Genre Codes
Code
RF
Genre
Realistic Fiction
Genre Codes
Code
RF
a made up story that could really
happen in today’s world
HF
Historical Fiction
Traditional Literature
HF
Biography
TL
Autobiography
B
Informational
AB
Use blanks to create other genre codes, as needed
Poetry
I
Drama
P
Persuasive
a written argument that tries to
convince the reader to think a
certain way or take action
Poetry
a piece of writing in which words
and their sounds are used to show
images and express feelings and
ideas
D
a story that is meant to be
performed for an audience
Per
Informational
gives facts about real people,
places, things, or events
a piece of writing in which words
and their sounds are used to show
images and express feelings and
ideas
D
Autobiography
a true story of a real person’s life,
written by that person
gives facts about real people,
places, things, or events
P
Biography
a true story of a real person’s life,
written by another person
a true story of a real person’s life,
written by that person
I
Traditional Literature
short, made up stories that could
have been retold over and over for
many years
a true story of a real person’s life,
written by another person
AB
Historical Fiction
a made up story that could have
happened in a real time and place
in the past
short, made up stories that could
have been retold over and over for
many years
B
Realistic Fiction
a made up story that could really
happen in today’s world
a made up story that could have
happened in a real time and place
in the past
TL
Genre
Drama
a story that is meant to be
performed for an audience
Per
Persuasive
a written argument that tries to
convince the reader to think a
certain way or take action
Reading is Thinking
Making Good Book Choices
Easy





fun to read
relaxing
favorite picture book
effortless
You can read “Easy”
books easily and
understand them well.
Just-Right
 Understand well and
enjoy
 read smoothly and only
a few places where you
need to slow down to
figure out a word or
think more about the
meaning
 these are the books that
help you become a better
reader each time you
read
 You should read “JustRight” books most of the
time.
Challenging
 difficult to read
 have trouble with many
of the words and don’t
understand most of
what you are reading
 too difficult for you to
enjoy right now
 There are times when
you would choose a
challenging book, such
as when you needed to
find some facts on a
particular topic, but
most of the time, you
would save Challenging
books until they are
“Just Right”
Reading is Thinking
This book reminds me of…
I predict….
I wonder….
This part confuses me…
The character reminds me….
Why did/does…..
I think that…..
I notice that the author….
How to Turn and Talk Effectively
1. Turn and face your partner or group.
2. One person talks at a time.
3. The listeners look at the speaker.
4. Members listen to understand what the
speaker is saying.
5. Members should respond to the speaker’s
thinking by…
I agree! I also think….
What do you think this means?
Hmmm…Maybe you’re right, but I was thinking….because….
What do you mean?
Can you tell me more about that?
I’m wondering…What do you think?
6. The next speaker takes a turn and members
respond until everyone has shared their
thinking.
Realistic Fiction- A made up story that could really happen in
today’s world
Noticings
Author’s Purpose: to entertain
Characters: are like real people;
readers learn about characters
and their relationships through
author’s descriptions. Pay
attention to what characters
think, say, and do
Setting: based on a real place
Plot: a series of events that occur
as characters try to solve the
problem/conflict and reach a
resolution
Point of View: narrator or
speaker of story
Theme: the story’s message to
the reader, often determined
through what characters in the
story learn.
Book Examples
Realistic Fiction- A made up story that could really happen in
today’s world
Noticings
Author’s Purpose: to entertain
Characters: are like real people;
readers learn about characters
and their relationships through
author’s descriptions. Pay
attention to what characters
think, say, and do
Setting: based on a real place
Plot: a series of events that occur
as characters try to solve the
problem/conflict and reach a
resolution
Book Examples
Author’s Purpose: from How Tia Lola Came to
Stay- to entertain the reader with a story about a
boy who learned how to make others happy.
Characters: from How Tia Lola Came to Stay
Miguel, the main character
Tia Lola, Miguel’s aunt
Juanita, Miguel’s sister
Miguel’s Mother
Setting: from Me and Uncle Romie This story
takes place in New York City at a train station,
apartment, and on a train.
Plot: from How Tia Lola Came to Stay
Problem Miguel wasn’t sure how he felt about
having his Tia Lola living with them.


