Our characters are not always as they seem!

 In 5th grade, we DIVE DEEP into our thinking about reading! We started our fantasy book club unit and the kids are SO ENGAGED in these books! 

When we started our books, we first had to research the setting and determine who holds the power. Some books are set in a medieval world, ordinary world, or futuristic world. Knowing this helps us get a better understanding of what to expect from our characters and how our story will play out. 

When we look at characters in our fantasy stories, we notice that oftentimes they are left in the dark just like we are as readers. We learned that in fantasy stories, we learn SO MUCH at the same time as our main character. Some of the ways that we learn alongside the main character are through direct questions or answers, explanations or stories, and unfamiliar experiences.

Looking even deeper at the characters, we have also noticed that characters are not always as they seem at first. This year, we took this idea a step further by creating a social media outlet for our characters. The students have created their first Instagram post based on some of the most important events that have happened in their stories. We also had a discussion about how people are not always as they seem on social media, so our characters may choose to share false ideas about themselves or others. This is an amazing way to maximize engagement in 5th grade! 

Here are some of the examples! 

The kids will continue to create Instagram posts throughout this unit based on how their characters grow and change, important events that happen in the story, and other moments worth noting and "sharing with the world!"