Reading Genres

What are genres? Genres- forms of literature. We will be exploring five different types of genres. Fiction Poetry Drama Nonfiction Media

FICTION Fiction- refers to stories about made-up events and characters Some forms of fiction may be inspired by real events or real people

What does good fiction have??? A plot (the action of the story) A setting (where and when the action takes place) Characters (the person or animals involved) Point of View- the perspective from which a story is told Most also have themes (messages about life)

Forms of Fiction Most works of fiction are one of three forms- Short story- focuses on a single event or incident. Novel- longer work of fiction that weaves together many different events, storylines, and characters Novella- longer than a short story but shorter than a novel.

Turn to pg. 5 Read the passage “The Cay”. Describe from the passage: Plot Setting Characters Point of View

DRAMA Dramas are stories that are meant to be performed. A drama is different because instead of including long descriptions of setting and characters’ thoughts- it is developed through what the character says and does.

Dialogue- what the character says Actions- what the character does A drama should have…. Dialogue- what the character says Actions- what the character does Instead of chapters, a drama has- Scenes Acts Stage Directions- notes to help the actors and the director perform as the writer intended

Stage Directions Describe the setting and how the characters should look, talk, and act. Stage directions are often printed in italic type. Turn to pg. 7

How does Wilma treat Mrs. Leighton? ungraciously How does Mrs. Leighton treat Wilma? graciously How do you know? Stage directions tell you.

Poetry Poetry is a type of literature in which words are chosen and arranged in a precise way to create certain sounds and meanings. Form, sound, and language are all very important to poetry!

Form of Poetry One thing that will be different when you look at a poem is a poems form. Form- is the structure of the writing Poems are broken up into lines and stanzas The length of lines, where it breaks (ends) contributes to what the poem will sound like and its meaning

Sounds….. Sometimes the poems have a certain “sound” to them Poets can use rhythm and rhymes to create this sound Turn to page 6 in your book.

How can you tell that “Thumbprint” is a poem? Give specific details! Why would the author choose to use a thumbprint to show individuality? What other qualities would show an individuals uniqueness?

NONFICTION AND INFORMATIONAL TEXTS Nonfiction is writing that tells about real people, events, and places. There are seven different types of nonfiction that we will be exploring.

Autobiography- The true story of a person’s life told by that person Biography- The true story of a person’s life told by someone else Essay- a short work of nonfiction that focuses on a single subject. Common types are Reflective Persuasive Descriptive

Speech- an oral presentation of the ideas, beliefs, or proposals of a speaker News Article- Informative writing in newspapers and magazines. Reports on a recent event. Feature articles- informative writing in newspapers and magazines that offer in-depth coverage of human interest topics. Functional Documents- Writing that serves a practical purpose. May include- Manuals Resumes Workplace documents

What is each document?? At the top of your paper- write the number of the document that you are reading. Answer….. What type of nonfiction text is this? How do you know? Give at least 2 reasons to why you know what type of document it is.

Media There are five different types of media. Someone who is media literate is able to “read” all types of media messages Media messages influence your life in many ways.

Different types…. Feature Films News Media TV shows Motion pictures that tell stories. News Media Reports of recent events in newspapers, magazines, on the TV, and the Web. TV shows Dramas, sitcoms, and other programs broadcast on television.

Advertising Paid promotion of products, services, and ideas using print and broadcast media. Website Collections of “pages” on the World Wide Web.