What is Nonfiction

Grade Level: K-3

Lesson Aim: What is nonfiction?


Nonfiction, fiction, genre, fact


  • Nonfiction Title  (Any suitable title for  K-2 grades)
  • Assessment Worksheet

Activate Students Prior Knowledge About Fiction and Non fiction Books

Elicit from children what they know about fiction books.

Next, ask students what they know about non fiction.

Teach: Nonfiction is a special genre or category of books that help you learn about new places, people, things, and animals etc. Unlike fiction books that tell stories made up by the author, nonfiction books provide information that is true. Nonfiction books are based on facts. Fact means something that is true. Before writing a nonfiction book, authors do a lot of research to find facts or correct information about the topic.

Ask, “Can you name some things that provide facts or true information?

Teach that some forms of nonfiction writing are news papers, magazines, periodicals, brochures, and text books etc. Even the documentary movies watched on history and discovery channel are also based on facts or true information.

Ask, “Why do you think people read nonfiction books?”  Validate students’ responses. Then, explain that people read nonfiction books to learn about new things or to find information about topics they are interested in.

Lesson Activity: Read Aloud of Selected Nonfiction Book

Introduce the selected nonfiction book. Preview the front cover information. Have students make a prediction what the book is going to be about. Tell students that before writing this book, the author did a lot of research about the topic. Research means the author first studied the topic before writing it so the readers can have correct information.

Read the book aloud.

 Wrap Up:

Have students share some new facts they learned from the book. Tell students that in a library, non fiction books are shelved in a separate section called Non Fiction.  Familiarize students with the non fiction section.

 Assessment Worksheet (Identifying Non Fiction Books)

Directions: Classify the following as fiction or nonfiction. Write fiction or non fiction next to each item.

1.      Bunnies Birthday Party  —————————————–

2.      All About Planet Earth —————————————-

3.      Froggy Goes to School  ——————————————

4.      How to Take Care of Your Pet Hamster ———————————-

5.      Newspaper  ——————————————-

6.      All About George Washington  ————————————–

7.      How Do Birds Find Their Way —————————————–

8.      How to Bake a Cake (A Recipe Book) ————————————

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