Fact or Fun: Exploring Fiction and Nonfiction!

English Language Arts Grades Pre-K 3:05 Video
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Lesson Description

Learn the difference between stories that are real and stories that are make-believe using fun songs and friendly animals!

Video Resource

Fiction or Nonfiction

Cantata Learning

Duration: 3:05
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Fiction: Stories that are made up.
  • Nonfiction: Stories that are true and teach us about real things.
  • Books can tell us fun stories or teach us about the world.

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to identify the difference between fiction and nonfiction books.
  • Students will be able to name examples of fiction and nonfiction topics.
  • Students will be able to participate in a group activity to sort books into fiction and nonfiction categories.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by asking the children what their favorite type of stories are. Introduce the terms 'fiction' and 'nonfiction' in simple terms: 'Fiction is like pretend stories, and nonfiction is about real things!'
  • Watch the Video (5 mins)
    Play the 'Fiction or Nonfiction' video from Cantata Learning.
  • Discussion (5 mins)
    After the video, ask simple questions to check understanding. For example: 'What kind of animals did you see in the video? Did they do real things or make-believe things?'
  • Activity: Book Sorting (10 mins)
    Have a collection of picture books (both fiction and nonfiction). Show each book to the children and ask: 'Is this story real, or is it pretend?' Guide them to sort the books into two piles: Fiction and Nonfiction.
  • Wrap Up (5 mins)
    Review the definitions of fiction and nonfiction one last time. Sing a simple song or chant to reinforce the concepts. For example: 'Fiction, fiction, pretend stories! Nonfiction, nonfiction, real life glories!'

Interactive Exercises

  • Book Cover Guessing Game
    Show book covers (without reading the titles) and ask the children to guess if the book is fiction or nonfiction based on the pictures.

Discussion Questions

  • What makes a story 'pretend'?
  • What makes a book teach us about real things?

Skills Developed

  • Listening skills
  • Categorization
  • Critical Thinking

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

A story about a talking dog is probably…

Correct Answer: Pretend

Question 2:

Which book tells us about real things?

Correct Answer: Nonfiction

Question 3:

If a book teaches you about cats, is it real or pretend?

Correct Answer: Real

Question 4:

Which of these is NOT a real thing?

Correct Answer: Dragons

Question 5:

A book about dinosaurs is probably…

Correct Answer: Nonfiction

Question 6:

If a book has made-up characters, it is probably…

Correct Answer: Fiction

Question 7:

A book that tells you how to bake cookies is…

Correct Answer: Nonfiction

Question 8:

If a book makes you giggle, is it real or pretend?

Correct Answer: Both

Question 9:

Which one is a make-believe animal?

Correct Answer: Unicorn

Question 10:

A book with pictures of flowers is probably...

Correct Answer: Nonfiction

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

A pretend story is called ______.

Correct Answer: fiction

Question 2:

A story that is real is called ________.

Correct Answer: nonfiction

Question 3:

____________ books teach us about things.

Correct Answer: Nonfiction

Question 4:

____________ books can have talking animals.

Correct Answer: Fiction

Question 5:

A story about a real dog is _________.

Correct Answer: nonfiction

Question 6:

A story about a dragon is _________.

Correct Answer: fiction

Question 7:

A book about stars is probably _________.

Correct Answer: nonfiction

Question 8:

A book that tells you how to build a house is _________.

Correct Answer: nonfiction

Question 9:

Books that tell a made up tale are __________.

Correct Answer: fiction

Question 10:

Books that are true are __________.

Correct Answer: nonfiction

Educational Standards

PK.2.R:Students will begin to retell or reenact major events or details from a read-aloud. PK.3.R.2:Students will answer basic questions (e.g., who, what, where, and when) about texts, photographs, or illustrations during shared reading or other text experiences with prompting. PK.4.R.1:Students will name and sort familiar objects into categories based on similarities and differences with prompting. PK.8.R:Students will listen and respond to read-alouds, participate in shared reading, and interact independently with texts.

Teaching Materials

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