About This Unit

SUBJECT
Literature, Compare and Contrast, Drawing Conclusions, Making Inferences, Expository Writing, Literary Response, Persuasive Writing

GRADE
6-8

DURATION
3 Class Periods

Fiction vs. Nonfiction

By Jennifer Chandler

In order to participate in literary analysis throughout the school year, students must be able to identify writing as fiction or nonfiction. This unit will equip students with the tools to do just that.

OBJECTIVE
The students will:

  1. Identify the elements of fiction as applied to a short story.
  2. Identify the criteria necessary in a nonfiction piece.
  3. Distinguish the author's purpose in expository text.

LESSONS FOR THIS UNIT
Lesson 1: Finding Fiction
Lesson 2: Nonfiction is "No Nonsense"

REPRODUCIBLES
Traits of Nonfiction (PDF)
Expository Essay Rubric (PDF)
Traits of Fiction (PDF)
Story Map (PDF)

CULMINATING ACTIVITY

Publishing a Piece of Nonfiction

Students will choose a topic, do research as necessary, and participate in an online writing workshop to prepare for writing an expository piece. This essay will be persuasive in nature and on a topic chosen by the student or suggested by the teacher.

SUPPORTING BOOKS

Books for Teaching Genre Identification

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    Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King

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    The Royal Diaries: Elizabeth I

    The Royal Diaries: Elizabeth I

    by Kathryn Lasky

    Welcome to the bizarre court of Henry VIII, where even a princess fears losing her head like her mother. Elizabeth hides her tenacious personality from everyone, especially her father. Your 21st-century kid will enjoy Elizabeth's "treasonous thoughts" and glimpse the daily life of a young woman who ascended the throne at 25 and went on to rule her country for 45 years.

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    Hardcover Book | Grades 4-8
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    The Royal Diaries: Elizabeth I
    Grades 4-8 $10.95
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