. "There's a fire in the bathroom" I screamed.
After a moment I thought to myself, Why wasn't anyone answering me? or coming out of there class rooms?. So I yelled again "Fire, fire!". Still no answer. I decided to get help but when I tried to run it felt like I was going so slow.
The doors to all the classrooms where moving further away.
This person was: a.
Painting a picture b.
c.
d.
Dreaming
Going to school
Have a really bad day

Transportation in New York improved during the 1800s. The Erie Canal was one improvement in transportation. Work on the Erie Canal began in 1817. The canal was completed 8 years later. 13,000 boats traveled on the canal in the first year. The canal was a big success. While the trip between Buffalo and New York took 20 days before the canal was finished, that same trip took only 8 days on the canal.
Goods shipped over land cost $100 a ton before the canal was built. The same amount of goods could be shipped on the canal for only $10. This led to increased trade along the route of the canal. Lumber and wheat could be shipped east and, in turn, products from the east could be shipped to settlers in the western part of New York.
The increase in trade led to the growth of cities along the canal route. In
1825 when the canal opened, Buffalo had a population of about 2,400 people. That population grew to 10,000 in just 6 years. Rochester had a population of only 331 in 1815, but by 1827 the population had grown to
8,000.
Compare & contrast New York before and after the Erie Canal was built.

Before Canal Both After Canal
• Trip from
Buffalo to NY took 20 days
• Goods shipped by land cost
$100/ton
• Populations:
Buffalo – 2,400
& Rochester -
331
• People traveled between the Buffalo
& NY
• Trade occurred
• Trip from Buffalo to NY took 8 days
• Goods shipped by canal cost
$10/ton
• Increased trade
• Growth of cities along the canal
• Populations:
Buffalo – 10,000
& Rochester -
8,000

A runner documents his training regimen and goals daily, and then publishes for an online audience.
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What type of nonfiction?
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Blog

What type of text organization structure is used in this passage? Signal
Words?
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Compare/Contrast; like, however

Today I was late for my volleyball game. Mom pulled the car over several times to study the map she had printed off the Internet. Mom even made me go into a convenience store to see if I could get some help in there.
When we finally got to the gym, the girls on my team were almost finished warming up.
Which of these conclusions can the reader draw based on the passage? a.
b.
The girl and her mom got lost on the way to the game.
The girl and her mom had car trouble on the way to c.
d.
the game.
The coach was angry when the athlete showed up late.
The girl was not an important player on her team.

Joe sends his thoughts and requests to his local congressman.
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What type of nonfiction?
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Letter

Mrs. Spaeth writes her extremely fascinating life story in a tell-all book.
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What type of nonfiction?
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Autobiography

Mr. Langdon writes an impassioned piece for a local publication about why more middle schoolers should look for math in real life.
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What (very specific) type of nonfiction?
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Persuasive Essay/Article

Ms. Scearcy decides to dish the dirt on Mrs. Butler and achieve fame and fortune by telling Mrs. Butler’s life story.
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What type of nonfiction?
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Biography

Mr. Ryan stays up to date by checking the KC Star online each day.
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What type of nonfiction?
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Media Accounts

Mr. Kincheloe writes to explain the process of hunting, dressing, & processing deer.
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What (very specific) type of nonfiction?
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Expository Essay/Article

In recent decades, cities have grown so large that now about 50% of the Earth's population lives in urban areas. There are several reasons for this occurrence. First, the increasing industrialization of the nineteenth century resulted in the creation of many factory jobs, which tended to be located in cities. These jobs, with their promise of a better material life, attracted many people from rural areas. Second, there were many schools established to educate the children of the new factory laborers. The promise of a better education caused many families to leave farming communities and move to the cities. Finally, as the cities grew, people established places of leisure, entertainment, and culture, such as sports stadiums, theaters, and museums. For many people, these facilities made city life appear more interesting than life on the farm, and therefore drew them away from rural communities.
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What text organization structure is used? Signal words?
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Cause/Effect; resulted in, caused, therefore