Teaching Teaching For For

UnderstandingUnderstandingInIn

FictionFictionPresented by Angela Maiers

Angelamaiers.com

AgendaAgenda•Review and ReflectReview and Reflect

•11stst 20 days and Beyond 20 days and Beyond

•Understanding FictionUnderstanding Fiction•WhatWhat•HowHow•AccessAccess

Instructional Goals• Joy

• Understand

• Learn

• Love

• Participate

• Listen/Reflect

Reading Is…Reading Is…

RetellRetell

AnswAnswer er

““Our”Our”QuestQuestions!ions!

Instructional Goals• Joy

• Understand

• Learn

• Love

• Participate

• Listen/Reflect

Reading Is…Reading Is…

21st Century StandardsNAEP 2002

Students will have the ability to construct new understandings by interacting across and within texts, summarizing, analyzing, and evaluating

them actively. They must be able to use literacy for creative and critical thinking and for advanced problem solving. Proficient and advanced readers know and apply multiple strategies to text in order to construct meanings from multiple perspectives

and understand how their meanings may differ from those of others.

©Maiers, 2008

F a ir y T a les

R e a lis tic t a les

T r ick ste r ta les

P o u rq u o i ta les

C u m ula t ive ta les

E p ics

L e ge n ds

F a b les

M y ths

T a ll ta les

TraditionalFo lkta les

S c ie n ce F ict ion

F a nt a sy

Fantasy

H ist o r ic a l F ic t ion

R e a lis t ic F ic t ion

R ealism

F ict ion

R e cr e at ion

M a th em a t ics

S cie nce

A r ts

L a n gu a ge

H e a lth

S o c ial S t u d ie s/Issues

In fo rm ational

M e m o ir

A u tob io g ra p h y

B iography

N o n-F iction

Lit er at ur e

1.1.BelieveBelieve2.2.TalkTalk3.3.ExpectExpect

TTeacher eacher TTalkalk

FictionFiction

Fiction Fiction is…is…

Story Story PowerPower•Connect

•Clarity

•Conscious

•Courage

•Collective

Big Ideasin

FictionFiction

“Life” Story

“Book” Story

(THEME)

Fiction = Stories of Life

the part of a book, magazine, argument, film, poem, text,

etc… that articulates the author’s message or ideas about the underlying topic or theme which may or

may not be explicitly stated.

BIG IDEA…BIG IDEA…

Topic (theme): Friendship

What What makesmakes

aaStory Good?Story Good?

• Plot• Characterization• Setting• Point of View• Climax• Resolution• Conclusion• Theme

UUnderstanding nderstanding Literary ElementsLiterary Elements

•Plot•Characterization•Setting•Point of View•Climax•Resolution•Conclusion•Theme

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C C

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P

CON

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• Plot• Characterization• Setting• Point of View• Climax• Resolution• Conclusion• Theme

1. Put the following elements of plot in order by the way they appear in a story: Resolution, Theme, Climax, Conclusion, Falling Action, Introduction, Rising Action, Problem, Mood

2. What significant information does a reader learn in the introduction of a story, and how does this influence their reading during the rest of the text?

3. How would you define conflict to your students in a way they could identify it in a story?

4. Describe the differences between the rising and falling action?

5. How does a reader identify the climax of the story so that it is not confused with other story events?

6. How is point of view defined fiction text and what is the significance of it?

7. Define theme and name two ways that writers of fiction leave clues to the theme of the story.

•Understanding of Plot Structure•Variations of Plot- Circular, Parallel, etc…• Identify Problem Resolution, Conclusion•Elements of Plot: Characterization, Setting, Theme•Literary Devices: Foreshadow, flashback, Satire, Irony•Vocabulary Challenges•Language Aspects: Synonyms, Homonyms, Antonyms•Mood•Tone•Character Analysis: emotion, intentions, qualities, actions•Feelings and Traits•Writers Craft•Form, Structure, Genre•Characteristics of Language: rhyme, rhythm, repetition •Figurative Language•Metaphor, Simile, Hyperbole•Identify theme and moral of text•Authors message, purpose, intention

AND SO ON….AND SO ON….AND SO ON….AND SO ON….AND SO ON…AND SO ON…

Plot is the literary element that describes the structure of a story. It shows the a causal arrangement of events and actions

within a story.

