TWIN TEXTS: A Marriage of Genres



TWIN TEXTS: A Marriage of Genres[Type the document subtitle]Elizabeth Sweet, Lisa LoPresti, Stefanie Mullane,and Jenna Ferrara Fall 2009AbstractIncorporating nonfiction reading into the classroom has become a necessity for students to develop into literate adults. Our adult lives are inundated with nonfiction, informational, and expository reading. Students must be taught how to navigate this genre successfully to become critical readers. The twin text strategy is an instructional approach that incorporates fiction and non fiction texts into existing units of study. The successful marriage of these two genres will improve student comprehension by targeting the development of background knowledge, vocabulary, and motivation.TWIN TEXTS: A Marriage of GenresIs Nonfiction Important?During her research, reading specialist Nell Duke showed that only 3.6 minutes per day is being spent with nonfiction texts in primary classrooms. Why is this statistic so troubling? Standard testing material being used to assess student performance is 50 – 85% nonfiction. Beyond our classrooms, adult reading material is 85% nonfiction. These statistics demonstrate the prominent role nonfiction plays in our adult lives. Therefore, the amount of time dedicated to nonfiction instruction needs to increase to match the demands of this genre.Increasing Non Fiction ReadingRecently, the children’s literature market has had an influx of quality nonfiction books. Wading through new titles can be overwhelming. Choosing quality literature takes time, but is important when developing units of study. Fortunately, having a plethora of books makes finding varied and quality texts related to a topic easier. Books collected on one topic to be used for instruction is sometimes referred to as text sets. Incorporating both fiction and informational texts into these sets promotes critical literacy. For example, providing students with varied forms of fiction enables students to examine a topic from numerous perspectives. Some examples may include fantasy, folktale, myths, or poetry (Camp, 2000). The nonfiction counterpart caters to children’s natural tendency to ask questions. The informational text provides a means for students to explore the topic further and creates a more natural means for promoting critical literacy. When provided the background knowledge necessary to comprehend the fictional texts, students are able to approach the work with a different mindset or topical overview (Camp,2000). Matching fiction and nonfiction texts in this manner is called twin texts or text pairing.Twin TextsTwin texts are two books, a fiction and nonfiction text on the same or related topic (Camp, 2000). Using twin texts will improve students’ comprehension in all subject areas in three ways. When used purposefully, twin texts will build background knowledge, develop text-related vocabulary, and increase student motivation to explore the topic (Soalt, 2005). The following example, documented by Soalt, demonstrates how twin texts address these three components of reading.A group of fourth-grade students reads Coolies (Yin, 2001), a fictional picture book about two Chinese brothers who help to build the U.S. transcontinental railroad. When the group discusses the book with their teacher it becomes apparent that some of the students do not fully comprehend the narrative because they know little about the building of the transactional railroad or the lives of 19th –century Chinese immigrants. Here is the same scene but with one difference. Now the teacher reads aloud sections of two informational texts, Full Steam Ahead: The Race to Build a Transcontinental Railroad (Blumberg, 1995) and Chinese Immigrants 1850 – 1900 (Olson, 2001), before assigning Coolies and encourages students to compare and contrast them with the fictional text (p. 680). Background Knowledge At the beginning of any unit of study an effective teacher asks, “How will I activate my student’s background knowledge, or supply knowledge for my students who lack these experiences or information?” Using twin texts as a part of a unit of study addresses this concern. The use of informational texts prior to reading fictional stories on the same topic activates or supplies prior knowledge for students (Soalt, 2005). On the other hand, using a fictional text first may help students who have difficulty with content reading. The narrative is not laden with facts and vocabulary to learn. It provides a contextual setting for a topic to be presented. In a predictable genre, teachers can introduce the topic by activating background knowledge in a story structure that for many students is less difficult to understand and tends to be less sterile than factual texts. Being aware of students comfort level with genres and level of background knowledge enables teachers to make an informed decision as to the most effective approach.VocabularyLike background knowledge, vocabulary affects comprehension. Effective vocabulary instruction provides opportunities for students to experience a new word in a variety of contexts. Units of study that contain fictional and informational books provide opportunities for students to explore vocabulary in multiple