Language Arts: Nonfiction vs Fiction: Comparing Texts
Identify text types, features, and purposes
Language Arts: Nonfiction vs Fiction: Comparing Texts
Identify text types, features, and purposes
Language Arts - Grade 4-5
- 1
Text A tells a made-up story about a girl who finds a talking turtle in her backyard. Text B explains how real turtles use shells for protection. Which text is fiction, and which text is nonfiction? Explain how you know.
Look for whether the text is mainly telling a story or teaching facts.
Text A is fiction because it includes a made-up event with a talking turtle. Text B is nonfiction because it gives factual information about real turtles. - 2
A nonfiction article about volcanoes includes headings, photographs, captions, and a glossary. A fiction story about a volcano adventure includes characters, dialogue, and a problem to solve. Name one feature from each text type.
One nonfiction feature is a heading, photograph, caption, or glossary. One fiction feature is a character, dialogue, or a problem in the plot. - 3
Read these two descriptions. Description 1: Maya packed her flashlight and stepped into the dark cave, hoping the map was real. Description 2: Caves form when water slowly wears away rock over many years. Which description is more likely from a fiction text? Explain your answer.
Fiction often includes characters doing actions in a plot.
Description 1 is more likely from a fiction text because it introduces a character, a setting, and a story event. Description 2 explains a real process, so it is nonfiction. - 4
A student says, 'Nonfiction is always boring, and fiction is always exciting.' Do you agree? Use complete sentences to explain.
I do not agree because nonfiction can be interesting when it teaches about real people, animals, places, or events. Fiction can be exciting, but it can also be calm or serious. - 5
Both a fiction story and a nonfiction article can be about the same topic, such as space travel. How would the author's purpose usually be different in each text?
Think about whether the author wants to tell a made-up story or teach information.
In a fiction story about space travel, the author's purpose is usually to entertain with characters and events. In a nonfiction article about space travel, the author's purpose is usually to inform or explain facts. - 6
Text A: The wolf crept through the snowy forest, following the sound of the lost bell. Text B: Gray wolves live in packs and use howls to communicate with one another. Compare how the wolf is presented in the two texts.
In Text A, the wolf is part of a story and is shown through its actions in a setting. In Text B, the wolf is presented as a real animal, and the text gives facts about how wolves live and communicate. - 7
A nonfiction text says, 'The first hot-air balloon flight with passengers happened in France in 1783.' A fiction text says, 'Leo climbed into the balloon basket and waved goodbye as the town shrank below him.' Which sentence gives a fact that can be checked? Explain.
A checkable fact can be verified in another reliable source.
The nonfiction sentence gives a fact that can be checked because it states a real event, place, and year. The fiction sentence describes a character's made-up experience. - 8
List two ways a reader can tell that a text is nonfiction.
A reader can tell a text is nonfiction if it gives real facts and information. A reader may also notice text features such as headings, captions, diagrams, maps, timelines, or a glossary. - 9
List two ways a reader can tell that a text is fiction.
Think about story elements.
A reader can tell a text is fiction if it has made-up characters, a plot, and a setting. The text may also include dialogue, a problem, and a solution. - 10
A teacher gives you two books about hurricanes. One book is a story about a family preparing for a storm. The other book explains how hurricanes form and includes a diagram. Which book would be better for learning the science of hurricanes? Explain why.
The nonfiction book would be better for learning the science of hurricanes because it explains how hurricanes form and includes a diagram. The story may show what people experience, but it is not mainly written to teach scientific facts. - 11
Write one similarity between fiction and nonfiction texts.
Think about what all good writing can do for a reader.
Both fiction and nonfiction texts can have a main idea or message. They can also both be about the same topic and use descriptive details to help readers understand. - 12
Read the two summaries. Summary A: A boy and his dog travel through a forest to find a hidden waterfall. Summary B: A forest ecosystem includes plants, animals, fungi, soil, water, and sunlight. Write one sentence comparing the two texts.
Summary A describes a fiction story with characters and a journey, while Summary B describes a nonfiction text that gives facts about a forest ecosystem.