The students in 5th grade have been hard at work in literacy, reading and writing fantasy stories! At the start of the unit, the students read several fantasy picture books and watched animated short films to immerse themselves in the genre. They then took part in discussions, defining the genre and noticing its elements.
Within book clubs, students read a variety of longer texts and analyzed fantasy characteristics such as unusual settings, the quest structure typical of the genre, symbols and other author’s craft techniques and supernatural plot elements all while strengthening their ability to determine important character traits and the topics and themes of the books they read.
After engaging in fantasy reading, the students tried their hand at writing their own original stories. The students applied their reading skills to their drafts as they crafted stories rich in fantasy elements. They took part in pre-writing activities, such as researching the meaning of their characters’ names, determining the symbols they would use in their stories, and developing theme statements. Additionally, they plotted their stories on story mountains, which enabled them to determine the heart of their stories and developed their ability to elaborate through the use of action, thinking, dialog and detail, making sure the true meaning of their stories was clear to their readers.
The units will culminate with a fun celebration where students use all of their new-found knowledge to create magical fantasy projects. We can hardly wait to see what they come up with!
