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Lesson 8: Nonfiction Novel StudyPurposeThis lesson will give you practice in applying the strategies and skills you learned in lesson 7, when you learned about narrative nonfiction. The novel you will read, Freedom Train: The Story of Harriet Tubman, is a biography written in narrative form.
What You Will LearnAt the end of this unit, you should be able to do the following:
Reading AssignmentThe discussion will instruct you when to complete each reading assignment. Freedom Train: The Story of Harriet Tubman, by Dorothy Sterling (any edition) Writers Express
DiscussionNonfiction Novel Study Harriet Tubman in 1880 (Source: Wikimedia Commons) As you read the book about Harriet Tubman, apply your learning from lesson 7 about narrative nonfiction. You will also focus on vocabulary and literary elements in the story. I have divided the twenty chapters of the novel into four sections. For each section, activities will help you understand the novel, apply your learning, and prepare you to write a story of your own. You will learn information about the period of history used as the setting, find facts about the real people who are characters in the novel, and use graphic organizers that you can use for other writings you may do in the future. I will also provide you with some Web sites that you can go to for additional information. When you finish this novel, you will plan and write a narrative nonfiction story of your own and submit it for the lesson 8 progress evaluation. You will find a rubric for this writing at the end of this lesson. As you begin to read, think about the questions below. These types of questions are called “guiding questions.” Guiding questions help you to stay focused on the big ideas in the novel.
Vocabulary StudyAs you read this novel, you will be asked to notice several types of words:
Keep an eye out for the vocabulary words and terms in the table below. Start by doing a vocabulary inventory of these words. Place the appropriate mark in the column to the left of each word to “inventory” what you know. (Click here for a printable copy of the vocabulary inventory list.) + = I know this word
You can always look up the meaning of the word if you cannot figure out the meaning from the context of the sentence when you run across it. Dialect can include an individual’s accent, word choice, or pronunciation. Dialect can tell the reader about a person, such as where the person comes from, education, background, etc. As you read, look for words that are dialect. Jot them down in your journal. Here are some examples:
Read and PracticeSection I: Chapters 1–5Chapters 1 through 5, if your chapters are not numbered, will take you to the point at which the Master dies and Harriet decides she must run away. As you read this novel, remember to use your active reading strategies. You may use sticky notes, bookmark, journal, or any of the active reading strategies that work for you. If you do not plan to resell your textbook, you can write in your book. 
Activity 8.1: KWL Chart
When you are reading a story, particularly a nonfiction story, you may already know a great deal about the topic, you may be unfamiliar with the topic, or you may have some guesses about the topic. When you think ahead to the learning you will be doing, it helps to use your reading time wisely. One way to summarize what you will be learning is to use a KWL chart that helps you think about what you know, what you want to know, and what you learn. Look at page 273 in Writers Express. Then make your own three-column chart before beginning to read Freedom Train. You will add to your chart, change it, and check your understanding as you read. When you finish, you will also have a study guide that would help you with a test over the material. You should have at least 5 entries in each column by the end of the book. Do not send the activities for this lesson to the Center for evaluation. Discuss each with your parent/teacher.
Activity 8.2: Timeline
After you have finished reading Chapters 1–5, you will use a timeline to record significant events in the life of Harriet Tubman. Some of the events will be from the novel, but you will need to go to some of the sites listed on the Web Sites page, use an encyclopedia, or read other reference materials to find important events in her life. You will keep extending this timeline as you read the book and find out more about her life. By the end of this unit, you will be able to use this timeline to help you answer questions about the novel. Pages 478–487 in Writers Express show you how to do a timeline. You can also use a timeline for organizing ideas or information. This type of graphic organizer is useful for all sorts of reading, writing, and learning. For this timeline, you will need poster paper, markers or a pencil, a ruler, the novel, and your resource materials. Since your timeline will be long, you might want to cut your poster paper in half and tape the two pieces together side by side. That way, you will have plenty of space for your entries as you read. If you find you need to add events to your timeline as you read, don’t hesitate to write them in where they go. You can add to any section at any time. Also, it is a good idea to add other historical events to provide reference for what was going on elsewhere in the United States and the world. Share and discuss your timeline with your parent/teacher as you read the novel. Decide which events are historical and which events might be made up to make the story more interesting. You can include other events that are happening in other parts of the world on your timeline. This will give you a feel for where this story fits in history. You should have at least 10 entries on your timeline by the time you finish the book. 
Self-Check: Study Questions for Section I
Answer the questions below, then check your answers.
Section II: Chapters 6–10Read Chapters 6 through 10 in Freedom Train, again using the active reading strategies you have learned. This will take you from Harriet’s plans to run away to the time when Harriet has helped forty slaves escape to the North.