contexts. In addition, using varied genres exposes students to the use of synonyms or identical words that convey a slightly different meaning (Soalt, 2005). These experiences strengthen a student’s understanding of word meaning that overtime will enable him/her to use it in both oral and written communication.Motivation Classrooms are full of individuals with their own opinions, preferences, and dislikes. They have students who are attracted to the voice and passion of the characters in fictional narratives and the ability of the author to illuminate human triumph and suffering. Then there are the fact hounds, students who read to learn about their favorite insect or a life-altering invention. Both are bookworms, but neither venture out of their comfort zone. Creating units of study that contains both fictional and informational texts motivates students to read more than one type of genre. By bringing the texts together, students can experience the topic in their preferred genre and in the genre they typically avoid. Motivation and engagement factors are crucial to a student’s reading development. Linda Gambrel’s research explains the role motivation plays in literacy development. She states that motivation makes the difference between superficial learning and learning that is deep and internalized (1996). Some of the influential factors that increases motivation are exposure to many demonstrations of how books are used, opportunities to become familiar with lots of books, and being given responsibility of what, when and how they read (Gambrell, 1996). Using twin texts promotes motivation by creating instructional opportunities to implement these factors. These include exposure to varying genres related to the same topic, demonstrations of how books are used, and controlled choice as to how they will explore the topic. Twin texts increase motivation and will have a positive affect on student’s learning.Examples of Twin TextsFictionNonfictionThe Underground Railroad – R. BialIf You Traveled on the Underground Railroad – E. LevineSwimming with Dolphins – L. DavisEncantado: Pink Dolphin of the Amazon – S. MontgomeryStellaluna – J. CannonBats – C. BlandCloudy With a Chance of Meatballs – J. BurrettComets, Meteors, and Asteroids – S. SimonRead Leaf, Yellow Leaf – L. EhlertWhy Do Leaves Change Color – B. MaestroThe Tree That Would Not Die – E. LevineA Tree is Growing – A. DorrosThe Apple Tree – Z. HallApple of Your Eye – A. FowlerAmazing Grace – M. HoffmanThe Story of Ruby Bridges – R. ColesAunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad – F. Ringgold“Wanted Dead or Alive:” The True Story of Harriet Tubman – A. McGovernThe Maestro Plays – B. Martin Jr.What Instrument Is This? R. HarrietListen Buddy – H. LesterCommunication – AlikiPostcards From Pluto: A Tour of the Solar System – L. LeedyDo Stars Have Points – M. BergerFlatfoot Fox – E. CliffordFoxes – E. LepthienI’m Going to Be a Firefighter – E. KunhardtFire – J. MasoffThe Whales – C. RylantWhales – J. WexoThe Foot Book – Dr. SeussWhat Neat Feet – H. MachotkaThe Butter Battle Book – Dr. SeussAlways Remember: The Story of Vietnam – B. AshabrannerA Happy Tale – D. ButlerSky Pioneer: A Photography of Amelia Earhart – C. SzaboFor Older ReadersThunder on the Tennessee by G. Clifton WislerA Nation Torn Apart by: Delia RayHiroshima by Lawrence YepSadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor CoerrA Picture of Freedom: The Diary of Clotee, A Slave Girl by Patricia McKissackRosa Parks: My Story by Rosa Parks with Jim HaskinsWest to Opportunity: The Diary of Teresa Angelino Viscardi by Jim MurphyChildren of the Wild West by Russell FreedmanVoyage on the Great Titanic: The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady by Ellen E. WhiteGhost liners by Robert D. BallardThe Egypt Game by Zilpha K. SnyderPyramids by Ann MillardTwin Texts in the Primary ClassroomEarly exposure to expositional text helps students to better understand the expository text that takes over in later grades (Duke & Bennett-Arminstead, 2003). As quoted in Moss (2005), “If today’s students are to meet the literacy demands of the future, they need authentic experiences with expository texts from the beginning of their school careers.” (p. 50). Due to the differences of structure between narrative and expository text structure, students benefit from increasing their understanding at an early age (Moss). As a primary grade teacher, one way to start exposing students to expository text features is through the use of twin texts. Introduction of a topic can occur through a fictional text followed by a more in depth look at the subject using a nonfiction text (Camp, 2000). Since my school book closet has both fiction and non-fiction, I went searching to find twin texts. I found two texts on estimation. The texts were The Big Party (fiction) and Learn to Estimate (non-fiction) by Uma Krishnaswami. Both texts are DRA level 24 or guided reading level L. Below is a sample lesson teachers can use in the primary grades to incorporate non-fiction more into their curriculum.Lesson PlanDay One:Purpose: The objective for day one is to first assess the background knowledge of students and get them thinking about the topic. To build upon background knowledge