Unit: Characteristics of Fiction LESSON ESSENTIAL QUESTION 1
Acquisition Lesson Plan
Topic: Reading/Language Arts,
Characteristics of Fiction
Unit Essential Question: How do novels weave together literary elements and language to draw the reader into the story?
Essential Question: How are plot structures and patterns used to develop a conflict?
Assessment Prompt #1: Students must be able to identify and define the elements of literature.
Assessment Prompt #2: Students must be able to identify the problem or conflict in a story.
Assessment Prompt #3: Students must be able to distinguish the type of conflict or problem in a story.
Activating Strategy: Instruct the students that the upcoming lessons involve the characteristics of fiction. Pose the question, “What is fiction?” Challenge partners to create a working definition for the genre, fiction. Have students share their definitions of fiction. Post the definition of fiction on chart paper.
Key Vocabulary to Preview: plot structure, conflict, exposition, rising action, falling action, resolution
Teaching Strategies:
Graphic Organizer: Conflict Map, story map, plot outline
Instruction:
(Day 1) Read a fictional selection to your class (this could be a seasonal or other type of “read aloud” or an excerpt from a novel). Complete the “Parts of a Story” activity sheet together. Discuss what makes the story fiction. Identify the elements of a story (characters, setting, problem, plot, rising action, falling action, and resolution). After reading the story, students will write a brief summary using the “I Can Read Fiction” summary sheet. Students will summarize the lesson by identifying the elements of a story using an Elements of Fiction matching activity.
AP#1: What are the elements of literature and how do they work together to form the plot of a story? The elements of literature include setting, characters, problem, plot, climax, and resolution. Writers use these elements to develop their plots.
(Day 2) Review the definition of fiction and the elements of a story.
Next, introduce the class novel (fifth grade classes are reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Island of the Blue Dolphin). Instruct students that they will be reading an example of the genre, fiction. Display a Reader Response Journal and explain that they will respond in writing to the book that they will be reading. Post the directions for writing in the journal:
· Write a short summary of what has happened in the chapter.
· Make predictions about what will happen next.
· Describe one element of fiction in the chapter.
The class will begin reading Chapter 1 of the novel. Challenge students to identify the problem in the story so far. Students will summarize by recording their responses in the Reader’s Response Journal. Students may share their first journal entry with the class.
(Day 3) Challenge students to respond to the question, “What is a conflict?” Assign collaborative pairs to name different types of conflicts. The whole group will discuss conflict and arrive at a definition of the term, conflict. Post the definition and the types of conflicts on the wall or board (character against character, character against nature, character against self, character against society). Read an excerpt from Earthquake Terror. Challenge students to identify the type of plot conflict (character against nature).
Next, students will read chapters of their class novel (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe or Island of the Blue Dolphins) and record their responses in their Reader Response Journal.
AP#2: What is conflict? How can you identify the problem? Conflict is the dramatic struggle between two forces in a story. Without conflict, there is no plot. What problem or conflict is our character facing? How did you identify the problem? We can identify the problem by the actions of the characters and the events in the rising action. Partners will summarize by explaining what problem the characters faced and how they identified the problem.
(Day 4) Read an excerpt from Because of Winn-Dixie. After reading, challenge students to identify the type of conflict that Opal faced. How did you identify the problem? Record their responses on a Conflict Map.
Working in groups of four, students will read various picture books and record the conflict of the story and the type of conflict on a Conflict Map. Group members will summarize by reporting their findings to the whole group.
AP#3: What type of conflict is the character facing? Character against character? Character against nature? Character against self? Character against society?
In some cases, there may more than one type of conflict in a story. For example, the story may include a character against character conflict as well as a character against nature conflict. Students will read another chapter from their novel and record their responses in their Reader Response Journal. Instruct students that they should include the conflict of the story in their journal.
(Day 5) Review the four types of conflict found in fiction (character against character, character against nature, character against self, and character against society). Ask students to identify the type or types of conflict found in their novels. Record their responses on a Conflict Map. Collaborative pairs will partner read a chapter from their novels and identify the type of conflict. Students will summarize by completing a Story Map on the chapter.