Plot Structure

Plot:

Introduction:

Problem: (Issue, desire, focused interest or character flaw that impacts the main character)

* (this will sometimes include elements from the rising action and the climax; when students understand this framework well, then move them to differentiate between rising action and climax)

Resolution: (this may sometimes appear on the last page with the conclusion, but it is more common to be before; remember…this is what has transitioned with

the problem)

Conclusion: (remember – this is the last physical thing you visually available at the end of the text)

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Characters:

Setting:

Plot Structure:Type, Variations,

Craft…

Characterization:Types, Feelings,

TraitsIntroduction:

Chara, Setting, Set Up…

Literary Devices

Problem/Conflict Explored

Viewpoint/ToneMood

Resolution/Conclusion

Language Elements:Word Choices, Style,

…I think the author wrote this story to

show us...(THEME)

TeachingTeachingFICTIONFICTION

•Plot•Characterization•Conflict•Theme

Plot is the literary element that describes the structure of a story. It shows the a causal arrangement of events and actions

within a story.

Plot Structure

Types of PlotsPlots can be told in…

Chronological order

Flashback

In media res (in the middle of things) when the story starts in the middle of the action without exposition

Circular

Episodic

Getting To Know the CharacterCharacter 4-Square

Facts About the Character Actions

Conversations Thoughts and Feelings

Page # CharacterTraits Like Myself? Like a Friend?

Like someone

from another story?

Book________________________________

Character_____________________________

Name:

Live:

Friends/Family

Physical Description:

What do they want more than anything? ( deep desires)

Fears

Character Traits

Story Development Chart

Chapter___ Chapter___ Chapter___ Chapter___ Chapter___

Characters focused on during this chapter...

Techniques used by the author to clarify events or create visual images...

Traits and/or feelings revealed about main character...

Traits or understandings revealed about others...

Conflict or issues revealed...

I believe the main problem the character is dealing with is...

Purpose of this chapter or the main idea that moves the story forward...

Conflict Conflict is the dramatic struggle

between two forces in a story. Without conflict, there is no plot.

Types of Conflict

Person vs Nature

Person vs Society

Person vs Self

Person vs Person

Person vs. Fate

1. Below are three boxes that contain the three basic types of fiction. In each box, write anything you know about that genre that makes it different from the other two.

Realism Fantasy Traditional Tales

3. Write what you understand about the following terms.

Characters:

Setting:

Plot:

Antagonist:

Protagonist:

Static:

Dynamic:

4. What is the difference between the author and the illustrator?

2. Look in the books provided and select one title to represent each type of fiction above. Use a post-it-note to label each book according to the type of fiction.

©Koesel 2003 May be copied for classroom use by teachers

1. Immerse yourself within the genre as an ADULT reader

2. Read, reflect, and document the essential elements worth pointing out to students

3. Gather a range of texts and levels for student exploration and practice

4. Set your goals and map out a plan for the study period

Instead of…Instead of…

FictionFiction2.02.0

There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did

not tell stories. -Ursula LeGuin-

It seemed to Myop as she skipped lightly from hen house to pigpen to smokehouse that the dayshad never been as beautiful as these. The air held a keenness that made her nose twitch. Theharvesting of the corn and cotton, peanuts and squash, made each day a golden surprise thatcaused excited little tremors to run up her jaws.

Myop carried a short, knobby stick. She struck out at random at chickens she liked, and worked outthe beat of a song on the fence around the pigpen. She felt light and good in the warm sun. Shewas ten, and nothing existed for her but her song, the stick clutched in her dark brown hand, andthe tat-de-ta-ta-ta of accompaniment,

Turning her back on the rusty boards of her family's sharecropper cabin, Myop walked along thefence till it ran into the stream made by rooted. Myop watched the tiny white bubbles disrupt the thinblack scale of soil and the water that silently rose and slid away down the stream.She had exploredthe woods behind the house many times. Often, in late autumn, her mother took her to gather nutsamong the fallen leaves.

Today she made her own path, bouncing this way and that way, vaguely keeping an eye out forsnakes. She found, in addition to various common but pretty ferns and leaves, an armful of strangeblue flowers with velvety ridges and a sweet suds bush full of the brown, fragrant buds.

By twelve o'clock, her arms laden with sprigs of her findings, she was a mile or more from home.She had often been as far before, but the strangeness of the land made it not as pleasant as herusual haunts. It seemed gloomy in the little cove in which she foundherself. The air was damp, the silence close and deep.

Myop began to circle back to the house, back to the peacefulness of themorning. It was then she stepped smack into his eyes. Her only when she saw his naked grin that she gave a little yelp of surprise.

