Fiction vs. Non-Fiction Fun!

English Language Arts Grades Pre-K 1:53 Video
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Lesson Description

Learn the difference between stories that are make-believe (fiction) and books that teach us real things (non-fiction) through a fun song and activities!

Video Resource

Fiction vs. Non-fiction (song for kids about distinguishing fiction vs. non-fiction texts)

Harry Kindergarten Music

Duration: 1:53
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Fiction: Stories that are made up and not real.
  • Non-Fiction: Books that tell us about real things and give us information.
  • Distinguishing between make-believe and reality.

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to define fiction as stories that are not real.
  • Students will be able to define non-fiction as books that tell us about real things.
  • Students will be able to identify examples of fiction and non-fiction books.
  • Students will be able to sort familiar examples into fiction or non-fiction categories.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Greet students and introduce the topic: "Today, we're going to learn about two kinds of books: fiction and non-fiction!" Ask if they know what those words mean. Explain in simple terms: Fiction is make-believe, and non-fiction is real.
  • Video Time (3 mins)
    Play the Harry Kindergarten Music video, "Fiction vs. Non-fiction." Encourage students to sing along and dance!
  • Discussion (5 mins)
    After the video, ask students what they learned. Review the definitions of fiction and non-fiction. Use examples from the song to reinforce the concepts.
  • Book Examples (7 mins)
    Show students examples of fiction and non-fiction books. Ask them to identify which is which and explain why. Use picture books that are familiar to the students.
  • Sorting Activity (10 mins)
    Prepare pictures of objects, animals, or scenarios that clearly represent either fiction or non-fiction (e.g., a talking animal, a real animal, a princess, a doctor). Have students sort the pictures into two groups: Fiction and Non-Fiction.

Interactive Exercises

  • Fiction or Non-Fiction Charades
    Act out scenarios, and have the children guess if it is something that could be found in a fiction or non-fiction book.
  • Book Cover Guessing Game
    Show covers of different books and have students guess if they are fiction or non-fiction based on the cover image and title.

Discussion Questions

  • What is fiction? Can you give me an example?
  • What is non-fiction? Can you give me an example?
  • How can you tell if a book is fiction or non-fiction?

Skills Developed

  • Listening comprehension
  • Categorization
  • Critical thinking
  • Vocabulary development

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

A story about a dragon is probably:

Correct Answer: Fiction

Question 2:

A book that tells you about cats is probably:

Correct Answer: Non-Fiction

Question 3:

Fiction stories are:

Correct Answer: Make-believe

Question 4:

Non-Fiction books:

Correct Answer: Tell us facts

Question 5:

A book about firetrucks would be:

Correct Answer: Non-Fiction

Question 6:

Which book tells a make-believe story?

Correct Answer: A book about a cat that talks

Question 7:

If a book gives you information, it's likely to be:

Correct Answer: Non-Fiction

Question 8:

Which one is not a fiction book?

Correct Answer: A book about shapes

Question 9:

If it happened in real life, is the book considered:

Correct Answer: Non-Fiction

Question 10:

Which book is probably fiction?

Correct Answer: A book about a friendly ghost

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

A make-believe story is called _________.

Correct Answer: fiction

Question 2:

A book that tells us about real things is called _________.

Correct Answer: non-fiction

Question 3:

________ stories are not real.

Correct Answer: Fiction

Question 4:

__________ books give us facts.

Correct Answer: Non-fiction

Question 5:

A book about animals that can talk is ___________.

Correct Answer: fiction

Question 6:

If something is real, it means it is ____________.

Correct Answer: non-fiction

Question 7:

The opposite of real is __________.

Correct Answer: fiction

Question 8:

__________books have information about real life things.

Correct Answer: Non-fiction

Question 9:

If a book has characters, the book is probably __________.

Correct Answer: fiction

Question 10:

Pictures in __________ books are often photographs.

Correct Answer: non-fiction

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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