Activity 8.3: Story Star (W’s Organizer)
Look at page 334 in Writers Express to see how to make a “story star” or W’s organizer. This is a simple way to summarize a story and determine the important events. It is different from a timeline. A story star requires you to think about the importance of events and how they connect. You can make a story star for an entire book or story, but you can also use it for smaller sections of a novel.  Choose one part (or chapter) of the story so far and make a story star for that section. For example, if you choose Harriet’s relationship with Jim, you would write down the characters involved (who), where this event happened (where), the important information about the event (what), how old Harriet was when this happened or the placement on your timeline (when), how it turned out (how), and why this was an important event (why). Keep this organizer in your journal and share it with your parent/teacher. You might want to make one for each section of the book if you find that it helps you organize your thinking and helps you summarize what is happening. You should make at least one story star during the reading of this book to practice using this strategy answering who, what, when where, why, and how questions.
Self-Check: Study Questions for Section II
Answer the questions below, then check your answers.
Section III: Chapters 11–14This reading assignment will take you from Harriet’s coded letter to William Jackson to her decision to join the Union army. Continue to use your active reading strategies. Focus on the characterization of Harriet Tubman. The author tells you some of her characteristics, and you can determine others from what other characters say about her and things that Harriet does and says. If you have trouble with this element, review characterization from an earlier lesson or refer to Writers Express.
Activity 8.4: Web Organizer (Spider Map)
Look at pages 275 and 334 in Writers Express to find examples of web organizers. Sometimes they are called spider maps because of their resemblance to spiders—although they might not have exactly eight legs! These organizers are also called webs, because they also resemble spider webs. A web organizer is a great way to organize facts and ideas that you get from your reading. In the center of the web, place the topic, main idea, or event that you are reading about. The “legs” are the details about the main topic. Often you will use this type of a graphic organizer to plan a writing activity. Practicing this type of organizer will help you with a strategy you can use later in this lesson. To create a web for the chapter titled “The Old Folks,” place the main idea of the chapter in the center circle. This main idea centers on the escape plan for Harriet’s father. In the circles radiating out from the central circle, put the events that are important to this escape. By doing this, you are organizing the important information and separating it from information that serves to create images, connect the reader to the characters, or create interest. Pick out what is important rather than what is only interesting. Limit the number of “legs” on your spider to about eight, so you don’t find yourself writing down everything. By doing this, you will force yourself to summarize ideas and make connections to help you pick out the important details. Share your ideas with your parent/teacher. 
Self-Check: Study Questions for Section III
Answer the questions below, then check your answers.
Section IV: Chapters 15–20For this reading assignment, you will finish the novel. At this point in your reading, there are some helpful types of organizers that can help you understand what you have learned.
Activity 8.5: Story Map
A story map is often used with a piece of fiction writing. Since this narrative nonfiction takes on many qualities of a fiction story, a story map is a useful tool in organizing what you have learned. Go back through the story (use your notes, journal, and other activities) and write down the major events in the order they happened. By writing these in your own words and placing them in chronological order, you will focus on the key events and information. Try to limit the number of events so that you aren’t “rewriting” the whole story! If you identify what you think are key events, it will be easier to summarize what you have read. You should have between 5 and 10 events on your story map.  I hope you have realized that Writers Express is full of useful information. Different students need different things as they work, so don’t forget to use this textbook to help you. You can go to the units beginning on pages 226 (Writing Stories from History) and 138 (Writing Personal Narratives) for some additional hints. These chapters may help you for this and future lessons.
Activity 8.6: Gathering Grid
On pages 46 and 194–195 in Writers Express, you will find examples and directions for making a gathering grid. This type of organizer is particularly useful with nonfiction text that has information you want to gather. Your first step will be to determine the different categories that are important in organizing information about Harriet Tubman and her role in the Underground Railroad. Your previous organizers will help you remember the information you have already picked out. In this case, you could organize the topics chronologically (time order), by events, or by subjects (Underground Railroad, Fugitive Slave law, slaves’ lives on the plantation, etc.). The important thing is that you organize and identify information that you have found important. No two grids will look the same. Your grid will depend on your own thinking and connections to the text. This is a good strategy to use at the end of your reading to review your thinking over the whole book. Sometimes it’s hard to remember information you found at the beginning, and this technique will help you to bring everything back in a summarized form that makes sense to you. If it makes sense to you, you will be more likely to remember it for use in a writing, discussion, or test. You should use between 4 and 8 categories for your gathering grid and have at least 2 entries under each category.