Tia Lola was feeling bad and Miguel had a
“Great Idea.”
Miguel created a surprise message in the
snow to cheer up Tia Lola
Resolution: Tia Lola loved the surprise and
became very happy.
Point of View: narrator or
speaker of story
Theme: the story’s message to
the reader, often determined
through what characters in the
story learn.
Point of View: from Moon Runner The narrator is
an outside person, not a character in the story
Theme: from How Tia Lola Came to Stay Miguel
learned to put other people’s feelings above
himself and making others happy leads to
happiness within yourself.
Guidelines for Reading Workshop
1. You must always be reading a book or
writing your thoughts about your reading.
2. You need to work silently to enable you
and your peers to do your best thinking.
3. Use a soft voice when conferring with a
teacher.
4. Select books you think you’ll enjoy and
abandon books that aren’t working for you
after you’ve given them a good chance.
5. List the book information using your
Record of Reading.
6. ALWAYS do your best work.
Guidelines for Reading Workshop
1. You must always be reading a book or writing your thoughts about your reading.
2. You need to work silently to enable you and your peers to do your best thinking.
3. Use a soft voice when conferring with a teacher.
4. Select books you think you’ll enjoy and abandon books that aren’t working for you
after you’ve given them a good chance.
5. List the book information using your Record of Reading.
6. ALWAYS do your best work.
Guidelines for Reading Workshop
1. You must always be reading a book or writing your thoughts about your reading.
2. You need to work silently to enable you and your peers to do your best thinking.
3. Use a soft voice when conferring with a teacher.
4. Select books you think you’ll enjoy and abandon books that aren’t working for you
after you’ve given them a good chance.
5. List the book information using your Record of Reading.
6. ALWAYS do your best work.
Plot Line
Title:_________________________
Climax-Turning Point
Resolution-Reasonable
Ending
Problem/Conflict
Introduction to Characters and Setting:
Problem/Conflict: Starts the Action; Problem the main character faces
Rising Action: Sequence of Events



Climax: Turning Point of the Story
Falling Action: Event(s) that Lead to Resolution

