LESSON SEVEN: Using a Venn diagram to Compare Fiction and Nonfiction

Characteristics
Using a Venn diagram, students compare what they have discovered about a nonfiction text compared to a fiction
text.

GRADE-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS
R1I: Identify connections, with assistance, between text ideas—similarities and differences in various real and
make-believe works (fiction and nonfiction) and text ideas and own experiences.
R3C: In responds to text develop questions to clarify meaning, answer questions and discuss text, recognizes
important information, and identify supporting details.

LESSON MATERIALS
Sources of Literature
 None
Supplies
 Story Map Chart of The Very Hungry Caterpillar
 Nonfiction Characteristics Chart from previous lesson
 Venn diagram on chart paper. Draw one circle blue and label Fiction. Draw one circle red and label
Nonfiction.
 Chart paper
Handouts
 Story Map
 Venn diagram
Vocabulary
 fiction
 nonfiction

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Make mental notes of students’ understanding of the difference between fiction and nonfiction, which will be
recorded later in anecdotal notes and on a checklist of all unit objectives. At the end of this lesson, record your
observations of students’ understanding of the difference between fiction and nonfiction. Notes from this
observation and others can be used to rate each student using the checklist at the end of this unit.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

1. Gather in the read aloud area and gain attention of students by using a class signal.

Review the story map and the list of nonfiction characteristics.

3. Complete the Venn diagram as the students respond to the following questions.

What do you expect to see in a fiction book?

Questions
What do you expect to see in a nonfiction book?
for
What do you expect to see in both?
Students
4. Make an anchor chart on Fiction in blue and on Nonfiction in red to keep in the room for students to refer to in
the future.