Depending on text structure, there are certain elements that we need to discuss with students as well as question stems that will help guide comprehension.
Realistic fiction
Identify and discuss:
- Characters -- main and secondary
- Main character's problem/conflict
- Rising tension
- Sequence of events
- Change in the story
- Solution/resolution
- Setting
- Conclusion
- Author's purpose -- to entertain and to convey a message
- Which character trait would you use to describe the character?
- Why did the author put this minor character in the story?
- The author says this about the character. What is she really saying?
- This happened because...
- Why did this happen?
- Can you name the detail that talks about how the character solves the problem?
- Draw a conclusion about why the author said...
- Which is a fact about the character's problem?
- Which is an opinion about what his character is doing?
- What is the same about these two characters?
- The author said _________ why did he say it or what does he mean?
- What is this mostly about?
Historical fiction
Identify and discuss:
Predictable Questions:
- Characters -- main and secondary
- The historical events that we learn about this (and that are relevant to the story)
- That characters may represent the historical period or not
- That the setting takes on a historical context
- Things you learn about the time period
- Main character's problem/conflict
- Rising tension
- Sequence of events
- Change in the story
- Solution/resolution
- Setting
- Conclusion
- Author's purpose -- to entertain and inform
Predictable Questions:
- How would you describe the character?
- Why do you think the character did what he did?
- This happened because ___________.
- Why did the author tell us this about the setting?
- What is the problem?
- Why is that a problem?
- Which part of this could be true?
- The author uses this word to mean _________?
- Who's talking in the story?
- Whose point of view is this story written in?
- Draw a conclusion about what happened at the end of the story.
- What is this mostly about?
FOLKTALES/Allegory
Identify and discuss:
Predictable Questions:
- Characters -- main and secondary
- Main character's problem/conflict
- Rising tension
- Sequence of events
- Change in the story
- Solution/resolution
- Setting
- Conclusion
- That these are stories from the past and may represent different cities, countries, and cultures
- the lesson/moral of the tale
- that the characters may be animals
- Author's purpose --- to teach a lesson/moral
Predictable Questions:
- What's _____ main problem in the passage?
- What's the problem?
- Why did the problem occur?
- This problem happened because ________.
- Which detail is not important to the plot of this passage?
- Which words from the passage have almost the same meaning?
- The author wrote _________ to ________.
- With which statement would the author most likely agree?
- Which sentence best tells the theme of the passage?
- What moral does this passage teach you?
NARRATIVE non-FICTIOn
Identify and discuss:
Predictable Questions:
- Characters -- main and secondary
- The historical events that we learn about this (and that are relevant to the story)
- That characters may represent the historical period or not
- That the setting takes on a historical context
- Things you learn about the time period
- Main character's problem/conflict
- Rising tension
- Sequence of events
- Change in the story
- Solution/resolution
- Setting
- Conclusion
- That this is a story but is about a real person, subject or situation.
- Person's struggles, motivations, and achievements
- Information about the world/time period/ subject that is taught through the narrative
- Author's purpose -- to inform
Predictable Questions:
- Which trait would you use to describe the person in the text?
- Which is a fact about the person's problem?
- Can you name the detail that talks about how the person solves the problem?
- What motivated the person to do what he did?
- Why did the author put this minor person in the story?
- The author says this about the person. What is she really saying?
- What happened right after _________?
- This happened because ....
- Why did this happen?
- This person achieved ______.
- What is the same about these two people?
- The author said _____ why did he say it or what does he mean?
- The story gives us information about ______.
- What is this mostly about?
- Draw a conclusion about why the author said_____ at the end.
drama
Identify and discuss:
-
- Characters -- main and secondary
- The historical events that we learn about this (and that are relevant to the story)
- That characters may represent the historical period or not
- That the setting takes on a historical context
- Things you learn about the time period
- Main character's problem/conflict
- Rising tension
- Sequence of events
- Change in the story
- Solution/resolution
- Setting
- Conclusion
- The author's use of scenes
- The narrator's role
- That plays have characters, setting, dialogue, narrators, stage direction, and props
- How do _____ dialogue and stage directions give an actor ideas about playing the character?
- The stage direction that suggests that _____ should speak the dialogue that follow is ____.
- Which of these is an example of words spoken by narrator 2?
