Literary Genres

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Literary Genres
Jane Hooper Grade 3
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Standard Course of Study Objectives
English Language Arts 2.01 Interact with the
test before, during, and after reading,
listening, or viewing 2.05 Draw conclusions,
make generalizations, and gather support by
referencing the text 3.01 Respond to fiction,
nonfiction, poetry, and drama using
interpretive, critical, and evaluative processes
Computer/Technology Skills 3.04 Identify,
discuss, and use multimedia to present ideas/
concepts/ information in a variety of ways
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Essential Question
How do I identify a genre by its characteristics?

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What is a literary genre?

• A genre is a particular style or type of writing.

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Major Genres

• Fiction
• Writing that tells about imaginary people and
  events

• Non-Fiction
• Writing that tells about real people and events

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Poetry

• lines of poetry (verses) are written in stanzas

• may include patterns of rhyme to capture the
  readers interest

• uses carefully selected words and phrases to
  create vivid pictures in the readers mind

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Drama

• a cast of characters
• a narrator who gives
  important information
• parts called acts or scenes
• props to help support action
• dialogue that tells what the actors say
• stage directions in italics

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Realistic Fiction

• The setting is realistic
• The characters speak and act like real people
• The story describes real-life problems and events

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Fable

• Characters are simpler than real people - they
  may be completely greedy, completely wicked , or
  very gentle

• Actions are repeated over and over

• Some fables teach a lesson about what is
  important in life, such as fairness, kindness,
  or cleverness

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Folk Tale

• Told in many different versions by many different
  people
• Original storyteller is unknown
• Characters are animals that act and speak like
  people
• Repetition
• Use of the number three

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Tall Tale

• Extraordinary person - the main character is
  better at things than an ordinary person
• Exaggeration makes something greater or bigger
  than it really could be
• Explanation explains how something came to be

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Myth / Legend

• A kind of fantasy
• A very old story handed down by word of mouth
• Explains something about nature or answers
  questions about the meaning of life or what is
  good or evil

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Fairy Tales

• Often begin with Once upon a time or Long, long
  ago

Include a good character and a bad (evil)
character
Include magic or something enchanted
Involves a problem that is solved and the good
people live happily ever after
Setting is a forest or a castle
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Biography

• Nonfiction
• Story about a real persons life that is written
  by another person
• Can cover a persons whole life, part of a
  persons life, or a single incident
• A true account of a persons life based on facts
  collected by the author
• Written from the third person point of view (he
  or she)

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References

• www.images.google.com
• www.microsoftoffice.com
• Scott Foresman Reading grade 3