Historical documents and speeches Official statements of social and political significance may include information about the author and setting of each document. Reproductions of original documents help students discover the language and style of early writers as well as provide clues to the lifestyles and attitudes of people in an earlier time. Contemporary speeches may be used as a source of information about political and social issues, as a basis of comparison with the language and concerns of the past, and as a vehicle for the study of persuasion. Writing style is simple and direct. Current events are reported accurately and objectively.
Organization is based on who, what, when, where, why, how.
Vocabulary is functional. Newspapers and news magazines are adultthereby providing motivation for reluctant readers. Newspapers are practical, flexible, inexpensive supplements to an English language arts curriculum. Content usually deals with heroic deeds, love, tragedy, feuds. Ballads continue the oral tradition and are an excellent source of material for dramatization.