Reading Literature: Expressive/Literary Focus

1. Reading Literature: Expressive/Literary Focus Lesson 5: Narrative Elements Competency Goals: 5.01, 5.02

2. Action Autobiography Biography Character Characteristic Climax Comparison Complication or conflict Contrast Dialogue Tone Falling action Flashback Foreshadowing Genre Meaning Mood Narrative Plot Resolution Rising action Setting Subplot EOG Vocabulary: U NEED 2 KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3. Practice: • It was a dark and stormy night. Inside the creaky, old Victorian house her family had just moved into, Julie stroked her nervous cat on a crushed-velvet sofa. “Well, it’s a dark and stormy night,” Julie mumbled out loud. “I guess we’ll find out just what kind of protection this house has to offer.” A sudden flash of lightening, followed by thunder, caused her to add, in a trembling voice, “Won’t we, Sissy?” The cat responded with a long, drawn-out growl, her tail swishing wildly from one side to the other . . .

4. Questions to ask yourself: • What will this story be about? • Who is(are) the main character(s)? • What will probably happen next in this story? • What type of story is this?

5. Realistic fiction: story believable; could really happen; main character faces emotional conflict (Ex. Draper Novels, “Broken Chain” Fantasy: magical characteristics: time travel, talking animals, etc. Historical fiction: story set in specific time in history; sometimes include historical figures. Contemporary fiction: story set in today’s world Science fiction: fantasy story set in a time where technology is advanced Action adventure mystery: action packed—no real “emotional stuff” Folktale: traditional story handed down by word of mouth including fables, tall tales, myths, legends, and epics. Mystery: a crime is committed and a detective must unravel the clues. Types of Fiction:

6. Tip #1: • Keep in mind the characteristics of the different types of narratives.

7. Tip #2: • Recognize the building blocks of storytelling. • Who is the main character? • What is the character like? • What does the character want the most? Why? • What is the main problem? • How does the character change during the story?

8. Tip #3: • Get to know characters through what they say and do. • Dialogue (things that characters say to each other that’s in quotation marks “”) • Direct characterization • Indirect characterization

9. Tip #4: • Pay attention to the point of view of a story. • 1st person: narrator is main character; uses personal pronoun “I” • 3rd person: when a narrator refers to other characters by name; this narrator may not be a character in the story at all. This type of narrator knows something about all characters in the story.

10. Tip #5: • Look for details that describe the setting. • Setting can include any of the following information: physical location, time of day, time of year, point in history, the weather, the landscape, etc.

11. Tip #6 • Setting can affect the mood, tone, and meaning. • Mood: the feeling(s) that a story leaves you with. • Tone: this is the narrators attitude/feelings. • Examples of both: sarcastic, serious, ironic, cheerful, hesitant, angry. . . what else?

12. Tip #7 • Follow the development of the plot. Climax Falling action Rising action (suspense) Resolution Exposition conflict

13. Interesting Plot Tricks! • Flashback: an interruption of the action to explain events that happened earlier. • Foreshadowing: “shadowy” clues or hints about something that will happen later in the story. • Subplot: a second, less important storyline within the story.

14. Tip #8: • Look for important comparisons and contrasts. Consider using Venn Diagrams

15. Let’s practice some . . . • Read aloud “Slom Season” (in parts) • With a partner, answer (on paper that your taking notes, questions: 1 (pg.66), 2-3 (pg.68), 4-6 (pg. 69), 7-8 (pg. 70), 9-10 (pg. 72), 11-12 (pg. 73), 13 (pg. 74), and 14-16 (pgs. 75-76).

16. Review your notes!! Nightly!!