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Realistic Fiction

Realistic Fiction


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Definition:

A classification of literature containing stories that could happen in the real world, in a time and setting that is possible, and with characters that are true to life, yet drawn from the writer’s imagination. It is categorized as historical or contemporary based upon the time period of publication (Contemporary begins at 1960). Experts define categories of realistic fiction using aspects of theme (e.g., survival, friendship, diversity, tolerance, environmental preservation, courage, freedom, justice).

Purposes:

  • To entertain or enlighten
  • To help understand problems and issues that might be encountered in their own lives
  • To empathize with characters engaged in resolving problems
  • To recognize the complexity of human relationships

Characteristics:

  • Narrative elements: characters, setting, a plot involving conflict or tension revolving around a problem, and a resolution providing the conclusion
  • Can be humorous, adventurous, romantic and/or imaginative

Themes:

  • Reflect realistic human and life experiences

Characters:

  • True to life, vivid, imaginary characters seem real and behave in realistic ways
  • Fictional characters (animals, people) that are confronted with challenges
  • Protagonist (main character’s problem causes tension)
  • Characters and conflict are interrelated
  • Realistic fiction often includes antagonists, who are the opposing force in the main character’s conflict
  • Vivid, detailed descriptions and dialogue help the reader understand the thoughts, feelings, values and personalities of characters

Setting:

  • Usually takes place in the present
  • Location, season, weather, and time period are important to the plot, characters, problem, and theme
  • Vivid, detailed descriptions help the reader envision the places encountered

Plot:

  • Engages the reader in understanding universal human problems
  • Reflects the character’s problem (central to the plot)
  • Progression through rising action: a conflict creates tension, which sparks a sequence of events (with roadblocks) culminating in a solution
  • Various forms of conflict (person vs. person, etc.)
  • True to life, vivid, imaginary events seem real
  • Variations of plot include foreshadowing and flashback
  • Commonly uses problem-solution pattern

Author’s craft:

  • Narrative structure and elements
  • Use of humor
  • Fictionalizing
  • Developing character
  • Creating an introduction which builds the story’s background
  • Developing imagery, figurative language, and author’s style
  • Depth of ideas, reflection or insight
  • Developing implicit and explicit messages for the audience

Grade Level Instructional Scope for COMPREHENDING the Genre and Text of Realistic Fiction:

Grade 1

Opportunities to Teach:

Grade 3

Opportunities to Teach:

Grade 8

Opportunities to Teach:

  • Basic form
  • Purpose
  • Sense of story (beginning, middle and end)
  • Sequence of events
  • Illustrations to support understanding of elements and events
  • Illustrations to support evidence of real life events
  • Key ideas and details
  • Real and make-believe
  • Story grammar
  • Asking questions
  • Relationships of characters, events and ideas
  • Time sequence words
  • Comprehension skills and strategies (connections to self and other texts, personal knowledge)
  • Personal response
  • Basic elements
  • Purpose
  • Story grammar
  • Characterization (attitudes, actions, motivations thoughts, traits, comparisons of relationships)
  • Compare events and key ideas
  • Fact versus fiction
  • Story level theme
  • Setting
  • Main idea
  • Prediction
  • Point of view
  • Comprehension skills and strategies (retell/sequence ideas and details; compare/contrast relationships among characters, events and ideas across text types connect to themes/perspectives; monitor understanding of organizational patterns; reread, summarize, predict, visualize, question, infer)
  • Personal response
  • Structure
  • Elements
  • Personal style
  • Purpose
  • Theme and sub-themes
  • Analyze distortion
  • Analyze stereotypes of gender, race, culture, age, class, religion and individual differences
  • Maturity of the textual ideas
  • Abstract theme
  • Analyze the plot (rising/falling action) and subplots
  • Role of minor characters in relation to conflict
  • Characterization in relation to conflict
  • Narrator’s credibility
  • Symbolism
  • Imagery
  • Comprehension skills and strategies (predict, visualize, question, reread, interpret, summarize, conclude, infer, synthesize, connect knowledge to themes and perspectives)
  • Personal response

Grade Level Instructional Scope for COMPOSING the Genre and Text of Realistic Fiction:

Grade 2

Opportunities to Teach:

Grade 3

Opportunities to Teach:

Grade 8

Opportunities to Teach:

  • Writing process
  • Basic form
  • Purpose
  • Beginning, middle and end
  • Setting
  • Problem/solution
  • Sequence of realistic events
  • Illustrations to support mood
  • Key ideas, story events and details
  • Relationships of characters, events and ideas
  • Time sequence words
  • Replication of author’s style and pattern
  • Writing process
  • Structure
  • Purpose
  • Beginning, middle and end
  • Setting
  • Problem/solution
  • Conflict
  • Sequence of events
  • Fictionalizing elements
  • Personal style
  • Voice/Point of view
  • Dialogue
  • Theme
  • Paragraphing
  • Description of setting and characters
  • Characterization (actions, thoughts, traits, motivations – round characters)
  • Replication author’s style and pattern
  • Writing process
  • Structure
  • Purpose
  • Sequencing of events
  • Fictionalizing elements
  • Personal style
  • Voice/point of view
  • Dialogue/monologue
  • Narration
  • Developing major/minor character
  • Creating internal and external conflict
  • Creating rising and falling actions
  • Transitional language
  • Relationships between the plot the theme and imagery
  • Setting scenes
  • Replication of author’s style and pattern

Booklists:

Access to the Documents:

Complete K-8 Genre Project
From the Michigan Department of Education

Complete K-8 Genre Booklist
From Kent Intermediate School District


Page last modified on September 04, 2009, at 08:58 AM