Elementary School Nonfiction Essay Prompts
1. Christopher Paul Curtis The Watsons Go To Birmingham
Read Christopher Paul Curtis' The Watsons Go to Birmingham. This story is actually an example of historical fiction rather than nonfiction. What's the difference between historical fiction and nonfiction? What events in this book really happened?
2. Roald Dahl Boy
Read Roald Dahl's Boy: Tales of Childhood. How does the book portray violence among peers as opposed to violence from teachers? How does Dahl's experience with school and corporal punishment differ from your own?
3. Early Elementary Fiction Vs. Nonfiction
To teach children about fiction vs. nonfiction, bring in a lot of magazines. Bring Highlighter magazines because those often have true stories as well as short stories and poems. Bring in Reader's Digest, National Geographic Kids, etc. Read some articles and stories together and individually. Have the children discuss which ones are fiction and which are nonfiction and how they can tell the two apart.
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