Resolution: Solves the character’s conflict; Reasonable Ending-the
character is going to be okay; Not always happy ending
Plot Line
Title:_________________________
How Events Influence Future Events
Title:_________________________
Climax-Turning Point
Resolution-Reasonable
Ending
Problem/Conflict
Influencing Future Events = author’s create events in the plot
that push the character forward to resolving the conflict
Some examples could be:
- conversation between characters
- character actions
Mom and Miguel had a conversation
in the kitchen about Tia Lola.
Miguel had a “Great Idea” about
how to make Tia Lola feel welcome
which is the turning point, or climax
of the story.
Ask yourself, “How does this event push the plot forward.
What event does it cause to happen?”
Summarizing Fiction
A summary is the retelling in your own words, or paraphrasing, of
the most important parts.
The most important parts in fiction:
Conflict
Most Important Event(s) that move the Character
from the Conflict to the Resolution
Summary:
Resolution
Bridging
4.6A & 4.6/Fig. 19E
Why is it important to the story that
_______________________________ ?
(fill in the blank with the event that leads to the conflict in the plot
or the event that leads to the resolution)
What effect does _________________have
on the story?
(fill in the blank with the event that leads to the conflict in the plot
or the event that leads to the resolution)
The problem in the story is solved when________’s main conflict is resolved when(fill in the blank with the main character)
What is paragraph __ mostly aboutWhat is the best summary of the story?
Inference = an idea that the author does not state
Text Evidence
Background
Knowledge
(Schema)
+
+
+
Inference
=
I know that when I moved to a
new school, I just wanted to fit in
and not stand out as different.
Tia Lola is different.
I know that when I create a
surprise for someone it is because
I care for them and I am glad
they are in my life.
=
=
Miguel is
embarrassed by Tia
Lola and doesn’t
want her there.
Miguel is happy that
Tia Lola has come to
live with them.
Write each of these on a separate sticky note to use in your lesson.
Inference = an idea that the author does not state
Text Evidence
pg. 204-“Today we’re going to Harlem,”
she said. It’s where Uncle Romie lived
as a boy…We bought peaches at the
market, then stopped to visit awhile. I
watched some kids playing stickball.
“Go on, get in that game, “Aunt
Nanette said, g3ently pushing me over
to join them…I felt like I was on top of
the world.
Background Knowledge
(Schema)
Inference
+
=
+
=
+
=
James has more in common with
Uncle Romie than he originally
thought. James admires Uncle
Romie and his art.
Understanding Characters
Details such as what characters think, say, and do are clues that the
reader can use to figure out the reason characters act the way they do.
Character: Mina from Moon Runner
Character’s
Thoughts,
Actions, or
Words
Based on the Characters Thoughts, Actions, or Words what can you infer…
Inference
Understanding Characters
Details such as what characters think, say, and do are clues that the
reader can use to figure out the reason characters act the way they do.
Character: Mina from Moon Runner
Character’s
Thoughts,
Actions, or
Words
Based on the Characters Thoughts, Actions, or Words what can you infer…
Inference Mina is feeling nervous
Mina is feeling nervous
Mina is feeling confident
about talking to Ruth
about racing Ruth.
and secure.
about their friendship.
Understanding Characters
Details such as what characters think, say, and do are clues that the reader can use to
figure out the reason characters act the way they do.
Character: James from Me and Uncle Romie
Character’s
Thoughts,
Actions, or
Words
pg. 203-204-“Your uncle’s working very
hard, so we won’t see much of him for a
while…Today we’re going to Harlem,”
she said. It’s where Uncle Romie lived as
a boy…We bought peaches at the market,
then stopped to visit awhile. I watched
some kids playing stickball. “Go on, get
in that game, “Aunt Nanette said,
g3ently pushing me over to join them…I
felt like I was on top of the world.
pg. 206-My uncle Romie stayed hidden
away in his studio. But I wasn’t worried
anymore. Aunt Nanette would make my
birthday special…then Aunt Nanette got
a phone call. “An old aunt has died,
James. I have to go away for her funeral.
But don’t you worry. Uncle Romie will
spend your birthday with you. It’ll be
just fine….I knew it would not be fine at
all. Uncle Romie didn’t know about
cakes or baseball games or anything
except his dumb old paintings. My
birthday was ruined.
pgs. 207-208-We laughed together, then
walked to the kitchen for a breakfast
feast-eggs, bacon, grits, and biscuits.
“James, you’ve got me remembering the
pepper jelly lady. People used to line up
down the block to buy her preserves.”
Could you put someone like that in one of
your paintings?” I asked. “I guess I
could.” Uncle Romie nodded. “Yes,
that’s a memory just right for sharing.
What a good idea, James.
Based on the Characters Thoughts, Actions, or Words what can you infer…
Inference
Understanding How the Characters Change Throughout the Story
Readers notice how characters in a story change and why.
Character: Mina
Event
Beginning (Conflict)