- After this scene the audience is supposed to predict that ________.
- Lines that describe the scene and setting could be _______.
- Which is an example of a prop that was used?
- Which choice best describes the play from which the scene was taken?
- The play can best be described as a _____.
Biography
Identify and discuss:
- That this is a story but is about a real person, subject or situation.
- Person's struggles, motivations, and achievements
- Information about the world/time period/ subject that is taught through the narrative
- Why the person became great
- That the perspective is that of another person rather than the subject of the biography
- Text boxes and picture support to locate information
- Discussion in conclusion of accomplishments
- Author's purpose ---- to inform
- Which trait would you use to describe the person in the text?
- Why did the author put _____ in the biography?
- Can you name the detail that talks about how the person solves his problem?
- Which is a fact about the person's problem?
- What motivated the person to do what he did?
- What is the same about these two people?
- Which is an opinion about what this person accomplished?
- This person achieved ____.
- This happened because _____.
- Why did this happen?
- Draw a conclusion about why the author said ____.
- This biography gives us information about _____
- What happened right after _____?
- The author said _______. Why did he say it or what does he mean?
- What is this mostly about?
- Who is writing the biography?
- Who is talking?
- Draw a conclusion about _____.
autobiography
Identify and discuss:
- That this is a story but is about a real person, subject or situation.
- Person's struggles, motivations, and achievements
- Information about the world/time period/ subject that is taught through the narrative
- Author's purpose -- to inform
- Why the person became great
- About and written by the same person
- Text boxes and picture support to locate information
- Discussion in conclusion of accomplishments
- Which trait would you use to describe the person in the text?
- Why did the author put _____ in the biography?
- Can you name the detail that talks about how the person solves his problem?
- Which is a fact about the person's problem?
- What motivated the person to do what he did?
- What is the same about these two people?
- Which is an opinion about what this person accomplished?
- This person achieved ____.
- This happened because _____.
- Why did this happen?
- Draw a conclusion about why the author said ____.
- This biography gives us information about _____
- What happened right after _____?
- The author said _______. Why did he say it or what does he mean?
- What is this mostly about?
- Who is talking?
- Draw a conclusion about _____.
Informational
Identify and discuss:
- How to, All about, Question and Answer, Advertisements, List, Letter, Reports
- That this type of text provides information pertaining to a main idea and details to support that main idea
- Titles, questions, and captions support the main idea
- Text boxes and picture support to locate information.
- New information, misleading pictures, captions, text messages
- Who is this report written for?
- Who is writing the letter and why?
- What is the purpose of the letter?
- What structure is the letter written in?
- Who is interviewing you?
- What happened after _____?
- What happened before _____?
- Which is a fact?
- This word means ______.
- Which detail supports what we are talking about?
- Why did ____ change after ____?
- What is the purpose of the illustration ____?
- Which detail tells us ____?
- What are two reasons _____ uses to support her argument?
- What is ____ trying to _____?
- The author wrote this story to _____?
- What do the questions that are being asked tell us about the main purpose of the interview?
- Why is the author giving us this information?
- What is this mostly about?
- What is another title for this story?
- What is the main idea?
- Which detail best supports the main idea?
Poetry
Identify and discuss:
- That a poem may tell a story
- That a poem may provide information
- That a poem may draw a picture
- Figurative Language
- Stanzas
- White space
- Repeating language
- Theme
- Rhyme
- Alliteration, and the use of literary devices such as idioms, personification, similes, and metaphors
- Why does the character do something or not?
- How does ___ feel at the beginning of the poem?
- How does ____ feel at the end of the poem?
- The speaker sees the main character in the poem as _____.
- What would ____ do next?
- Which stanza could not really happen? What does it mean instead?
- What do these lines most likely mean?
- Which line best describes how _____ expresses _____?
- How would _____ most likely respond to these lines?
- What point of view do _____ and ____ share?
- There is alliteration in lines _____.
- Which of these words from the poem imitate a ______?
- The author is telling you ______ about the characters of the poem.
- Which element of poetry is found in these stanzas?
- What feeling is the speaker expressing in the poem?
- The statement ____ means ______.
- What is the rhyme scheme in the first stanza?
- The tone of the poem is ______.
- The _____ symbolizes ______.
- How does the speaker feel about ______?
- Who is speaking in the poem?