Dr. Myra Zarnowski is a Professor in the Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education at Queens College, City University of New York.  

​She has been a cheerleader and supporter of the Nonfiction Minute from the beginning.

​Here is her introduction to the fourth year of the Nonfiction Minute:

Enjoy the Appetizer, Savor the Entrée.
Think of the Nonfiction Minute as an appetizer, a yummy beginning to a larger meal of nonfiction. The authors of each Nonfiction Minute (NM) show you and your students how dramatic, surprising, intriguing, and—yes, informative—nonfiction can be. That’s why a daily dose of nonfiction promotes curiosity, interest, and a need to know about the world. 

Take a Taste of Nonfiction.
Read or listen to a Nonfiction Minute each day and then try these simple ideas for an enjoyable taste of nonfiction:

• What’s Old? What’s New?

Have students fold a piece of paper in half and label one column Old and the other column New. Ask them to write down what they already knew about the topic of the NM before reading it in the Old column and what they learned from the NM in the New Column. That way they can clearly see what they are learning. 

• Even Shorter/Even Longer

See if students can summarize the NM in twenty words or less. Then see if they can extend the NM by adding additional information, thoughts, and opinions. 

• Illustration and Caption 

Have students draw an illustration that captures the idea of the NM and a caption to further explain their drawing. 

• Words & Labels 

Ask students to make a list of approximately 20 interesting and important words in a NM. Then decide which words go together and put them in a group. Give each group a title. Then talk about the kinds of words the author used.

• Add a comment to the NM website

Encourage students to write a comment on the website after reading a NM.     

Dig In. 
Each of the authors of the NM has written books that students can read for pleasure or as part of your curriculum studies. Here are a few suggestions for incorporating nonfiction books in your classroom or library:

• Gather Books & Give a Brief Book Talk

Gather books by NM authors and briefly introduce them to your students. One way to do this is to read a brief selection that will arouse interest. Then make the books available for reading. It’s that simple. 

• Author Study

Have students read several books by a NM author. You can find lists of their books on the iNK Think Tank Website at http://inkthinktank.org/ink-thinkers/ or you can search for books with the free database on the iNK Think Tank site.  Then have students discuss what they have learned about how the author presents information. They can also discuss the new information they learned.

• Connect with Curriculum in Science, Social Studies, and Mathematics

Authors of the NM have written books that can become part of your curriculum. Are you studying history? Science? Math? There’s a book you can include. 

Above all, encourage students to read quality nonfiction because it’s food for the mind.