Middle
End (Resolution)
Character’s
Thoughts,
Actions, or
Words
Based on the Characters Thoughts, Actions, or Words what can you infer…
Inference Mina is feeling nervous
Mina is feeling nervous
Mina is feeling confident
about talking to Ruth
about racing Ruth.
and secure.
about their friendship.
How did Mina change throughout this story?
What caused her to change?
Understanding How the Characters Change Throughout the Story
Readers notice how characters in a story change and why.
Character: James
Event
Character’s
Thoughts, Actions,
or Words
Beginning (Conflict)
Middle
pg. 203-204-“Your uncle’s working very hard, so
we won’t see much of him for a while…Today
we’re going to Harlem,” she said. It’s where
Uncle Romie lived as a boy…We bought peaches
at the market, then stopped to visit awhile. I
watched some kids playing stickball. “Go on, get
in that game, “Aunt Nanette said, g3ently
pushing me over to join them…I felt like I was on
top of the world.
pg. 206-My uncle Romie stayed hidden away in
his studio. But I wasn’t worried anymore. Aunt
Nanette would make my birthday special…then
Aunt Nanette got a phone call. “An old aunt has
died, James. I have to go away for her funeral.
But don’t you worry. Uncle Romie will spend
your birthday with you. It’ll be just fine….I
knew it would not be fine at all. Uncle Romie
didn’t know about cakes or baseball games or
anything except his dumb old paintings. My
birthday was ruined.
End (Resolution)
pgs. 207-208-We laughed together, then walked
to the kitchen for a breakfast feast-eggs, bacon,
grits, and biscuits. “James, you’ve got me
remembering the pepper jelly lady. People used
to line up down the block to buy her preserves.”
Could you put someone like that in one of your
paintings?” I asked. “I guess I could.” Uncle
Romie nodded. “Yes, that’s a memory just right
for sharing. What a good idea, James.
Based on the Characters Thoughts, Actions, or Words what can you infer…
Inference
How did James change throughout this story?
What caused him to change?
Character Relationships-how characters
influence one another based on what they do and how they feel
Who are the main characters?
Describe their relationship. (What is their relationship like?)
Use the text to show how you know.
Bridging
4.6B & 4.6/Fig. 19E
Read this sentence from the text.
Sentence from the text showing a character’s thoughts or words
What is ________ most likely thinking at this point in the story?
(fill in the blank with the character)
Why does ____________?
(fill in the blank with a character and an action)
Which sentence from the story shows that_____ is/wants
_______?
(fill in the blank with a character and a feeling or desire)
The ______________ shows that _________ is(fill in the blank with the an event and a character)
___________’s actions suggest that he/sheThe reason ______________ is most likely because he/she ?
(fill in the blank with the a character and an event)
The reader can infer from these sentences that _________(fill in the blank with a character)
Which sentence shows how ________ feels when ____________?
(fill in the blank with the an event and a character)
Write this sample response in your Teacher’s Reading Notebook.
September 22, 2014
The first thing I thought about when I read The Keeping Quilt is what
it was like for immigrants who come to the U.S. for the first time. Patricia
Polacco’s great-grandparents came from Russia. They faced many changes.
There were other people from different countries and a new language. I
think about how we are all here now but that we or our ancestors came as
immigrants from other countries. We are different in a lot of ways but also
have things in common, like our classroom community of learners.
Another thing I noticed as I read was how the author creates pictures
in the readers’ minds. I like how she uses details to make scenes clear for
the readers. For example, Polacco writes about cut out animals and
flowers from the scraps of clothing while the quilt was being made.
I enjoyed this book because I really like books about families!
Different Ways to Respond
 What the book is about
 How the book reminds you of another book
 How the book makes you feel
 How the author describes things
 Whether you like the book or not and why
 Why you think the author wrote the book
 Why you chose the book
 How you feel about the author’s writing
 Whether or not you would recommend the book to another reader
 Why you abandoned a book
 What you predict will happen
 What you would change about the book
 Examples of stereotype or bias
 What you found interesting
 What you are wondering about
 Whether the book is easy, just right, or challenging and how you can tell
 About the genre
 What you think is the author’s message
 What books you look forward to reading
 What you don’t understand or questions you have
 How you feel about a character
 What you notice about the author’s style/language
 Something about the author and what it has to do with the story
 What was funny to you
 What you like/dislike about the setting
 How the setting affects the characters
 About good word choice/special language
 What you think about the author’s lead
 How the author captured your interest
Different Ways to Respond
Different Ways to Respond

