Bookmark

Sign up or login to use the bookmarking feature.

44 Reading Fiction

Page
387
from
Write on Course 20-20

Reading Fiction Opening Page

Start-Up Activity

Ask for a volunteer to read this page out loud. Pay special attention to the two main reasons people read fiction: (1) for enjoyment and (2) to learn something about people. Explain to students that human beings seem hardwired to enjoy stories. We like to hear, watch, read, and learn from them. We see how characters act in different situations and wonder if we would act the same.

Share with students a few of your favorite novels and movies and explain why you like them. Next, ask your students to share a few favorites of their own. To help students choose their next books, hand out your favorite book list for adolescents or have your librarian discuss new titles.

Think About It

“Read as much as you possibly can—reading is an essential occupation for any would-be writer.”

—Joan Aiken

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.1

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.2

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.3

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.1

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.2

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.3

LAFS Covered in This Chapter

LAFS.6.RL.1.1

LAFS.6.RL.1.2

LAFS.6.RL.1.3

LAFS.7.RL.1.1

LAFS.7.RL.1.2

LAFS.7.RL.1.3

LAFS.8.RL.1.1

LAFS.8.RL.1.2

LAFS.8.RL.1.3

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

110.22.b.6.C

110.22.b.7

110.22.b.7.A

110.22.b.7.B

110.22.b.7.C

110.23.b.5.F

110.23.b.7

110.23.b.7.A

110.23.b.6.D

110.23.b.7.B

110.23.b.7.C

110.24.b.6.C

110.24.b.6.G

110.24.b.7

110.24.b.6.D

110.24.b.7.A

110.24.b.7.B

110.24.b.7.C

110.24.b.7.D

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

Page 388 from Write on Course 20-20

Before Reading

The next two pages present tips and strategies to employ before reading fiction. Carefully review each one with your students. Be sure that they understand character, setting, conflict, and plot as well as these important features: language, dialogue, and type of literature. In order for students to think and write about their reading, they need to understand these terms.

Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.6.RL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.22.b.6.C, 110.22.b.7
NE ELA Standard:
LA 6.1.6.d

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 6Grade 7Grade 8
21st Century Skills:
ReadingReading to Learn
English Language Arts:
Reading

Page 389 from Write on Course 20-20

Before and During Reading

Review the guidelines for previewing short stories and novels. Then preview a short story or another piece of fiction that you assign.

Before students dive into the fiction, lead them through the bottom part of page 389. Remind students to analyze the main character, consider the importance of the setting, and be aware of the narrator. 

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.6.RL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.22.b.6.C, 110.22.b.7
NE ELA Standard:
LA 6.1.6.d

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 6Grade 7Grade 8
21st Century Skills:
ReadingReading to Learn
English Language Arts:
Reading

Page 390 from Write on Course 20-20

During Reading (Continued)

Review “Read actively and record your thoughts” (page 390) with students. Then model applying some of these strategies. Perhaps, make a few predictions and inferences and evaluate your reading. Consider assigning the related minilesson so that students can practice the skills from the last two pages.

Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.6.RL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.22.b.6.C, 110.22.b.7
NE ELA Standard:
LA 6.1.6.d

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 6Grade 7Grade 8
21st Century Skills:
ReadingReading to Learn
English Language Arts:
Reading

Page 391 from Write on Course 20-20

After Reading

The next two pages provide tips for reviewing and reflecting on a piece of literature. Lead your students through “Ask yourself a few important questions about the reading” and then discuss the text students have read, using these questions as a guide.

Next, review “Create a plot diagram.” Have students fill out a plot diagram to identify the characters, setting, conflict, major events, climax, and resolution in the story they just finished reading.

Downloads:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.6.RL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.22.b.6.C, 110.22.b.7
NE ELA Standard:
LA 6.1.6.d

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 6Grade 7Grade 8
21st Century Skills:
ReadingReading to Learn
English Language Arts:
Reading

Page 392 from Write on Course 20-20

After Reading (Continued)

Review “Chart character development” and lead a discussion of changes experienced by the main character throughout the story students have read. Point out that understanding the changes is key to understanding a piece of literature. Finally, after reviewing “Fill in a fiction organizer,” display a blank version of a fiction organizer and as a class, fill it in. For help with this strategy, refer students to page 225.

Note: Tell students that they should apply the before, during, and after strategies from pages 388–392 for each piece of fiction that you assign in class.

Downloads:
Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.6.RL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.22.b.6.C, 110.22.b.7
NE ELA Standard:
LA 6.1.6.d

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 6Grade 7Grade 8
21st Century Skills:
ReadingReading to Learn
English Language Arts:
Reading

Page 393 from Write on Course 20-20

Types of Literature

The next two pages contain a glossary of different types of literature (fiction and nonfiction), from biography to tall tale. Review the glossary with students and encourage them to refer to it whenever they have a question about a reference to a type of literature.

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 6Grade 7Grade 8
21st Century Skills:
ReadingReading to Learn
English Language Arts:
Reading

Page 395 from Write on Course 20-20

Elements of Literature

Pages 395–396 contain a glossary of the elements of literature. Ask students to silently read these two pages. Then quiz them by providing definitions and seeing if students can give the terms:

  • What do you call a person in a story?
  • What do you call the person who tells a story?
  • What does point of view refer to in a story?
  • What are some of the five basic conflicts?
  • What is the difference between mood and tone?

After teaching these terms, refer to these pages as needed during your discussion of literature. Also have your students refer to these pages for vocabulary words when they are writing about literature.

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 6Grade 7Grade 8
Form:
Literary Analysis
21st Century Skills:
ReadingReading to Learn
English Language Arts:
Reading