Fiction Unit Grade 5/6 Language Arts

Forms of Fiction

Myth  A story created by ancient peoples to explain their world and answer questions such as Why is there day and night? What makes the seasons change?

Fable/Fairytale  A “teaching” tale that presents a lesson about life and often ends with a moral (a statement of the lesson the fable teaches).

Folk Tale  A fictional tale by an unknown or anonymous writer that has been passed down orally for generations.

Short Story  A brief story that is about five to twenty pages long and can be read in one sitting.

Novel  A long, fictional story (often more than one hundred pages) that has more characters, settings, and themes that a short story.

Genres of Fiction

Adventure  A story based upon a character’s quest or journey that usually takes place in an exotic location such as a jungle, desert, or mountains.

Mystery  A story in which a character or characters try to discover clues in order to solve a crime (the crime usually involves murder or theft).

Realistic Fiction  A story that takes place in a realistic setting (a school), has realistic characters (students) and includes a realistic conflict (a fight between two friends).

Historical Fiction  A story that is set in the past. The setting is usually real and drawn from history, and it often contains historical people (the main characters are usually fictional).

Science Fiction  A type of story that deals with the impact of imagined scientific and technological changes. Science Fiction stories often take place in the future.

Fantasy  A story that involves magic, mythical creatures, and/or humans with supernatural powers. These stories usually take place in make believe worlds.