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 Grade 3 ELA Activities
History: Fact or Fiction?
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When we read nonfiction, we discover ideas and opinions that are based on facts and real-life
events. Often we read nonfiction to learn about history. As you talk with your child about
history, science, and other factual subjects, encourage her to elaborate on the ideas and
facts that most interest her. Why did dinosaurs disappear? Where do stars come from? What
is the path of butterfly migration? As your child explores the world of facts, encourage her
to question them and not necessarily accept facts without thinking about whether or not they
are valid. What may be considered a fact today may not always have been accepted as such.
Here's what you need:
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| A good dictionary and a set of encyclopedias (available in the public library, along
with many other reference materials) |
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| Paper |
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| Pen or pencil |
Here's what you do:
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Help your child identify the important facts in a nonfiction piece (an article in the newspaper,
part of a biography, a book about the physical world, a book on an historical era). If she
is reading a book about airplanes, for example, encourage her to read about the stories of
famous pilots that contain disputed facts. Amelia Earhart and Richard Byrd are two examples
of such figures. If she is reading a book about icebergs, encourage her to inquire about the
history of icebergs. What is mysterious about them? What big events have taken place with
boats and icebergs? What are some stories about icebergs that contain disputed facts? Encourage
her to think about how often facts begin as opinions, and, as they are proven, become facts.
A good dictionary and encyclopedia will help her answer her questions. Also, she might start
with the encyclopedia, read about her topic, and then come up with questions to pursue.
Keep going...
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As your child develops her interest in nonfiction, she will learn about how a fact must
be supported with evidence. She will quickly discover that facts don’t always start
as facts, and there are often interesting stories behind facts and their development. There’s
also an important relationship between facts and opinions. We support opinions with facts,
and some opinions become facts when they are supported with evidence. Talk with your child
about her opinions. Get her to think about what facts would support them. Also, encourage
her to consider why her opinions are not factual.
Grade 3 ELA Activities
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