What the book is about

What the book is about

How the book reminds you of another

How the book reminds you of another
book
book

How the book makes you feel

How the book makes you feel

How the author describes things

How the author describes things

Whether you like the book or not and why

Whether you like the book or not and why

Why you think the author wrote the book

Why you think the author wrote the book

Why you chose the book

Why you chose the book

How you feel about the author’s writing

How you feel about the author’s writing

Whether or not you would recommend the

Whether or not you would recommend the
book to another reader
book to another reader

Why you abandoned a book

Why you abandoned a book

What you predict will happen

What you predict will happen

What you would change about the book

What you would change about the book

Examples of stereotype or bias

Examples of stereotype or bias

What you found interesting

What you found interesting

What you are wondering about

What you are wondering about

Whether the book is easy, just right, or

Whether the book is easy, just right, or
challenging and how you can tell
challenging and how you can tell

About the genre

About the genre

What you think is the author’s message

What you think is the author’s message

What books you look forward to reading

What books you look forward to reading

What you don’t understand or questions

What you don’t understand or questions
you have
you have

How you feel about a character

How you feel about a character

What you notice about the author’s

What you notice about the author’s
style/language

Something about the author and what it
style/language

has to do with the story
Something about the author and what it
has to do with the story

What was funny to you

What was funny to you

What you like/dislike about the setting

What you like/dislike about the setting

How the setting affects the characters

How the setting affects the characters

About good word choice/special language

About good word choice/special language

What you think about the author’s lead

What you think about the author’s lead

How the author captured your interest

How the author captured your interest
How to Be Sure You Understand
What You Read
Readers notice when something doesn’t make sense.
They have different ways to solve the problem.
 Readers stop and think about what they know.
 Readers go back and reread the sentence or the
paragraph to clarify the author’s meaning.
 Readers continue reading and look for more
information.
 Readers ask for help with understanding.
Historical Fiction- A made up story that could have happened in a
real time and place in the past
Noticings
Author’s Purpose: to entertain
the reader with a story set in the
past
Characters: are realistic or real
people from the past that the
author uses to tell the story
Setting: is IMPORTANT to the
story and shows something about
a period or place in history
Plot: could contain an author’s
imagined details about real events
Point of View: narrator or
speaker of story
Theme: the author’s message to
the reader, may center around an
important issue during the time in
which the story takes place
Book Example
Solving Unknown Words
 Readers look at the letters and letter
clusters and think about their sounds.
 Readers look at the parts of words.
 Readers use what they know about other
words to figure out new words.
 Readers think about what would make
sense and then check with the letters.
Plot Line
Title:_________________________
Climax-Turning Point
Resolution-Reasonable
Ending
Problem/Conflict
Introduction to Characters and Setting:
Problem/Conflict: Starts the Action; Problem the main character faces
Rising Action: Sequence of Events



Climax: Turning Point of the Story
Falling Action: Event(s) that Lead to Resolution

Resolution: Solves the character’s conflict; Reasonable Ending-the
character is going to be okay; Not always happy ending
Plot Line
Title:_________________________
Summarizing Fiction
A summary is the retelling in your own words, or paraphrasing, of the
most important parts.
The most important parts in fiction:
In Historical Fiction, the setting is an important part of the story
because it is a real time and place in the past and should be mentioned
in the summary.
Conflict
Most Important Event(s) that move the Character
from the Conflict to the Resolution
Summary:
Resolution
Point of View
Ask yourself:
 Who is telling the story (narrator)?
 Is the narrator…
a character in the story?
OR
an outside observer?
1st Person Point of View-
3rd Person Point of View-
the narrator will use key words
such as I. me, we, and us
Like in the stories:
the narrator will refer to characters
in the story by their names….key
words he, she, and they


Like in the stories:


Understanding Theme
Theme =the implied message, moral, or lesson in the story
The author uses the character’s lesson to teach us something about life
Text
Lesson Learned
Personal Connection
Theme
Me and Uncle Romie
James learned that it takes time to
get to know someone, and you
should not judge someone until you
get to know them.
Friendship, Acceptance, and Family
Taking the time to get to know
someone can lead to lifelong
friendships.
Moon Runner
Mina learned to always do her best
and a true friend is your friend no
matter what .
How Tia Lola Came to
Stay
Miguel learns to accept Tia Lola for
who she is and help her feel welcome.
I remember when we had a new
neighbor. He was older, and I was
afraid of him. After I got to know
him, I realized he was not scary and
could tell really interesting stories.
When I was in junior high, I was in
a golf tournament with my best
friend. We went into the last day of
the tournament tied. I was a little
nervous to beat her, but I played my
best and won the tournament. We
were still friends.
I remember when a new girl moved
into town when I was in elementary
school. I did not like her at first, but
my mom kept encouraging me to
get to know her. Eventually, we
became friends.
Friendship and Never Give Up
True friends want you to do your
best and never give up.
Family, Kindness, and Acceptance
Showing kindness to others helps
them feel accepted.
Understanding Theme
Theme =the implied message, moral, or lesson in the story
The author uses the character’s lesson to teach us something about life
Text
Me and Uncle Romie
Moon Runner
How Tia Lola Came to
Stay
Lesson Learned
Personal Connection
Theme
Theme in Historical Fiction
Theme =the implied message, moral, or lesson in the story
 The theme may center around an important issue during the
time in which the story takes place.
 The author uses the character’s lesson and/ or the historical
event to teach us something about life
Text
Lesson Learned Setting or
Theme
Historical Event
Cheyenne Again
Young Bull learned how to have the
courage to stay and hold on to his
memories.
The Earth Dragon
Awakes
Riding Freedom
Set in a time when Native
American children were forced to
attend schools away from their
families.
Courage
It takes courage to make the best out
of a bad situation.
Theme in Historical Fiction
Theme =the implied message, moral, or lesson in the story
 The theme may center around an important issue during the
time in which the story takes place.
 The author uses the character’s lesson and/ or the historical
event to teach us something about life
Text
Cheyenne Again
The Earth Dragon
Awakes
Riding Freedom
Lesson Learned Setting or
Theme
Historical Event
Bridging
4.6C, 4.3A, & 4.3/Fig. 19D
The reader can tell that this story is written
in ___ person point of view because(fill in the blank with either 1st or 3rd)
What is the message of this story?
The lesson does _______ learn from
_________?
(fill in each blank with a character)
What lesson does ________ learn in the
story?
(fill in the blank with a character)
Character Roles
Authors create characters with specific roles in
the plot, such as mother, father, friend, enemy,
partner, brother, sister, etc. The character’s
role plays an important part in one of the main
parts of the plot: conflict, climax, or resolution.
Character
Role
Explain their Role in
the Plot
How would the plot change if the kind teacher were not in the story?
Character Roles
Authors create characters with specific roles in
the plot, such as mother, father, friend, enemy,
partner, brother, sister, etc. The character’s
role plays an important part in one of the main
parts of the plot: conflict, climax, or resolution.
Character
Role
Explain their Role in
the Plot
How would the plot change if Ruth were not in the story?
Sensory Language- language the author uses to create images by
appealing to the reader’s senses
Imagery-one type of sensory language the author uses to create
a visual or mental picture.
Text
Sensory Language
Illustration
(example from the text)
(what you visualize
based on the author’s
words)
The author uses
the description of
______ to show-
The Earth
Dragon Awakes
pg. 306- Beneath them, unseen timbers crack
like sticks.
I can see the wood used to build the
apartment breaking easily. (you can
draw this or describe it with your
own words)
The author uses the description of
the timbers cracking like sticks to
show how easily the earthquake is
destroying the building.
The Earth
Dragon Awakes
pg. 307- Broken glass sprays like little
daggers.
I can see small, sharp pieces of glass
flying through the air. (you can
draw this or describe it with your
own words)
The author uses the description of
the glass flying through the air to
show how dangerous the
destruction of the earthquake was.
The Earth
Dragon Awakes
pg. 307- He sees cracks. They spread like a
crazy spider web around all the walls. The
walls crumble like paper.
Sensory Language- language the author uses to create images by appealing to
the reader’s senses
Imagery-one type of sensory language the author uses to create a visual or
mental picture.
Text
Sensory
Language
(example from the text)
The Earth
Dragon
Awakes
pg. 306- Beneath them, unseen
timbers crack like sticks.
The Earth
Dragon
Awakes
pg. 307- Broken glass sprays like
little daggers.
The Earth
Dragon
Awakes
pg. 307- He sees cracks. They
spread like a crazy spider web
around all the walls. The walls
crumble like paper.
Illustration
(what you visualize based
on the author’s words)
What would change for the reader if the author did not use sensory language?
The author uses the
description of ______ to
show-
Sensory Language- language the author uses to create images by
appealing to the reader’s senses
Imagery-one type of sensory language the author uses to create
a visual or mental picture.
Text
Moon Runner
Moon Runner
Moon Runner
Sensory Language
Illustration
(example from the text)
(what you visualize
based on the author’s
words)
The author uses
the description of
______ to show-
Inference = an idea that the author does not state
Text Evidence
+
Background Knowledge
(Schema)
=
Inference
pg. 409-Chalotte drove back
and forth over her route and
memorized every rock and tree.
She set a goal for herself. If she
made ten clean round-trip
runs, she’d know she was as
good as the next driver.
pg. 410-Now, Charley, we’ve
been over all that. Me and
Frank think…What will the
passengers say about your eye
patch?
+
=
+
=
+
= Charlotte is
courageous.
Bridging
4.6B, 4.8A, & 4.8/Fig. 19D
How does ________ contribute to the plot?
(fill in the blank with a character)
Read this sentence from the story.
__________________________________
The imagery in these lines appeal most to
the reader’s sense of(fill in the blank with a sentence from the text)
Traditional Literature- is short, made-up stories that have been
retold over and over for many years
Noticings
Author’s Purpose: to entertain; to
teach a lesson
Characters: could be like real people
or have exaggerated traits or amazing
abilities; talking animals and objects
are common in traditional tales;
characters are usually good or evil
Setting: usually set long ago in a
specific place; usually where the story
originated
Plot: what happens in the story could
have magical elements or events that
are unrealistic; includes a problem
characters face, a series of events as
they try to solve the problem, and a
resolution
Subgenres: fable, folktale, fairytale,
tall tale, trickster tale, myth, each
having their own unique features
Theme: the lesson that the author
wants to teach readers; often tells the
beliefs of a group of people; may
explain how something came to be
Book Examples
Plot Line
Title:_________________________
Climax-Turning Point
Resolution-Reasonable
Ending
Problem/Conflict
Introduction to Characters and Setting:
Problem/Conflict: Starts the Action; Problem the main character faces
Rising Action: Sequence of Events