Self-Check AnswersSection I: Chapters 1–5
Section II: Chapters 6–10
Section III: Chapters 11–14
Skill LessonsSymbolismSymbols are all around us. We all use them every day. Even this text you are reading is a combination of symbols. But ideas can be symbolic too. In fact, almost all authors (especially those writing fiction) use symbolism to represent concepts, feelings, and ideas. Symbolism is defined as the disguised representation of content, ideas, or events. Symbolism uses abstract things to represent concepts or objects. Sometimes symbols can have changing meanings, and sometimes they make sense only to the people who are directly involved. Other times, symbols have universal meaning. Symbols can be visual, written, sounds, or nonverbal. Can you think of symbols for the following?
See how often we use symbols? As you become a better reader and read more sophisticated writing, you will find that authors use symbolism often in their writing. Be on the lookout for symbolism in other things you are reading. CodesCodes, mysteries, and secrets are fun and interesting. Throughout history, they have been important in passing along confidential information. Authors use them to entertain readers. Governments and military organizations use them to pass along instructions and information. The characters in Freedom Train use secret codes and symbols that come from their religion, which is rooted in Southern Christianity. The novel uses many of these as references to events and characters. These references are a part of the historical events and life of the characters in the novel. Look at the code words, code names, songs, and place names used for these references. You may or may not be familiar with these Biblical words, phrases, and characters. I have included a partial listing below.
You will write a constructed response about symbols in Freedom Train as part of the lesson 8 progress evaluation. You will also write your own narrative nonfiction letter. I hope you have enjoyed this novel and learned how authors can merge fact and fiction to make an interesting story that also provides information to the reader.
Progress EvaluationYou should now complete the lesson 8 progress evaluation. Be sure to reread the general requirements for progress evaluations from the overview. Instructor-evaluated; 35 points totalConstructed Response on Symbolism (10 points)After you have finished reading Freedom Train, use a constructed response format to answer the questions below: Go back to lesson 6 and review the requirements for constructed responses, if you need a reminder. Your writing should be about one page (or 200 words) long and use the conventions of writing that you have become familiar with. Use what you have learned about symbolism for this activity. Share your writing with your parent/teacher before you submit it, so that you can discuss your ideas. Your work will be evaluated by an instructor, using the scoring guide below and the Scoring Criteria. Scoring Guide
Narrative Nonfiction Letter (25 points)In lesson 7 and lesson 8, you read both fiction and nonfiction material centered on the time of the Underground Railroad and the Civil War. You may already know a great deal about this period, or this may be a new subject for you. You will now write your own nonfiction narrative that demonstrates what you have learned. This will be an original piece that blends both narrative and expository elements. You will write a letter from the point of view of a person who might have lived during the time leading up to or during the Civil War. Your person can be made up, but you should include real events and people. Think of your letter as a kind of “mini-biography.” Your letter should be about two pages long. Follow these steps to complete your writing: Prewriting is an important element of this assignment. You will not turn in your prewriting or rough drafts as a part of your progress evaluation, but you should use the strategies you have learned to complete this writing. You will probably need to find additional information about the period, the events that occurred, the important people, etc. At the beginning of lesson 8, you saw a listing of Web sites that you can go to for research. Many of these have links to other related sites. You could also use encyclopedias, books, magazines, etc. One of my favorite places to start is a student-centered search engine called 42eXplore. You can get to the Civil War topics from this link on the Web Sites page. Begin by completing a KWL chart on the topic you have chosen, to get an idea of what you already know. (You may want to return to the lesson discussion to review.) What questions about your topic will you need to find out? As you research your answers for these questions, put the information into the “Learned” column on your KWL chart. You will need at least five pieces of factual information to include in your letter. You will also want to make sure that the person reading your letter can understand what you know and feel and be able to see what the author of the letter is going through. Create this connection through description and use of imagery. Your letter must include the following: Make sure to write the narrative in letter format. See pages 138–149 in Writers Express to remind you of the skills of writing a personal narrative and writing a letter. It will be written in first-person. (See page 278 in Writers Express if you need review about writing in first person.) Your paper should meet the standards in the Scoring Criteria. Before you begin, look at the additional criteria checklist below in order to understand what items will be assessed. Criteria ChecklistUse this checklist to focus your writing and make sure you have done your best writing. After you have finished your final draft, reread your writing and check for the elements listed below. Narrative ElementsDoes your writing have Expository ElementsDoes your writing have Writing MechanicsHave you Overall ImpressionHave you Your work will be evaluated by an instructor using the scoring guide below. Scoring Guide
Note: Progress evaluations must be submitted in sequence, and you cannot submit more than three progress evaluations in a seven-day period.
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