Lesson: Fiction vs. Nonfiction Fact Finders (3 Lessons)
Grade: First
Overview: This lesson is designed to review the differences between fiction and nonfiction books and emphasize how nonfiction books are used to find facts. It builds on FIC/NF work from kindergarten.
Essential Questions:
What is fiction?
What is nonfiction?
GPS Standards
ELA1R1 The student demonstrates knowledge of concepts of print.
ELA1R5 The student acquires and uses grade-level words to communicate effectively. The student
a. Reads and listens to a variety of texts and uses new words in oral and written language.
ELA1R6 The student uses a variety of strategies to understand and gain meaning from grade-level text. The student
a.Reads and listens to a variety of texts for information and pleasure
c. Asks and answers questions about essential narrative elements (e.g., beginning-middle-end, setting, characters, problems, events, resolution) of a readaloud or independently read book.
e. Distinguishes fact from fiction in text.
m. Recognizes and uses graphic features and graphic organizers to understand text.
ELA1LSV1 The student uses oral and visual strategies to communicate. The student a. Follows three-part oral directions. b. Recalls information presented orally. c. Responds appropriately to orally presented questions.
Objectives:
--Students will learn to distinguish fiction from nonfiction.
--Students will learn to represent text in graphic organizers.
--Students will compare and contrast information.
--Students will develop an understanding of how to acquire information from nonfiction books.
--Students will review basic parts of a book:
----Title/Author/Illustrator/Front Cover/Spine/Title Page
--Students will hone their listening skills during storytime.
Introduction:
--Meet students at the door and welcome them back to the media center.
--Have students sit in the storytime corner. Review how you expect them to keep
“All 5 Things Together” during storytime.
Lesson/Storytime #1

--Show students the list of questions on the easel and ask students how we could find answers to these questions. Call on a few students to answer, expand as needed to emphasize that books are a great place to find answers.
--Explain that today we are going to use books to gather information we need to answer the questions. We need to know which kind of books to use.
--Show the two books and explain that one is fiction and the other is nonfiction.
--Hold up the 1 st Essential Question--What is fiction? Read it out loud and then have the class read it with you. Call on a few students to share their thoughts.
When they are done sharing, sing the “fiction song.” (Tune—1 Little, 2 Little, 3
Little Indians: Fiction is a made up story, Fiction is a made up story, Fiction is a made up…from the author’s mind.)
--Show students the example of a Fiction Book—Time to Sleep
Demonstrate to students how to look at the book and determine it is Fiction.
--Hold up the 2nd Essential Question--What is nonfiction? Read it out loud and then have the class read it with you. Call on a few students to share their thoughts.
When they are done sharing, sing the “nonfiction song.” (Tune-For He’s a Jolly Good fellow Nonfiction gives us facts, nonfiction gives us facts, nonfiction gives us facts…on people, places and things.).
--Show students the example of a Non Fiction Book—“Animals in Winter”
Demonstrate to students how to look at the book and determine it is NF.
--Give students the fiction/nonfiction signs.
--Explain that we are going to play a game to determine which book is fiction and which is nonfiction.
--Mix up the books in the tub and give one to each student. Give the students a couple of minutes to look at their books. Tell them to carefully look at the title, front cover, and begin to read inside the book.
--Tell students that you picked “topics” such as ballerinas, birds, dinosaurs, etc. and that there are two books for each topic—one fiction and one nonfiction.
--Have students find their “match”-the other student who has a book that is the same topic. (For example, Ballerina Dream (NF) and Belinda in Paris (FIC)
--After all of the students have matched themselves up, have them sit together and share with each other the following:
-----The title of my book is…
-----My book is…(Fiction or Nonfiction)
-----I know my book is (Fiction or Nonfiction) because…
--If time permits, you can have some of the pairs of students share out loud for the class.
Wrap Up
--Review Essential Questions
--Dismiss students to get shelf markers and browse for books.
Lesson/Storytime #2

--Welcome students back and remind them that last time we talked about fiction and nonfiction books. Review Essential Questions and songs for both fiction and nonfiction.
--Hold up “Time to Sleep.”
Review Title/Author/Illustrator/Front Cover/Spine/Title Page
--Review the questions on the easel and tell students to “lock them in their brains.”
When they hear an answer to a question, they can touch their nose.
--After reading the book, see how many questions the students can answer on the note organizer. Point out that the fiction book did not provide much information.
Tell the students that next time, they will read the nonfiction.
Wrap Up
--Review both Essential Questions.
--Dismiss students to get shelf markers and browse for books.
Lesson/Storytime #3
--Welcome students back and remind them that last time we talked about fiction and nonfiction books. Review Essential Questions and songs for both fiction and nonfiction.
--Tell the students that we are going to read the nonfiction book today to see if it gives us answers to any of the questions.
--Hold up “Animals in Winter”
Review Title/Author/Illustrator/Front Cover/Spine/Title Page
--Review the questions on the easel and tell students to “lock them in their brains.”
When they hear an answer to a question, they can touch their nose.
--After reading the nonfiction book, have students answer as many questions as possible. Point out to students that they were able to answer all of the questions.
Discussion:
--Compare the charts.
--Call on students to point out the differences and talk about the columns of information. Ask them which book we can trust to be true? Which will answer our questions?
Wrap Up
--Review both Essential Questions.
--Dismiss students to get shelf markers and browse for books.
Materials:
Essential Questions
“Time to Sleep”
“Animals in Winter”
Selection of Fiction/Nonfiction Books
Post-It Easel with “Questions” and Graphic Organizer