and introduce students to the topic, the teacher starts with a fiction book. Fictional text structure is understood by students, so they can really concentrate on the concept you are introducing.To begin, teachers could create a K-W-L chart about estimation. Other activities that work well with twin texts are Venn diagrams, directed reading thinking activities, webbing, or activating prior knowledge (Camp, 2000). The teacher may then use the fiction text as a read aloud or have students read the text independently in small groups. This step depends on the reading levels of your students and text availability. If you are reading aloud, you can stop along the way and fill in “what we learned” on your chart if sections of the text correspond with questions students had. After the read aloud, you can ask students if they now have any further questions about estimation.Day Two:Purpose: Due to the previously read fictional text, students have a greater background knowledge. Today’s goal is to introduce a non-fiction text providing more information about the concept you are working on. You should start by reviewing the questions students have about estimation on the K-W-L chart. Once again, you may read aloud or have students work in small groups to read the non-fiction text. Answers to questions and other interesting facts learned should be added to the K-W-L chart. If questions are still left unanswered, explain to students that sometimes one text does not provide all the answers we desire. You may then provide students with other texts or resources to help find the answers to their questions.Day Three:Purpose: Now that students have heard/read both texts, they are able to compare and contrast the text structure. This helps expose students to the expository text structure, while also seeing its similarities to narrative structure. This aids students’ abilities to make connections between the two genres. You can break students into groups and provide each group with copies of each text. Ask students to go through texts to explore and write down differences they find between the texts. Below are some differences between the two texts I have chosen.FictionNon-FictionMeet the characters in the beginningWords I need to know at the beginningThought bubbleBold wordsCaptionsText boxesTry It activitiesApplication activitiesGlossaryIndex*Both texts have headings for different sections.*Students then come together as a whole group to chart the elements of fiction and non-fiction. Responses should be in a t-chart with fiction elements on one side and non-fiction on the other. As students talk about the darker words (bold type) or the words below pictures, you can explain to students what those features are called. On the t-chart, put the actual name of the text feature with an explanation next to it so students can remember.After reviewing the text features, talk with students about which features can be in both fiction and non-fiction. Talk about texts that use both fiction and non-fiction (historical fiction, Magic School Bus series, etc.). Place a star next to each feature that can be shared or used together between genres.This activity, along with other twin text activities, gives students a chance to explore narrative and expository text. Students learn to make connections between fiction and non-fiction which helps them to make stronger connections to the vocabulary and concepts introduced in the non-fiction text. In this lesson, the fiction text also serves as a real-life application of when and how you could apply estimating. Students are seeing estimating as more than just something they need to know because you said so.Non-fiction in the Intermediate GradesTraditionally, the language arts curriculum for the primary grades has centered on learning to read by teaching decoding and word attack skills, while the intermediate grades have focused on the comprehension of text. We now see that comprehension is a vital part of the curriculum for students at all grade levels and is being explicitly taught as early as kindergarten through shared and guided reading. Students begin to analyze fictional characters and plot while developing prediction and connection strategies through group discussions. In addition, students are introduced to non-fiction texts to prepare them for the reading they will be required to do in the upper grades. A vast variety of non-fiction trade books are being published to meet every readability level. These texts are colorful and detailed to catch a young reader’s attention as well as written in easily understandable language. The goal is to help students become familiar with the matter of fact language and the organized structure of informational text at an early age.As students transition into the intermediate grades, there is an even stronger emphasis placed on reading informational texts. Although non-fiction trade books are widely used and highly encouraged as a way to help students learn factual information, students will need to be able to navigate their way through textbooks. Similar to non-fiction trade books, textbooks include non-fiction text features such as headings, subheadings, bold-face words, charts, graphs, diagrams, pictures with captions, as