Literary Elements Mrs. Stevens Sixth Grade Reading

Text Structure Text Structure: the particular order or pattern a writer uses to present ideas. The way a piece of writing is organized. There are five types of text structures. They are: description, cause and effect, compare and contrast, order or sequence and problem/solution. Picture Book: Dogzilla Notes:

Text StructureDefinition/ExampleOrganizer Description This type of text structure features a detailed description of something to give the reader a mental picture. EXAMPLE: A book may tell all about whales or describe what the geography is like in a particular region. Descriptive PatternDescriptive Pattern [pdf] Describing Qualities Describing Qualities Cause and Effect This structure presents the causal relationship between an specific event, idea, or concept and the events, ideas, or concept that follow. EXAMPLE: Weather patterns could be described that explain why a big snowstorm occurred. Cause-Effect PatternCause-Effect Pattern[pdf] Process/Cause and Effect Process/Cause and Effect

Comparison/Contrast This type of text examines the similarities and differences between two or more people, events, concepts, ideas, etc. EXAMPLE: A book about ancient Greece may explain how the Spartan women were different from the Athenian women. Comparison/Contrast Order/Sequence This text structure gives readers a chronological of events or a list of steps in a procedure. EXAMPLE: A book about the American revolution might list the events leading to the war. In another book, steps involved in harvesting blue crabs might be told. Sequence PatternSequence Pattern[pdf] Chronological Sequence Chronological Sequence Problem-Solution This type of structure sets up a problem or problems, explains the solution, and then discusses the effects of the solution. EXAMPLE: Click here to view an example of Problem-Solution text structureClick here Problem-Solution Organizer Text StructureDefinition/ExampleOrganizer

Character 1. The person, animal or creature in a work of fiction or 2. The characteristics of a person or creature. Picture Book: Bat’s Big Game Notes:

The protagonist is the “good guy.” Character Continued

The person, creature, or force who opposes the main character is the “antagonist.” Character Continued

Dynamic Characters change or grow during the course of a work. Character Continued

Static Characters do not change through the course of a work.

Setting Setting Setting- The time and location where the story takes place. All examples are from The Wizard of Oz Chapter 1 a) place - geographical location. Where is the action of the story taking place? Example: Kansas b) time - When is the story taking place? (historical period, time of day, year, etc) Example: 1900’s, Afternoon, Present Day (for Dorothy) c) weather conditions - Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc? Example: Stormy, Tornadic, Gray, Dry d) social conditions - What is the daily life of the character like? Does the story contain local color (writing that focuses on the speech, dress, mannerisms, customs, traditions, etc. of a particular place)? Example: Farm Life; Routine; Small House; Isolated; Poor; Farm Clothes; Simple Life e) mood or atmosphere - What feeling is created at the beginning of the story? Is it bright and cheerful or dark and frightening? Example: Dark, Dreary, Hopeless, Dull, Monotonous, Monotone, Colorless Picture Book: The Mitten Notes:

Plot Plot- How the author arranges events to develop his/her idea or the sequence of events in a literary work. a) Exposition - The beginning of the story where the characters and the setting are revealed. b) Narrative Hook - The part of the story that gets the reader interested in the story. It’s what makes you want to read more. c1) Rising Action - This is where the events in the story become complicated and the conflict in the story is revealed (events between the introduction and climax). c2) Conflict – (See Conflict Slides) d) Climax - This is the highest point of interest and the turning point of the story. Usually involves the main character making a decision that will affect the outcome of the entire story. The reader wonders what will happen next; will the conflict be resolved or not? e) Falling action - The events and complications begin to resolve themselves. The reader knows what has happened next and if the conflict was resolved or not (events between climax and denouement). f) Resolution - This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the story.

Have you ever seen this? What is it? Can you name all the parts? Plot Continued

Conflict Conflict- A struggle between opposing forces.

Conflict Continued There are two categories of conflict: 1) External - A struggle with an outside force outside. 2) Internal - A struggle within one's self; a person must make some decision, overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc.

More specific types of conflict: 1) Character vs. Character (physical) - The leading character struggles with his physical strength against other characters, forces of nature, or animals. 2) Character vs. Society (social) - The leading character struggles against ideas, practices, or customs of other people. 3) Character vs. Self (psychological) - The leading character struggles with himself/herself; with his/her own soul, ideas of right or wrong, physical limitations, choices, etc. 4) Character vs. Nature – The leading character struggles with some force of nature; trying to climb an extremely tall mountain in the rain, fighting a snowstorm to save a friend who is hurt… Picture Book: Martin’s Big Words etGuid/A84CEB96-9CA AD5-5B3447C9979C Notes: Conflict Continued

Point of View Point of View- the perspective, or vantage point, from which the story is told. Three commonly used points of view are: ◦First - Person ◦Omniscient Third - Person ◦Limited Third - Person

Point of View Cont… In First-Person point of view, the narrator is a character in the story and refers to himself or herself with the pronoun “I”. In stories from the Omniscient Third Person point of view, the narrator knows and understands what each character thinks and feels. We are told everything about the story (all characters).

In stories from the Limited Third-Person point of view, the narrator shares the inner thoughts of feelings of one character, and everything is viewed from this characters perspective. Picture Book: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs Notes: Point of View Cont…

Theme Theme- The author’s underlying main idea, purpose, or feeling they are trying to convey. The message about life the author wants to share. Some examples from the Wizard of Oz are: ◦It doesn’t matter what you have, it’s who you have to share it with that matters ◦Goals can often be accomplished when working in a group, no matter what personalities are involved A theme may be stated directly by the writer; however, most themes are not directly stated but are hidden.

Theme Continued… What could the universal theme of these three stories be? Picture Book: The Other Side Notes: