Realistic Fiction

In Unit 4, Realistic Fiction is our genre study. We read about a "Bike Trip to Comanche", "Waterslide", and the last two days, we have been working on our longer selection, "Slow and Steady Wins the Race".

Again, we have goals for our learning. Our first day focused on the features of Realistic Fiction:
- authentic setting
- realistic characters
- conflict (a problem)
- point of view (first or third person)

The goals were developed together as a class. Another skill we have been working on is summarizing. Ms. Leom wanted us to summarize our reading using the five finger summary strategy. We worked together, summarizing a read aloud from earlier in the year before we started.

Students worked with partners. The partners were determined by pulling sticks from our class cup. The rules continue, if it is someone you sit by, or you worked with last time, you ask for a new partner. Students are able to work around the room. The only rule, you have to be on the same level (one partner can't be at at table, with a partner on the floor, for example).

You can see the goals for the classes, the examples vary. The learning is developed within the classroom. Student participation and questions drive the learning, with Ms. Leom making sure we hit the key points.

On the second day, students reread the text. Today, our learning focused on finding sensory details in the text.

The last step of our learning, on Friday, students will select characters from the three texts to create an email conversation between two of the characters. We have to know the texts well to apply our reading into a new format, writing our own realistic fiction.