well as a table of contents, glossary, and index. However, classroom textbooks tend to be a bit more visually overwhelming than trade books and are usually written at a level or two above the readability of the grade they were meant for. In addition, textbooks expose the students to select information that may not provide a complete understanding of the topic. Specific details and important information may be left out as the authors of the text try to assemble a resource that meets the needs of state curricula instead of student curiosity. Advantages to Linking Non-fiction and Fiction in Intermediate Social Studies According to Soalt (2005), “fictional and information texts on the same topic are like two parts of a whole picture” (p. 682). She explains that non-fiction text gives objective factual information that is important to know, but often lacks feeling. Conversely, fiction is subjective and includes human emotion that the reader can interpret and relate to. By incorporating reading from both genres into the curriculum, the students will acquire a more well-rounded understanding of the topic of study. Depending on what the teacher’s learning objective is, he/she may introduce a fictional piece prior to reading a difficult informational piece on the same topic in order to build background knowledge and motivation, or introduce the informational reading prior to the fictional piece if the facts are necessary in order understand what is happening in the story. When teaching social studies in fifth grade, most teachers refer to their classroom social studies textbook as one resource, if not the main resource. As previously discussed, textbooks tend to be difficult to read and contain little that students can connect to. Therefore, it is very challenging to bring social studies alive and make the concepts fully understandable. Following the non-fiction reading from the textbook with a fictional work is one way to present a clearer picture of the concepts. It allows the students to first get the basic facts, and then develop them through the lens of a fictional character’s point of view showing how events truly affected individuals. Activity: Building Background and Previewing StrategyIn fifth grade, students learn about the American Revolution. There are many broad concepts that are difficult for students to comprehend. The textbook, American History, discusses the causes leading up to the war in depth. It also creates a better understanding about the contributions of the many groups who have often been ignored in the past such as women, Africans, and Native Americans. The focus of the text is mainly about the movement toward independence, but it fails to show the students the battles of the war. In reading the text alone, the students would not understand the magnitude of the war itself and how difficult it was for those involved in it. Therefore, to fill in the gaps and make the war more real for the students, they can follow up the non-fiction text with the fictional story by Avi entitled The Fighting Ground, in which a thirteen year old boy named Jonathan decides to run away and join the fight for freedom. In Nancy Boyles’ book, Constructing Meaning Through Kid Friendly Comprehension Strategy Instruction (2004), she explains how to help students prepare for reading two texts from different genres on the same topic. To introduce the building background and preview strategy, she suggests using short paired texts such as the fictional story Stray from Every Living Thing by Cynthia Rylant and the non-fiction piece What is a Dog? The Science of Living Things. Students receive a chart that focuses on reading strategies used when reading both kinds of text. The reading strategies help the students to focus on what they will be reading and to begin to make predictions and connections about each text. As the students write out their answers to preview questions on the chart, they will begin to see the relationship between how the strategies are used in both fiction and non-fiction. They will also start to see some connections between the two texts. This preview strategy not only builds background, but also provides a purpose for reading. Since the non-fiction and fiction readings for the American Revolution will not be completed within the same lesson, the chart can be made into two separate charts so students can focus on previewing the non-fiction reading of the textbook first and then filling out a separate chart for the fiction reading of Fighting Ground when appropriate.StrategyGetting My Mind Ready to Read FictionGetting My Mind Ready to Read Non-FictionPredictingWhat will the story probably be about?What will I probably learn from this text?ConnectingWhat experiences have I had or what other books have I read that might relate to this story?What do I already know about his topic?WonderingWhat will the problem be? How will the problem get solved?What questions will this text probably answer? Are there subheadings I can turn into questions?NoticingWhat other clues do I know about the story that can help me? Is there information about the author? Are there lots of pages or chapters?What clues in the text can help me? Subheadings? Bold face words? Main idea statements? VisualizingAre