1. Fiction and Nonfiction
Unit 1
Fiction and Nonfiction
English 8

2. Objectives Today students will:
Understand and describe the characteristics, types, and purposes of fiction and nonfiction.
learn about author Patricia C. McKissack

3. McKissack Talks about the Forms
Nonfiction is a factual account of a person,
place, or event, while a story with imaginary
elements is fiction.
Fiction is usually read for fun, but a lot of truth also can be found in its pages. Although nonfiction books are used to gather facts about a subject, they can be fun to read, too.

4. Traveling in Worlds Real and Imaginary
Patricia C. McKissack has written numerous works of fiction and nonfiction about the history and experiences of African Americans.
The books I read allowed me to leap over the racial barriers an African American child faced in the South during the 1950s and 60s.
Patricia writes with her husband and their goal is to write stories about African Americans that have been “left out, forgotten, misrepresented, or minimized by mainstream history texts.”

5. As a reader, I savor fiction the way one eats a yummy hot-fudge sundae – slowly and joyfully. As a writer I try to bring the same enthusiasm into my narratives. Fiction is not true, but fictional characters are sometimes more deliciously real than living people!

6. Elements of Fiction “Fake”
Have students read each one on pg. 4. Then, read in your book in the margin about how the elements of fiction were developed around campfires- pg. 4
Let’s talk about each one on pg. 4

7. Types of Fiction Differences between short stories and novels: Length
Goals
A short story gives a moment of insight or inspiration.
A novel builds an entire fictional world!
A novella’s goals are closer to those of a novel than of a short story.
Take volunteers to read from book about each type- pg. 4

8. Elements of Nonfiction “Not Fake”
FACTS
Read in margin about elements of nonfiction on pg. 5

9. Purposes of Nonfiction
Speeches and editorials are used to persuade
Biographies, autobiographies and travel narratives are entertaining
Articles, reference books, historical essays and research papers are used to inform

10. Check Your Understanding
Indicate whether each literary work described is an example of fiction or nonfiction.
a writer’s account of his or her life
a speech given at a graduation ceremony
a story about a talking elephant