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Welcome to Fantasy! – Exploring fantasy adventures – Defining fantasy genre – Stories with magic, dragons, and more! – Reasons to read fantasy – To dream and create in our minds – Engaging imagination | This slide introduces students to the exciting genre of fantasy, setting the stage for an imaginative journey. Begin by explaining that fantasy stories often include elements that are not found in the real world, such as magical creatures and supernatural events. Emphasize the importance of fantasy in literature as a way to expand creativity, providing an opportunity for children to explore limitless possibilities. Encourage students to think about their favorite fantasy stories or characters and consider what makes those stories special. The goal is to spark interest and excitement about reading fantasy and to prepare them for the upcoming activities that will involve using their imagination to engage with fantasy texts.

Exploring Text Features in Fantasy Stories – Text features guide our reading – Titles hint at the story’s main idea – Like a treasure map, a title leads to the story’s heart – Pictures offer story clues – Illustrations are windows into the story’s world – Captions add details to pictures – Small text by pictures explaining more | This slide introduces students to the concept of text features and their importance in understanding fantasy stories. Emphasize that text features act as tools to better comprehend the material. Titles are like clues that set the expectation for the story’s journey. Pictures are not just decorations; they provide visual context and can help students infer more about the plot and characters. Captions are often overlooked but can give significant insights into the illustration’s intent. Encourage students to be detectives, using these features to delve deeper into the fantasy world. In the next class, consider bringing a fantasy book and showing these text features in practice, asking students to explain how each feature helps them understand the story.

Meet the Fantasy Characters – Characters make the story – Fantasy characters are unique – Imagine knights, dragons, or animals that speak! – Identifying characters in a story – Who is in our book? What do they do? – Discussing our favorite characters – Share why you like a character | This slide introduces the concept of characters in a fantasy story. Explain to the students that characters are the individuals or creatures the story revolves around. Emphasize that in fantasy stories, characters can be much more diverse, including mythical creatures or animals with human traits. Encourage the students to think about the characters in the fantasy book they are reading. Ask them to identify the characters and talk about their roles in the story. Finally, have a discussion where each student talks about their favorite character and why they like them. This activity will help students understand the importance of characters and enhance their ability to analyze literature.

Exploring Fantasy Settings – Understanding story settings – The ‘where’ and ‘when’ a story happens – Fantasy settings are magical – Think of places like castles or enchanted forests – Describing settings in pictures – Look at book illustrations and talk about them – Imagining our own fantasy world | This slide introduces the concept of ‘setting’ in a story, which is crucial for second graders to understand as they explore fantasy literature. Emphasize that settings can be anywhere and any time, but in fantasy stories, they often include magical elements that make them special. Use pictures from fantasy books to help students visualize and describe these unique places. Encourage them to use their imagination to think about what makes a fantasy setting different from the real world. As an activity, students can draw or describe their own fantasy setting, considering what kind of magical elements they would include and why those features make the setting interesting.

Plot Twists and Turns in Fantasy Stories – Understanding the story’s adventure – The plot is like a path the story takes us on! – Magic and quests in fantasy plots – Imagine dragons, wizards, or a journey for a hidden treasure – Mapping our fantasy story events – We’ll draw a map of the story’s main events, like a treasure map | This slide introduces the concept of a plot as the backbone of a fantasy story, guiding students to recognize the exciting twists and turns that make these stories engaging. Emphasize that fantasy plots often include magical elements or quests that take characters on incredible journeys. Encourage students to think of the plot as a map that shows the route of the adventure. In the next activity, students will create their own ‘story maps’ to outline the main events in a fantasy story they have read or heard. This will help them understand the structure of a story and the importance of sequence in events. Provide examples of simple story maps and ensure they understand that each part of the map represents a different event in the story.

Read Along Together: Exploring Fantasy – Let’s read a fantasy story aloud – Follow me as I read the story – Picture the world in your mind – Think of the setting like a magical land or a kingdom far away – Imagine the characters vividly – What do they look like? Are they wizards, dragons, or talking animals? | This slide is designed to engage students in a group reading activity that stimulates their imagination and helps them visualize the elements of a fantasy story. As the teacher reads the story out loud, students should be encouraged to follow along with their own copies of the text, if available. Prompt them to use their imagination to create mental images of the setting and characters, which will enhance their understanding and enjoyment of the story. After the reading, discuss the different images they saw in their minds and how the text features helped them create these images. This activity not only aids in comprehension but also fosters creativity and a love for reading.

Discussing Our Adventure – Share your favorite story part – Talk about surprising moments – Did a twist or character decision amaze you? – Describe feelings about characters – Were you scared, excited, or happy? – Reflect on the story’s settings – Did the magical forests or castles seem real? | This slide is meant to facilitate a discussion among second-grade students about the fantasy story they have read. Encourage the children to think about the parts of the story that they enjoyed the most and why. Ask them to reflect on any plot twists or character actions that caught them off guard and to share these surprises with the class. Discuss how the characters and the fantasy settings made them feel, whether they felt a connection to the characters, or if they were transported to the magical places described. This will help them engage more deeply with the text and enhance their comprehension skills. The goal is to create an interactive and reflective environment where students can express their thoughts and feelings about the fantasy adventure they experienced through the story.

Create Your Fantasy Creature – Imagine your own fantasy creature – Consider its habitat and behavior – Does it live in a forest, under the sea, or on a cloud? – What special powers does it have? – Can it fly, become invisible, or control weather? – Draw your creature for class sharing | This activity is designed to spark the students’ creativity and engage them with the fantasy genre. Encourage them to think outside the box and create a creature that is unique to their imagination. Discuss habitats, behaviors, and special abilities to give them ideas. Provide drawing materials and give them ample time to create their creatures. Plan for a show-and-tell session where each student can present their creature and describe its features. This will help them practice their speaking skills and allow them to appreciate the creativity of their peers. Offer guidance and praise to foster a positive and supportive classroom environment.

Class Activity: Fantasy Quest – Embark on a classroom fantasy quest – Work in teams to find magical items – Match items to story parts – Each item relates to a specific moment in our fantasy story – Discuss the items’ significance – Why is each item important to the story? | This activity is designed to engage students with the fantasy story they’ve read by turning the classroom into a magical landscape. Divide the class into small groups and assign each group a list of items to find. These items should be hidden around the classroom and symbolically represent different parts of the story. Once the items are found, each group will discuss how their items relate to the story and why they are significant. This will help students to connect text features with physical objects, enhancing their comprehension and retention of the story. Possible items could be a ‘magic wand’ representing a character’s power or a ‘golden key’ for a locked door in the story. The goal is to make reading interactive and fun, fostering a love for literature and teamwork.

Fantastic Reading Adventure Wrap-Up – Congratulations on your reading journey! – Reading takes us to incredible places – Like visiting dragons or castles in the clouds – Continue exploring with your imagination – Use clues from the story to picture the scenes – Keep the adventure alive in every book | This slide is meant to celebrate the students’ accomplishments in reading fantasy texts and to encourage them to keep reading. Emphasize the power of reading as a tool for imagination and exploration, allowing them to visit places they’ve never been before. Encourage them to think of reading as an ongoing adventure, where every book offers a new world to discover. Remind them to use context clues and text features to help visualize and understand the story. Celebrate their progress and inspire them to continue reading both in and out of the classroom.