there illustrations that can help me predict the story?Are there any graphics such as maps, charts, photos, graphs? How do these relate to the text? Figuring OutDoes it look like this story will be easy or difficult to read? Should I read quickly or slowly? Does it look like this text will be easy or difficult to read? Should I read quickly or slowly?Getting My Mind Ready to ReadApplying Comprehension Strategies to Fiction and Nonfiction ReadingDuring and After Reading Activities with Twin Texts During the reading of the textbook, students will encounter bold face words such as regiment, militia, allegiance, and grievances. These vocabulary words, or synonyms for these words, appear in the fiction story as well and will help to build a more concrete understanding of the words. Students will be able to connect the words between texts as they see them in different contexts. One idea for an after reading activity that comes from is to use the two texts to develop critical writing skills. First, create a class chart similar to a Venn diagram with fiction elements on one side and nonfiction elements on the opposite side, with a space in the middle to blend the elements from both sides (see the chart below.) The class will discuss how some texts can have both fiction and non-fiction elements. Some examples of these types of texts are letters, diaries, comic strips, realistic fiction and historical fiction stories. After the discussion and completion of the chart, students will be able to create their own piece of writing that incorporates fiction and non-fiction elements. They can focus their writing on the topic they have recently learned about, which in this case would be the American Revolution. To make the final product more interactive, suggests students create a short story, diary, comic strip, cartoon, or letter using the interactive forms from their website. These after reading activities would tie the two genres together while recognizing their differences. Sample Genre Chart Fiction Elements Blended Elements Non-fiction ElementsBeginning, middle, endDetailsCharacterSettingProblem and solutionTitle and authorInterestingBeginning, middle, end CharactersSettingProblem and solutionDetailsImportant factsLearn informationIntroduction, body, conclusionDetailsTitle and authorImportant factsLearn informationUsing Twin Texts at the Middle School LevelWhile maintaining the same purposes and ideas as at the elementary level, the use of twin texts can be just as successful at the middle school level. In the middle school world language classroom, the integration of non-fiction and fiction text is used quite frequently. Specifically, in learning a second language, fiction and non-fiction material helps drive lessons that focus on vocabulary objectives. That is, by exposing students to the same words and meanings in a variety of text, the more authentic the experience for them. After all, a student must be exposed to a word on at least fifty meaningful occasions in order have the understanding to use the word correctly at an independent level. In the Spanish 1 course, one of the twin texts uses is during the chapter that teaches students about family. In the unit entitled, “Fiesta en Familia” students cover two major themes: family and celebration. Using non-fiction and fictional material helps students reach several curricular goals. These curricular goals include meaning and use of vocabulary words for family members, and objects/actions necessary for celebration as well as cultural concepts including importance of family and the transition from childhood to adulthood in both the American and Latin American cultures. For vocabulary learning, the students first experience the vocabulary from their textbooks from a non-fictional text as they read a fourteen year old girl’s journal entry telling about her family’s preparation for her quincea?era party. From this written piece, students are able to extract vocabulary words that correspond to the members of the family that are involved in the girl’s narration of her experience. The class is engaged in activities that use this vocabulary in order to first begin how to name members of a family in the Spanish language. The second focus of the lesson introduces students to see past the words and look to understanding the differences between the notion of a fifteenth birthday celebration in contrast to the American conception of a sixteenth birthday. From the journal entry they read, students begin to see how distinctly the two different cultures view the rite of passage into womanhood. At this point, students have only experienced family themed words and the idea of a quincea?era through the use of non-fiction reading. After students have created a basis of knowledge for family words and the purpose of the quincea?era itself, the lessons move to incorporate fictional material to help further involve students in concept knowledge of this culturally based celebration. Students read a fictional text supporting the family and celebration themes from a book that has a collection of short stories. Fifteen Candles: 15 Tales of Taffeta, Hairspray, Drunk Uncles, and other Quincea?era Stories, edited by Adriana Lopez, includes stories that