Celebrating fantasy and science fiction in your classroom can be a win-win for you and your students! Science fiction and fantasy books provide fun and exciting ways to engage students in reading. There is no better time to bring these genres into your classroom than September—Tolkien week starts on September 19th, Hobbit Day is September 22nd, and HG Wells’ birthday is September 21st!
Fantasy books come in a variety of subgenres, from adventure to animal to urban. They are available for all ages, from elementary to teens/tweens. Resources are available, whether you want to introduce the genre, teach a whole unit, or use the genre to teach to your standards. Fantasy books can be used for project-based learning, as a lead-in to a coding adventure, reading choice assignments, writing activities, and more! Whatever you choose to do with fantasy books, students will be engaged and using their imaginations throughout the activities.
Science fiction books cover a wide range of subject matter and can be used in various ways in the classroom, including to teach innovation. There are books available for all grade levels. Use science fiction to teach science facts, even though not all science fiction is scientifically accurate. Science fiction can also be used in teaching STEAM or to remix original stories in English. Finally, inspire students to wonder and reach for the stars with sci-fi!
Engage your students with fantasy and science fiction by celebrating Tolkien and Wells this week! As always, check out the TeachersFirst site for more ideas. How will you be using fantasy and science fiction in your classroom this year? Let us know in the comments below.