New
New
Year 9

Comparing and evaluating non-fiction texts

I can write comparative topic sentences.

New
New
Year 9

Comparing and evaluating non-fiction texts

I can write comparative topic sentences.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Comparing one text to another can often help you evaluate it more clearly.
  2. You can compare what each writer chose to write about, and how they chose to write about it.
  3. The opening of comparative paragraphs could start with a topic sentence which states the paragraph’s main idea.
  4. The next sentences of a comparative paragraph could focus on the differences between the two texts you wish to compare.

Common misconception

You can't compare different text types to each other. For example, an article to a memoir.

By comparing different forms, we can often come to understand why a writer chose a particular text type more deeply - what this particular text type allowed them to do or convey to the reader.

Keywords

  • Form - the type of text a writer uses; an article, letter and speech are all examples.

  • Method - the tools a writer uses to create their work; structure, form and language are perhaps the most significant examples.

  • Evaluate - to consider something carefully and make a judgement about it.

  • First person - written from the writer’s perspective using pronouns like ‘I’, ‘we’, ‘me’.

  • Third person - the writer is not a person in the text using pronouns like ‘she’, ‘he’, ‘they’.

This lesson contains texts previously read in other lessons, you may wish to give a recap of the key points to pupils. If the texts have not been read, you may wish to give time in the lesson to read them.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need the extract from 'Around the World in 72 Days' and the article 'Megan Hine: the woman who helps keep Bear Grylls safe' available from the additional materials.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which answer best describes a travelogue?
A type of diary where someone records their personal thoughts about daily life.
Correct answer: A detailed account of someone's journey, including descriptions of places.
A fictional story set in a distant land, often involving adventure.
A guidebook that provides practical information and advice for travellers.
Q2.
Which of these examples uses a direct quotation?
She said she would be late.
He mentioned that it was raining.
Correct answer: "I can't believe it's already noon," she exclaimed.
They wondered about the weather.
Q3.
Complete the following sentence: A first person narrative perspective is a good way to ...
Correct answer: share and write about personal experiences.
Correct answer: write an autobiography.
write a leaflet.
Correct answer: create a rapport with the reader.
write academically.
Q4.
"She has survived killer snakes" is written using which narrative perspective?
Correct Answer: third person, third, 3rd person, 3rd
Q5.
Which rhetorical device is being used in this sentence: "How will people learn if they don't make mistakes?"
Correct Answer: rhetorical question, a rhetorical question
Q6.
"Although there was a dreadful swell, still the atmosphere was heavy and close." Which words are the adjectives in this sentence?
Correct answer: close
Correct answer: heavy
swell
Correct answer: dreadful
atmosphere

6 Questions

Q1.
What is the form of this text: 'The woman who helps keep Bear Grylls safe' an article by Emine Saner?
Correct Answer: article, an article
Q2.
When writing an analytical paragraph which compares two texts, you should start with a which states the paragraph's main idea.
Correct Answer: topic sentence
Q3.
Starting with the first, put these sentence ideas in the order for a paragraph which compares two texts.
1 - create a topic sentence stating the paragraph's main idea
2 - develop your topic sentence by stating an idea about Text 1
3 - compare Text 2 to Text 1
Q4.
Which word best completes this sentence comparing two texts (Nellie Bly and Emine Saner): " Bly and Saner foreground the experiences of women."
Whilst
However
Correct answer: Both
But
Similar
Q5.
Which word best completes this sentence comparing two texts (Nellie Bly and Emine Saner): " Bly presents her personal experiences, Saner weaves a narrative from another person's story."
Correct answer: Whilst
However
Both
Similar
But
Q6.
Emine Saner begins her article by writing: "She has been attacked by lions ..." What narrative perspective is the article written in?
Correct Answer: third person, third, 3rd , 3rd person

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