He had been a tall man. From feet to neck covered a long space. His head laybeside him. When she pushed back the leaves and layers of earth and debrisMyop saw that he'd had large white teeth, all of them cracked or broken, longfingers, and very big bones. All his clothes had rotted away except somethreads of blue denim from his overalls. The buckles of the overall had turnedgreen.

Myop gazed around the spot with interest. Very near where she'd stepped intothe head was a wild pink rose. As she picked it to add to her bundle she noticeda raised mound, a ring, around the rose's root. It was the rotted remains of anoose, a bit of shredding plowline, now blending benignly into the soil. Aroundan overhanging limb of a great spreading oak clung another piece. Frayed,rotted, bleached, and frazzled--barely there--but spinning restlessly in thebreeze. Myop laid down her flowers.

And the summer was over.

Fairy Tale

• Characters, which may have magical abilities, often are distinguished as good or evil.

• Plot often leads to the defeat of evil.• Setting may take place “long, long ago.”• Theme is often a lesson learned about good

and evil.

Realistic Fiction

• Characters are fictional, yet could be real.• Plot of the story is fictional, but could happen

in real life.• Problems often present modern-day issues.• Settings present real-life times and places.

Historical Fiction• Characters are fictional, but may be based on

real people.• Real, famous characters may enter the story.• Plot often includes real events or the past

mixed with fictional events.• Setting may be in a known historical place.• An accurate historical time period is

portrayed.

Mystery

• Characters are all involved with the mystery in some way.

• Problem centers on a mystery or a puzzle that needs a solution.

• Plot contains clues to lead and mislead the reader.

• Setting is realistic and recognizable to readers.

Fantasy

• Fictional characters may have magical or supernatural powers.

• Plot stretches the reader’s imagination and is not scientifically possible.

• Setting is modern and realistic in many ways, although at times it takes a fantastical turn.

Science Fiction

• Characters often solve problems through their knowledge and use of science and technology.

• Plots revolve around events that may actually happen based on scientific facts, although it is fantasy.

• Setting often takes place in the future in a world of modern science and technology.

Fable

• Characters are fictional and may be portrayed as animals with human traits.

• Plot builds a short tale.• The setting may not be important in order to

make the story universal.• Theme presents a moral lesson.

PlotA definition of plot in secondary institutions is more detailed than that of elementary texts. It is much more concrete not only for students, but also for teachers. Plot includes specific elements from beginning of a story to the end – but are labeled more specifically than sequence of events. Below you will find a brief definition of each part of the plot structure.Introduction: Specific things we want readers to notice about the introduction include: who is introduced in the beginning and what the setting is during the opening of this story. Things we can have students reflect on after the reading of the text include analysis of these characters to determine their roles and significance as well as the importance of any other characters introduced later in the text. We can have them also consider the importance of the setting and any changes that occur.Problem: The problem in a text is a conflict or struggle that the main character(s) is(are) facing. It can stem from something that the character desperately wants or could reflect character flaws. The problem in a text usually comes within the first few pages of a picture book or the first chapter of a novel. It is this problem that throws the progression of the rising action into full force.Rising Action: The major events that move the story forward are the events. This is the part of the story in which tension is built. Understanding problem and resolution help a reader determine importance of these events. We must be careful about having students find “three major events”. Putting an exact number on this can give students a false understanding about what they are to identify. They focus on “three” instead of sifting through the information and justifying for themselves what seems to be critical.

Climax: The climax is the “Aha!” or turning point of a story. For students, however, this definition by itself is still intangible. It is the place in the story where they can find the most critical event that creates the environment for the resolution. Resolution: Commonly called the “solution”, although the definition is really a bit deeper than the character’s problem being solved or going away. When we as readers can understand this element of plot on a deeper level, we begin to get a strong sense of the author’s message. Sometimes a problem is solved on a very simplistic scale. This is reflective of some early reader texts. However, more often than not, resolution is about coming to terms with a particular conflict or achieving something that was strongly desired. Stories with good plot structure include characters who walk away from the story changed in some manner. They become more aware of themselves and the relationships they encounter throughout the journey of the text. Conclusion: The conclusion of a story is the last scene within the story. It is the final picture we have before the curtain falls at the end of the performance. There are three basic types of conclusions: closed, open and cliffhanger.Closed Endings: These are the endings that give us the warm fuzzy at the end of a story. There is a definite closure that allows us to leave the book feeling satisfied with the outcome.Open Endings: A story may end without a clear feeling of closure. The reader has to infer the outcomes based on the information given in the book.? Cliffhangers: We find these endings at the end of chapters or novels that will have a sequel. They abruptly end at a very intense part of the plot, possibly without a clear resolution to entice the reader to want to read more.

