Unit 6, Week 1, Day 2
FCAT SKILL: Compare and Contrast: Fantasy and Reality
Mini-Lesson Teaching Point: Readers distinguish between fantasy and reality by
comparing the events and characters in the story to those in real life by asking
these questions: “Could these events happen in real life? Are these characters
like real people?”
Materials: 301 A-B
Connection: (activate prior knowledge and focus student attention on the lesson)
Yesterday we practiced making predictions by using the text, pictures, and what
they know from real life to make a guess about what happens next. Compliment a
student that used this in their independent reading yesterday.
Today I am going to teach you how readers distinguish between fantasy and reality
by comparing the events and characters in the story to those in real life by asking
these questions: “Could these events happen in real life? Are these characters like
real people?”
We will practice distinguishing between fantasy and reality while reading the story
“Bobo’s Celebration” on page 300.
Teach: (demonstrate the teaching point as if you were working independently)
Let me show you how I practice distinguishing between fantasy and reality by
comparing the events and characters in the story to those in real life by asking
myself these questions: “Could these events happen in real life? Are these
characters like real people?” To compare is to tell how things are alike. To contrast
is to tell how things are different. A fantasy is a story with events or characters that
could NOT exist in real life. A realistic story has events and characters like those
that ARE in real life. Read the first paragraph of “Bobo’s Celebration” on page 300. I
see that there are three characters in the story. At first, I thought that the characters
were real people who want to plan a party. Then I read that Bobo is a fish, so his
brother and the mother are fish, too. When I compare these characters to real fish, I
know that they are different because real fish cannot have parties. In real life,
people have parties, not fish. Did you see how I looked for things that could happen
in real life and things that could not happen in real life to distinguish between
fantasy and reality?
Active Engagement: (coach and assess students during this time)
Now you are going to have a try. As we read, compare the events and characters in
this story by asking yourself “Could these events happen in real life?” and “Are
these characters like real people?” Read the rest of “Bobo’s Celebration”. Turn and
Talk to your partner about the things that could happen in real life and the things
that could not happen in real life. Listen in and compliment a pair of students who
successfully compared fantasy and reality in context of story (i.e. A person can work in a
shop. Fish cannot work in a shop. People can yell “Surprise!” Fish cannot speak or yell.).
Comparing this story to real life helped us figure out that this story is a fantasy
because it includes characters and events that are not like those in real life.
Unit 6, Week 1, Day 2
FCAT SKILL: Compare and Contrast: Fantasy and Reality
Mini-Lesson Teaching Point: Readers distinguish between fantasy and reality by
comparing the events and characters in the story to those in real life by asking
these questions: “Could these events happen in real life? Are these characters
like real people?”
Materials: 301 A-B
Link: (review and clarify key points, globalizing their utility from the now to the future)
Today and everyday when you are reading, it is important to distinguish between
fantasy and reality by comparing the events and characters in the story to those in
real life by asking these questions: “Could these events happen in real life? Are
these characters like real people?” In your independent reading today, determine if
the story you are reading is reality or fantasy. Remember to use details from the
story text and illustrations to help you decide.