Beth Anderson, Children's Writer

Writing expository nonfiction has its own challenges, and finding “heart” may be one of them. Julie Danneberg shares her approach to this genre and how she brings it home to middle grade readers. Her post might send you directly to your closet!

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Congratulations to Lindsay Metcalf , the winner of last week’s giveaway AIN’T GONNA LET NOBODY TURN ME ‘ROUND, from Kathlyn Kirkwood.

Making Learning Real in Traditional Expository Nonfiction by Julie Danneberg

My book, The Science of Fashion (Nomad Press, 2021) was written for the educational market and is a traditional expository text for readers 12 and up.

When you think of a piece of writing having “heart,” you probably associate it with a narrative story line, either fiction or nonfiction. But what about traditional expository nonfiction?

I believe that even traditional expository nonfiction must be written with heart.  From a place of deep caring about the importance of the information that you are sharing. If I, as the writer, don’t care deeply about the subject, how can I expect my middle school readers to care?

As I began the research for Science of Fashion, I soon learned that the fashion business is completely dependent on and intertwined with science and engineering. The computer technology used in fashion design, the science behind dyes and special treatments such as waterproofing, the engineering innovations in manufacturing of fast fashion are just a few of the ways the fashion world and the science and engineering world meet. My emotional connection to the subject kicked in as I learned how the creation of the clothes in my closet not only influences global economies, but also deeply impacts the earth’s environment and the health and wealth of all of its people. I saw that the world is dependent on the creativity and problem solving skills of scientists and engineers to produce cleaner and healthier materials and manufacturing.

Researching this subject didn’t only open me up to new understandings it impacted my behavior, including how and where I shop for clothes.

As I started writing, I needed to figure out how to help my readers connect to and care about the subject as much as I did.

Luckily, I was given a huge assist in the writing-with-heart department by the format of the book itself.

As a middle school reading teacher for many years, I know that students learn best when they are invested in what they are learning. And one of the best ways to get them invested is to have them take their book learning and use it in the real world. The Science of Fashion, is part of the Inquire and Investigate series for Nomad Press, where a wide variety of STEAM activities, investigations and projects allows them to do just that.

Science of Fashion readers don’t just read about how textiles are dyed, they create and use their own natural dyes. When they learn that many sneakers are not biodegradable, they are challenged to look at their own collection of sneakers and calculate how much room they will take up in a landfill. One Inquire and Investigate activity has them create a visual flow chart of the journey of a piece of clothing from raw material to finished product, adding the significant science or engineering knowledge required for each step, while another has them compare the engineering process to the design process, finding ways they are the same and different.

As I created and tested out the different activities for the book, my caring and connection for the subject grew, and I believe, that as readers are given concrete and interesting avenues to make their learning real, their caring and concern for the subject will grow as well.

Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of THE SCIENCE OF FASHION! (US addresses only, please)