Characteristics of Fantasy Mini Lesson: 1

Connection: We have read a variety of literary and informational texts this year. During this unit, we will focus on exploring a specific type of literary text, the genre of fantasy. Today we will read a variety of texts to determine whether or not they have fantasy characteristics.

Teaching: Not all fiction stories fit in the fantasy genre. Read aloud the poem Sisters by Ken Nesbit to students. http://www.poetry4kids.com/poem-659.html I am going to make a T-chart with one side labeled as COULD HAPPEN and the other side as COULD NEVER HAPPEN. We will identify events within the poem that fit into each category. For example “We croak and cry a mournful moan” would be placed under the COULD HAPPEN column because people can moan.

Teaching: “People can crave solitude” would also be placed under the COULD HAPPEN because it is not unrealistic for people to want to be alone. “A glance from us you’ll turn to stone” would be placed under the COULD NEVER HAPPEN column because this is an unrealistic event. “Our hair is made of living snakes” would be placed under the COULD NEVER HAPPEN column because a person could never have hair made of snakes.

Guided Practice: Now we will work in small groups of 2-3. Each group will have a text from the listed materials above. Read the text aloud as a group. On the chart paper create a T chart with one side labeled as COULD HAPPEN and the other side as COULD NEVER HAPPEN. As a team, you will fill the chart with evidences from the text that fit in each category.

Link: Today we learned that texts that are considered fantasy have events that could never happen as well as events that could possibly happen. If a text contains events that could never happen, it automatically is part of the fantasy genre.