Unlocking Non-Fiction

Overview

This is the first lesson in a six-lesson unit designed to equip Year 9 students with the skills to read, understand, and analyse non-fiction texts confidently. The focus will be on recognising the defining features and purposes of non-fiction writing, exploring a range of genres, and practising close reading skills to identify key elements relevant to the writer’s intent and audience.

National Curriculum Alignment

English Programme of Study – Reading:

Understand a wide range of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction texts, including challenging and lengthy material.
Analyse the language, structure, and presentation used by a writer to create meanings and effects.
Learn to summarise and articulate key ideas clearly by identifying relevant details.

English Programme of Study – Spoken Language:

Use discussion to explore and explain ideas, including questioning and challenging viewpoints politely and effectively.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, the student will be able to:

Define non-fiction and explain the purpose of non-fiction texts in various contexts.
Identify and classify different non-fiction genres (e.g., biography, autobiography, persuasive article, information text, review).
Analyse short extracts to highlight key features such as tone, structure, language choices, and intended audience.
Discuss how the purpose and format influence the style and content of non-fiction writing.

Success Criteria

Can give a clear definition of non-fiction and cite examples from everyday life.
Correctly categorises a variety of short text excerpts by genre.
Identifies at least three key features (e.g., use of facts, persuasive language, informative layout) in given texts.
Explains how purpose and audience shape writing style and content in non-fiction.

Resources Needed

Printed or digital copies of varied non-fiction extracts (approximately 3-4 paragraphs each) from genres such as: newspaper article, travel guide, autobiography snippet, review, instructional manual.
Whiteboard and markers or a digital whiteboard.
Graphic organiser handout for note-taking on key features of each text.
Sticky notes or small cards for genre classification activity.
Timer or stopwatch.

Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity (10 minutes)

"What is Non-Fiction?"

Ask the student to brainstorm aloud all the texts they read daily that are not stories or poems (e.g., websites, menus, instructions).
Record answers on the board to create a working definition.
Introduce the formal definition of non-fiction as writing based on facts, real people, events, or ideas, intended to inform, explain, persuade, or entertain.
Discuss purposes briefly: to inform, persuade, instruct, recount, or review.

2. Introduction to Genres (10 minutes)

Present a selection of non-fiction genres with simple explanations and examples: biography, news report, review, letter, informational leaflet, persuasive article.
Show short extract examples on screen or printed.
Engage the student in a quick sorting activity using the sticky notes/cards to match text excerpts to genres based on clues like content, tone, and layout.

3. Reading and Annotation (20 minutes)

Provide 3 different short extracts representing different genres.
Model one together, reading aloud and annotating key features such as:
Who is the audience?
What is the purpose?
What facts, opinions, or persuasive techniques are present?
How is the text structured?
Give the student 2 extracts to read independently or collaboratively, using a graphic organiser to identify the above elements.
Circulate (or discuss) to check understanding, prompting with questions about tone, style, and techniques used.

4. Reflection and Discussion (10 minutes)

Revisit the initial definition and ask the student to explain in their own words what makes a text non-fiction.
Discuss how understanding the genre and purpose helps readers approach texts differently (e.g., reading a travel guide vs. a newspaper).
Highlight the value of non-fiction in everyday life and learning across subjects.

5. Plenary - Quick Quiz and Self-Assessment (10 minutes)

Conduct a rapid-fire quiz where the student identifies the genre/purpose of 4 new mini-excerpts read aloud or presented visually.
Use a self-assessment sheet for the student to rate their confidence on today’s objectives and note one thing they found interesting or challenging.

Differentiation

For deeper insight, encourage the student to consider how choice of language affects reader response or formality level changes depending on audience.
Provide sentence starters and scaffolding for annotation if needed.
Extend by asking the student to compare two excerpts, noting similarities and differences in style and purpose.

Assessment Opportunities

Observation of responses during the sorting and annotation tasks.
Evidence of understanding in the graphic organiser detailing features and purpose of each extract.
Accuracy in genre identification during the plenary quiz.
Reflection written or verbal confirming comprehension of the lesson’s key aims.

Homework Suggestion

Ask the student to bring to the next lesson a non-fiction text they find interesting (magazine article, webpage, leaflet) and be prepared to share what they think the purpose and audience are.

Teacher’s Notes

Maintain high engagement by encouraging curiosity about real-world applications.
Emphasise that non-fiction skills help not only in English but across subjects like History and Science.
Use varied multimedia resources if possible to enrich text examples (e.g., audio interviews, digital magazines).
Frame the lesson as unlocking the ‘secrets’ behind the written facts and arguments they encounter every day.

This approach ensures that the lesson is fully aligned with the English National Curriculum’s emphasis on analytical reading, critical thinking, and effective communication, while providing practical, student-centred activities for a single learner.

Teaching Instructions