Thinking Through Genre

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Thinking Through Genre

• Explicit Teaching for Non-Fiction and Fiction
  Texts

Presented by Becky Koesel l
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GENRE
adapted from Guiding Readers and Writers Grades
3-6 by Fountas and Pinnell
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Plot Introduction Specific things we want
readers to notice about the introduction include
who is introduced in the beginning how the story
is being told (whos the narrator) and what the
setting is during the opening of this story.
Characters It is important for readers to
notice which characters are introduced to them
in the introduction including the main character.
Readers need to be able to distinguish between
the main and minor characters and their
contribution to a story. After a text has been
read, it is important for readers to reflect on
characters to notice how they have grown
throughout a story. Understanding the point of
view is also another aspect to help readers
clarify who is who in a story. (A word of
caution just because a characters name is in
the title does not mean they are the main
character. This can be confusing for readers
be sure to clearly state this.) Setting Time
and Place Readers need to be able to identify
the setting as it opens in a text and be able
notice shifts and changes in the setting as they
continue reading. Reflection of the setting
after the reading of a text is also critical to
provide opportunities for conversations about
the importance of setting to the story.
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Thinking Critically About Characters

• Does the characterstalk match their actions?
• Does the characters internal thinking match the
  external actions?
• Whats unique about this character?
• How do the side characters mirror or contrast the
  main character?
• How does the antagonist bring out the
  strengths or weaknesses of the main character?

• What is the defining choice the character
  encounters? The pivotal moment? How does this
  tell you something about the character and the
  characters relationships?
• How is the character active or passive?

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A Character Over Time
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Character Evaluation
Book________________________________ Character____
_________________________
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Plot Introduction Continued - Problem or
Focal Event (Moment in Time) Most stories have
the main character dealing with some type of
problem. The problem can stem from something
that the character desperately wants, critical
issues in their life or could reflect character
flaws. Other stories like Jane Yolens Owl Moon
reflect more of a focused moment. While stories
with problems can build strong tension, a
moment in time can feel more relaxed. Both,
however, have plot that moves through rising
action and comes to a conclusion at the end.
The introduction of the problem is where the
author transitions from the introduction of a
story into the rising action. Readers should
reflect upon the problem or focused event when
considering the resolution of the story. There
is a direct tie between problem resolution. In
the beginning of our instruction with plot
structure, we will have readers read the text
and then go back to consider the plot.
Eventually we hope they carry the understanding
of plot with them as they enter texts. We want
them to expect an issue or focused event and
actively look for and confirm their thinking
during their reading (to develop a theory for the
problem). This then impacts their interactive
voice while reading. Reciting voice,
interacting voice and distracting voice Chris
Tovani I Read It But I Dont Get It
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Plot (continued) Rising Action The major events
that move the story forward are called the rising
action. This is the part of the story in which
tension is built. 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. Understanding problem
and resolution help a reader determine
importance of these events. They should consider
how much the event impacted the overall outcome
of the story. Climax or Turning Point The
moment in a play, novel, or short story at which
the crisis reaches its point of greatest
intensity is known as the climax or turning
point. One way to possibly think of this is to
consider the last major piece of rising action.
Resolution Commonly called the solution,
although the definition is really a bit deeper
than the characters problem being solved or
going away. The problem is directly tied to the
problem or focused event of a story. When we as
readers can understand this element of plot on a
deeper level, we begin to get a strong sense of
the authors 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.
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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.
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Texts to Consider for Plot

• Focal Event
• Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
• My Fathers Hands by Joanne Ryder
• My Mothers Voice by Joanne Ryder
• Canoe Day by Gary Paulsen
• Dog Team by Gary Paulsen
• The Goodbye Walk by Joanne Ryder
• Come On Rain by Karen Hesse
• My Mama Had a Dancing Heart by Libba Moore Gray
• Just Us Women byJeannette Caines
• Quinnie Blue by Dinah Johnson
• Salt Hands by Jane Aragon
• Night Shift Daddy Eileen Spinelli
• Those Summers by Aliki
• Playing Marbles by Julie Brinkloe
• The Listening Walk by Paul Showers
• Night Tree by Eve Bunting
• Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe

• Problem
• My Rotten Red Headed Older Brother by Patricia
  Polacco
• Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes
• Oliver Button is a Sissy by Tomie DePaola
• An Angel for Soloman Singer by Cynthia Rylant
• The Old Lady Who Named Things by Cynthia Rylant
• Tight Times by Barbara Shook Hazen
• The Memory String by Eve Bunting
• Fishing Sunday by Tony Johnston
• A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
• Tea With Milk by Allen Say
• Irritating Irma by Robin Klein (found in The
  Kingfisher Treasury of Dragon Stories by Margaret
  Clark)
• Dog Breath by Dav Pilkey
• Julius the Baby of the World by Kevin Henkes
• Darcy and Gran Dont Like Babies by Jane Cutler

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Other Aspects of Critical Analysis of Story

• How is this text different from other books that
  address this issue?
• Whats at stake in this text?
• Whats fair or unfair about
• Power/Control (physical, knowledge, group
• power, wealth, belonging, status, leadership
• etc)
• How does this (image, character, dialogue,
  place) reveal what I care about?

• What does this story really say about life? About
  the world?
• Whos voice is not heard in this text?
• How does this text shape my thinking about the
  kind of person I want to be?

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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
rememberthis is what has transitioned with the
problem) Conclusion (remember this is the last
physical thing you visually available at the end
of the text)
Characters
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Setting
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