Fiction vs. Nonfiction

     I used two sets of great books this year to help 2nd students compare and contrast fiction and nonfiction books.  We read one of my favorites; Days with Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel-we read the first chapter (oh, and they loved the idea that this was a CHAPTER BOOK!!)  and compared it to Frogs and Tadpoles by Anita Ganeri and Anni Axworthy and Toads by Julie Murphy.  I didn't read but a few pages of the nonfiction titles but we looked at all the photos and talked about how nonfiction is set up different. 

Because second grade had some prior owl knowledge we did the same with Owl Babies by Martin Waddell (hmm, another of my longtime favs) and looked at Owls; Flat-Faced Flyers by Adele D. Richardson and Owls by Wayne Lynch.  Owl Babies is a great choice to use as a comparison because it gives some accurate information about owls-making it harder to decide for students.  The key element making it a fiction choice is that the owls "tell" the story to us. 

Owls Stop by Highland Elementary

    
     Second grade students recently studied owls; learning about their habitat, eating habits, and life cycle.  Linda Nebee presented a slide show about many of the animals she's rescued through the Black Hawk Wildlife Rehabilitation Project.  At the end of her presentation she showed off two beautiful owls. 

Five Facts about Owls:

1. Most owls are nocturnal.
2. They are birds of prey.
3. Owls have strong feet like raptors with two toes facing foreward and two toes facing back.

4. Owls' eyes are fixed in their sockets.
5. Owls have a long, hooked bill.


Owl web sites:
 
Barn Owl Facts
Owl Facts
Birds of Prey Foundation
Mrs. Nash's class studied owls and this
is what they found.