Write the words fantasy and realism on the board and ask the students if they can tell you what the words mean. Write down the answers and generate a discussion about what the two words mean and what the difference is between them. Draw a conclusion based on the input from the students and formulate another way of saying fantasy, such as "make believe," and for realism, "it could really happen." Reinforcing the language with the students will help them to understand the difference between the two words.
Show the students the cover of a book that you are going to read to them and ask them if they think the story is going to be fantasy or realism. Ask them how they know. Responses would be, "A dog doesn't wear a hat and coat" or "The picture is of a boy playing baseball, and that could happen." Tell them you are going to read a story to them and they are to write down on a worksheet you gave them what parts of the story are fantasy and what parts are realism. An example of a fantasy or reality graphic organizer may be found at the Have Fun Teaching website.
Computer games are a viable resource to reinforce a concept. Some students learn concepts better when they are afforded the opportunity to play a game in which they select an answer on the computer. Additionally, students have fun while they are learning and consider computer time to play educational games a reward. The GameGoo website has a game called "Tina's World Real or Make Believe?"
Once students have gained an understanding of the concept of fantasy versus realism, ask them to write out complete sentences that illustrate both fantasy and realism. Younger students could draw pictures of both, such as a boy flying or a dog talking. You could also write out sentences on the board and ask the students if this is realism or fantasy.