Realistic Fiction Teacher Resources

As scholars begin identifying stories as realistic fiction, its important they see many examples to solidify their concepts of this genre. Readers begin with a personal connection, thinking of television shows they like and determining...

Explore the concept of make believe stories. In this genres of literature lesson plan, students discover the difference between realistic fiction and fantasy. They are asked questions during and after the reading of a book to ensure the...

First graders participate in a guided reading lesson. In this guided reading lesson, 1st graders read David's Drawings by Cathryn Falwell, which is a realistic fiction book on the DRA:16 level. They determine the author's message, and...

How do you make a prediction? Practice active reading comprehension strategies, like making predictions, with your readers. Learners make predictions during the independent reading of Dogs Don't Tell Jokes by Louis Sacher. They observe...

Students write a story. In this genres instructional activity, students learn the meaning of realistic fiction and write a short story in that genre.

Explore the characteristics of realistic fiction by reading and then analyzing the book, Allie’s Basketball Dream by Barbara E. Barber. Using the I do, we do, you do model, learners practice identifying realistic fiction based on how...

With What Do You See at the Pond?, young readers explore pond life and practice reading strategies. Learners first make predictions and then read the simple story independently. After a second read-through with a partner, kids come...

Students explore the elements of realistic fiction. For this genre study lesson, students discuss connections they have to characters in their favorite show or movie. Students hunt for realistic fiction elements in a text and complete...

Fifth graders examine how characters and relationships can change in a text. In this realistic fiction lesson, 5th graders identify changes in the characters and relationships while reading The Great Gilly Hopkins. Students record their...

Students examine websites about realistic fiction. These sites include lists of books that fit into this category and a list of realistic fiction authors. There are also writing prompts to help students write their own realistic fiction...

How do you that you are reading a realistic fiction story? Help your pupils discover the answer to this question by providing a series of situations for them to relate to and analyze. The lesson is meant as a build-up to Bridge to...

Fifth graders read to find the purpose of a piece of writing. They explore the theme of Bridge to Terabithia through events in the story. Furthermore, they consider how they would find a theme and examine a new text for its theme.

This useful approach to determining themes based on specific details from a book is aimed at readers of Jerry Spinelli's Maniac Magee. It could also easily be adapted for use with other books or readings. The class identifies recurring...

Students read Knots on a Counting Rope, by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault. In this guided reading lesson, students evaluate the characteristics of a realistic fiction piece. They are asked comprehension questions during and after...

Second graders investigate realistic fiction, holiday celebrations, making tally charts. In this multi-disciplinary lesson, 2nd graders listen to a story about Thanksgiving and one about the Chinese New Year to develop an understanding...

Third graders read the book Sahara Special and participate in comprehension activities. In this realistic fiction lesson, 3rd graders create a brochure for where they live. Students have personal bags, a brown paper bag, that they fill...

Young scholars explore themes in fiction with this literacy comprehension lesson. They generate ideas for possible themes developed in the fairy tale of The Ant and the Cricket. Next, they examine the plot of The Great Gilly Hopkins and...

Quiz your class for basic plot understanding, character recognition, and quote recall with this ten-question online quiz. After choosing their answers to the multiple choice questions about John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, learners can...

Teaching about fiction genres can  be challenging. The lesson here, designed for library media specialists, offers a fun way to do it. In the lesson, learners visit the library and learn about the different types of fiction through book...

Fifth graders identify plot conflicts in the text. In this plot conflict lesson, 5th graders read Dogs Don't Tell Jokes and recognize examples of character vs. self and character vs. character. 

Fifth graders analyze character relationships. In this analyzing relationships lesson, 5th graders read The Great Gilly Hopkins and describe how the characters feel about one another as well as the positive and negative aspects of their...

In this travel writing worksheet, students write a realistic fiction journal about a camel expedition. Students write in detail and give facts. This worksheet is the cover, which can be colored.

Predict what will happen next in Katherine Paterson's book, Bridge to Terabithia. After discussing the steps used to make a prediction as a class, provide some guided practice and then allow individuals to make predictions based on their...

Start out with a general scenario to get your class warmed up. Have individuals guess what will happen next and then apply that skill to Maniac Magee. Provide guided practice and then break your class off into partners to fill out a...