1. Leads a discussion to elicit the similarities and differences between historical fiction and informational text by asking:
   
   How was reading the selections in Canada Votes different from reading historical and realistic fiction (Pettranella, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and The Relatives Came, for example)?
   
   How was it similar?
   
   Did you read the selections the same way?
   

NOTE: Points that may come up include:

1. In expository material, all of the information is factual. In writing fiction, authors need to place the stories in an authentic historical context and ensure that the factual information is correct. In the story Pettranella for example, references to the "pollution withered flowers" in the old country and the "ox cart" in the new country ring true. Whether there actually was a grandmother who gave her granddaughter flower seeds to plant is debatable. In informational material, all of the information is factual and
   
   
2. The purposes for reading the different genres are different. Historical and realistic fiction are read for enjoyment and factual material is read for information.