Theme: Universal understandings that authors write about in their stories.

growing up jealousy making friends success

fear siblings romance trickery

failure change overcoming injustice

power arrogance death superficial

love courage acceptance selfishness

being ordinary moving on family

relationships (beginning, ending, trials within) wealth

Alliteration- repetition of identical consonant sounds. Usually at the beginnings of words - such as “The infamous killer fought for his freedom, wanting not flesh but retreat.”Analogy- a comparison between two things to show their similarities by

comparing something unfamiliar to something familiarAnecdote- short account of a true event in a person’s life used to raise

points, explain ideas or describe personalities.Antagonist- person or force that opposes the protagonistAutobiography- story of a person’s life written by that person. A diary is a from that gives day by day events.Character- person in a literary work

static- remains the same through out the workdynamic- changes due to the influence of events or other peopleflat - reveals one personality traitround- shows a variety of complex and sometimes contradictory

traits. foil- a character that exhibits traits completely opposite of the main character

Characterization- personality of character and the method the author uses to create this personality.

direct- writer states facts about the characterindirect-character revealed through physical appearance,

the way they move, the way they talk, what they say and what other characters say about them.Climax- point of highest tension and excitement in a narrative - the turning point of the storyColloquial language- everyday language used in conversationConflict- struggle between two opposing forces, center of plot

Internal - within a person –person vs. selfExternal- character struggles with an outside force, such

as nature, a person, society, and fateConnotation- all suggested meanings and associations a word brings to mind beyond its denotation or literal meaning

Connotation- all suggested meanings and associations a word brings to mind beyond its denotation or literal meaningDescription- writing that creates an impression of a person, place or

thing to enhance poems, stories, and nonfictionDialect- type of speech that differs from the standard form of language, occurring in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammarDialogue- conversation between characters in drama, fiction, non-fiction, epic, or dramatic poem—reveals characters’ thoughts nd opinions and allows for interplay of ideasDiary- individual’s personal day-by-day account of impressions of events, may be chronicled in a journal-less intimate than a diaryDiction- choice of words to fit a character, theme, setting, or subject of a poem, story, essay, or play—used to express what is intendedFigurative Language- language not meant to be interpreted literally, but used in a special way to create a special effect: analogy, hyperbole, metaphor, onomatopoeia, simile, idioms

Flashback- interruption to relate events that occurred earlier, used in stream of consciousness and conventional

narrativesForeshadowing- use of clues by the author to prepare reader for events to comeGenre- is the French word for the type of literature

biography fables fairy tales fantasy folk tales historical non-fiction realistic fiction science fiction

fiction legends/mythsImagery- words or phrases that evoke sensory images in the reader’s mind, Visual is most common, but others occur.Interior Monologue- internal speech by a single speaker provided by the narrator to explain a characters’ personalities or to reveal their thoughts.Journal- daily record of events kept by an individual who is a participant or witness in the events - used toe learn about people and history

Lead- opening sentences that introduce a piece of writing and gain the reader’s attention: the “hook”Legend- traditional tale, handed down, that is based on history: King ArthurMood- emotional feeling and atmosphere in a work of literature, created by description, actions of characters, and setting

eerie playful tense mysterious serious exciting sad

tumultuous Narrative- writing that tells a story in chronological order, has evolved into the novelNarrator- storyteller

stated - announced explicitlyimplied- revealed indirectly

Tone- the attitude the writer expresses towards the subject ad reader. May be casual, angry, amused or indifferent.

Narrative Hook- point in the story, novel or play where the author catches the reader’s attention by presenting an

interesting problem or situation that begins the conflictOnomatopoeia- words with sounds that imitate or suggest their meanings: thump, crackPersonification-figure of speech where human traits are given to inanimate objects, animals or ideasPlot– structure in which fiction is framed around; relates to the struggles the main character goes through ; begins with introduction, then narrative hook (problem is announced), rising action, climax, falling action and resolution, conclusionPoint of View- relationship of the narrator to the story

1st person - story told by one of the characters3rd person - story told by someone outside of the storyomniscient - told as if the writer is able to read the minds of all of the characters

Protagonist- central character of the story who usually receives the reader’s sympathies

Style- author’s choice and arrangement of words in any kind of writing to convey individuality, theme and purpose

Theme- main idea of story, usually expressed as a statement about life

Topic (theme): Friendship

• Mini Lesson

• Reading Application

• Sharing

• Mini Lesson( 10-15 min)

• Reading Application

• Sharing

“Private Practice” Conferencing

“Small Group” Guidance

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