are written from the perspective of adolescents that describe their experiences of the quincea?era milestone. Using their choice of a fictional short story students are able to further practice their vocabulary skills as they re-discover the Spanish terms for family members, party words, and finally, the significance of the quincea?era occasion. Together the fiction and non-fiction materials help support one another as they go from introducing students to vocabulary terms to exposing them to the cultural experiences of Latin American teenagers through the eyes of kids of similar age. After interviewing a middle school level colleague, Cheryl Hoffman of East Granby Middle School, it was discovered how the social studies department has used the idea of twin texts, or text set, to teach the theme of “revolution”, sequencing, cause and effect, and perspective. This unit, taught in the 6th grade social studies classroom, began with building students’ prior knowledge by using the classroom textbook as a means of describing the premises of the Revolutionary War. Using primary sources from soldiers of the Revolutionary War - also called the American Revolution, the basics of revolution, the before, during, and after happenings of the war, how people were affected by the happenings of the war, and the first-hand experiences of being in a war were examined. These non-fiction pieces were the foundation for which students could connect to when reading to learn the fictional novel, Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes. In the historical fiction novel Johnny Tremain, students continued to learn about the theme of “revolution”, the idea of sequencing, cause and effect, and perspective. The incidents that the character Johnny Tremain endured allowed students to make further connections to the concept of “revolution”, the events of the Revolutionary War, and the emotions of a young man living through a war environment - all from a fictionally structured text. With the use of both non-fiction and fiction text, students were able to learn about a variety of literary elements and how they, as readers, can observe those writing techniques in both non-fictional and fictional types of written material. ConclusionPairing texts provides a complete overview of a subject for students. The fictional component offers a personal, subjective, and affective perspective and the nonfiction offers a more public, objective, and factual perspective. When a teacher uses these two opposing lenses to examine the same topic, they offer a more holistic vision of a topic and provide a wider array of potential hooks and opportunities for student engagement (Soalt, 2005). To conclude, Camp summarizes the benefits of paired texts in her book Pairing fiction & nonfiction: Strategies to build comprehension in the content areas. She lists eight benefits of using twin texts in the classroom. They are:1. To meet state standards and school curricular goals2. Students become excited about what they are learning and retention is increased3. Develop students' background knowledge and create more meaningful connections while reading4. Improve student reading comprehension5. Increase student vocabulary6. Improve critical thinking / higher order thinking skills7. Enhance student writing8. Meet two goals at once: expose students to high quality literature and present students content area informationReferencesAvi. (1984). Fighting ground. New York: Harper Collins Publishers Inc. Boyles, N. N. (2004). Constructing meaning through kid friendly comprehension strategy instruction. Gainsville: Maupin House Publishing Inc.Boyles, P.P., Met, M., Sayers, R.S., & Wargin, C.E. (2004). Realidades Uno. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.Camp, D. (2006). Fiction & Nonfiction: Strategies to build comprehension in the content areas. Boston, MA: Teaching Strategies.Camp, D. (2000). It takes two: teaching with twin texts of fact and fiction, The Reading Teacher, 53, 400-408.Duke, N.K., & Bennett-Arminstead, V.S. (2003). Reading and writing informational texts in the primary grades: Research-based practices. New York: Scholastic.Gambrell, L.(1996). Creating classroom cultures that foster reading motivation. In N. Padak, T.V. Rasinski, J.K. Peck, B.W.Church, G. Fawcett, J.M. Hendershot, J.M. Henry, B.G. Moss, E, Pryor, K.A. Roskos, J.F. Baumann, D. R. Dillon, C. J. Hopkins, J.W. Humphrey& D.G.O’Brien (Eds.),Distinguished educators on reading contributions that have shaped effective literacy instruction (pp.432-433). Delaware: International Reading Association.Kalman B. (1998). What is a dog? The science of living things. New York: Crabtree Publishing Co. Lopez, Adriana. (2004). Fifteen Candles: 15 Tales of Taffeta, Hairspray, Drunk Uncles, and other Quincea?era Stories. New York: HarperCollins.Moss, B. (2005). Making a case and a place for effective content area literacy instruction in the elementary grades. International Reading Association, (pp. 46-55).Rylant, C. (1985). Every living thing. New York: Simon & Schuster.Soalt, J. (2005). Bringing together fictional and informational texts to improve comprehension, The Reading Teacher, 58, 680-683. ................
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