HIT -> Genre Lessons

[Laura Richards <LERich7@AOL.COM>]

Thanks for your responses regarding how to teach genre fiction.  I work with
6th graders who already know a bit about the different types of fiction, so I
asked them to list the kinds of fiction they've read.  Then I broke them up
into groups of 4-5 kids.  Each group was assigned a genre and they were to
come up with a list of characteristics for that genre.  Next, each group
shared their findings with the whole group.  I wrapped up the lesson by
reading excerpts of new books and asked them to identify each book's genre.
 The lesson went pretty well and was a good way to introduce some of our new
books.

Thanks again.  Laura Richards (LERich7@aol.com)

Here are some of the ideas that came from other LM_NETTERS:

This isn't the snappiest way to do it, but I have a summary of
definitions of the major genres (most of the varieties of realistic fiction,
fantasy fiction; traditional literature; informational fiction) on three
sheets of paper, double-sided.  I go through the definitions orally with the
class and invite them to write in their examples for each genre that they
have read- or to put down a book they have heard of but not read (marked with
an *).  Then I will follow up with a sharing session of the titles that they
listed (compiled by me) and a discovery session where they can roam the
library, sheets in hand looking for more examples of titles to put under the
genre categories.  I have a set of discriptions of books that I captured from
the National Library of Canada in a WP file.  I ran off copies and will ask
them to categorize the books
based on the paragraph review.  I also do a book talking, describe the book
and then ask for a student to volunteer a genre classification.  This is
using books from my own library that I want to promote.If you get any good
ideas, could you please send them my way?  Thanks.

Lynne Phillips, Teacher-Librarian, Cook Ave Elementary
School Rossland, British Columbia, Canada    lphillip@ciao.trail.bc.ca

I made up a huge circle graph and divided into many genre categories
withexamples. I talked about a genre description for each one.  Students
gavetitle suggestions that would fit each one.  Then I gave out index
cardswith paragraphs taken from books.  Students had to guess to what genre
the
paragraph belonged. It worked pretty well, but it's a topic on which mostneed
to spend more time.

Dianne Lockridge            READ A GOOD BOOK TODAY? :)
dlockridge@district96.k12.il.us
Ivy Hall Middle School
1072 Ivy Hall Lane
Buffalo Grove,IL 60089

I just did this lesson with the 5th grades this fall. I made a pie chart with
the different genres labeled in each section, put a definition of genre on
the bottom of the page, copied it and gave to each kid. Then I booktalked a
selection from each of the genres--just a few sentences on 2 or 3 books, so
they got the idea. Then they could select books--either
the ones I pulled for the lesson, or other ones. It worked pretty well, and
the teachers and kids liked it. Good luck.

June Muldner
George H.Nichols Elem.
Endicott, NY 13760