Different Kinds of Books

Active learning helps Junior Infants grasp the difference between fiction and non-fiction books by using real objects and visuals. When children touch, sort, and discuss books, they connect the features they see to the book’s purpose more meaningfully than through passive listening.

• Junior Infants
• Foundations of Language and Literacy
• 3 activities
• 15 min–25 min

Learning Objectives

1. Classify books as either fiction or non-fiction based on their content and features.
2. Identify specific factual information within non-fiction texts using photographs and labels.
3. Compare and contrast the visual elements of fiction books (drawings) and non-fiction books (photographs).
4. Explain how pictures in a non-fiction book can help answer a specific question about the real world.

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 25 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Fact Finders

Give small groups a non-fiction book about an animal. They must find one 'amazing fact' using the pictures or labels and then 'teach' that fact to the rest of the class using a prop or a drawing.

Prepare & details

What is different about a book with real photographs and a book with drawings?

Facilitation Tip: During Collaborative Investigation, model how to turn pages slowly and point out the labels in the book to guide the children’s focus.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Gallery Walk

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Gallery Walk: Photo vs. Drawing

Display a mix of storybook illustrations and non-fiction photographs. Students walk around and sort them into 'Story' or 'Real Life' piles, explaining to a partner why a photograph is often used in a fact book.

Prepare & details

How can the pictures in a book help us learn something new?

Facilitation Tip: For Gallery Walk, arrange the photos and drawings at child-height and use tape to mark a clear path so students move smoothly from one station to the next.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 15 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Expert Question

Before looking at a book about a topic (e.g., Space), students think of one thing they want to know. They share with a partner and then 'check' the book together to see if they can find the answer.

Prepare & details

What can you find out just by looking at the pictures in this book?

Facilitation Tip: During Think-Pair-Share, give students 10 seconds of wait time after asking the Expert Question to allow all children time to think before sharing with a partner.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Start with familiar storybooks to anchor their understanding of fiction before introducing non-fiction. Use picture walks in both types of books to highlight differences in structure. Avoid overloading children with too many new terms; focus on observable features like 'real photos' versus 'drawings'. Research shows that concrete comparisons work better than abstract explanations at this stage.

What to Expect

By the end of these activities, students should confidently point out features like photographs, labels, and diagrams as clues that a book provides information. They should also begin to explain why a book is for learning, not just for stories.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Collaborative Investigation, watch for students who assume an animal in a book means it is a story.

What to Teach Instead

Bring out 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' and a non-fiction butterfly book during the activity. Have students compare the illustrations and text features, guiding them to notice that one has a story with words like 'ate' and 'slept', while the other shows a real photo and labels like 'wings' and 'antennae'.

Common Misconception

During Gallery Walk, watch for students who believe every picture in a book represents something real.

What to Teach Instead

Place real objects alongside the photos and drawings in the Gallery Walk stations. Ask students to match the pictures to the objects, reinforcing that non-fiction pictures show things they can see and touch in the real world.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After Collaborative Investigation, provide each pair with two books, one fiction and one non-fiction. Ask them to point to the book that has real photographs and explain one thing they could learn from it. Observe their ability to identify the non-fiction text and articulate its purpose.

Exit Ticket

After Gallery Walk, give each child a picture from a non-fiction book. Ask them to draw one thing they learned from looking at the picture and write one word to describe the picture, such as 'real' or 'photo'.

Discussion Prompt

During Think-Pair-Share, show students a non-fiction book open to a page with a photograph and labels. Ask, 'What is this a picture of? How do you know it's a real thing? What does the label tell us? How does this picture help us learn something new?' Listen for their ability to extract information from visual cues.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Provide a mixed set of books and ask students to sort them into 'stories' and 'fact books', then justify their choices to a partner.
• Scaffolding: Offer a simple checklist with pictures of book features (e.g., photo, label, story character) for students to tick as they explore.
• Deeper exploration: Invite students to find one fact in a non-fiction book and draw it on a large sheet to present to the class.

Key Vocabulary

Non-fiction	Books that tell about real people, places, things, or events. They are used to learn facts.
Fiction	Books that tell imaginary stories, often with made-up characters and events. They are for entertainment.
Photograph	A picture taken with a camera that shows something exactly as it looks in real life.
Drawing	A picture made by hand, which might show things as the artist imagines them rather than exactly as they are.
Fact	A piece of information that is true and can be proven.