Climax: Turning Point of the Story
Falling Action: Event(s) that Lead to Resolution

Resolution: Solves the character’s conflict; Reasonable Ending-the
character is going to be okay; Not always happy ending
Plot Line
Title:_________________________
Understanding Characters
Details such as what characters think, say, and do are clues that the
reader can use to figure out the reason characters act the way they do.
Text: The Dove and the Ant
Character
Character’s
Thoughts,
Actions, or
Words
the Dove
the Ant
“Help!” cried the Ant. Hearing the Ant’s cry, Ant was working to transport food for
the Dove grabbed a twig in his beak and
storage. The Dove watched her reinforce
dropped it into the water. “Climb on and
the anthill and clear the central chamber.
save yourself!” the Dove called. Clinging to
He saw her moving obstacles from the
the twig, the Ant was soon washed to shore.
“How can I ever thank you?” the Ant asked tunnels.
the Dove.
Based on the Characters Thoughts, Actions, or Words what can you infer…
Inference
The Ant and the Grasshopper
Illustrated by Scott Roberto
In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper
was hopping about, chirping and singing to its
heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along
with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to
the nest.
"Why bother about winter?" said the
Grasshopper; we have got plenty of food at
present." But the Ant went on its way and
continued its toil.
When the winter came the Grasshopper found
itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants
distributing, every day, corn and grain from the
stores they had collected in the summer.
"Why not come and chat with me," said the
Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in
that way?"
"I am helping to lay up food for the winter,"
said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the
same."
Then the Grasshopper knew...
It is best to prepare for the days of
necessity.
Understanding Characters
Details such as what characters think, say, and do are clues that the reader can use to figure out the reason characters act
the way they do.
Text: The Ant and the Grasshopper
Character
Character’s
Thoughts,
Actions, or
Words
the Ant
the Grasshopper
An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of
corn he was taking to the nest.
In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about,
chirping and singing to its heart's content.
"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper,
"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper,
"instead of toiling and moiling in that way?"
"instead of toiling and moiling in that way?"
"I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant,
"and recommend you to do the same."
"Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; we have got
plenty of food at present."
Based on the Characters Thoughts, Actions, or Words what can you infer…
Inference
Comparing and Contrasting Characters
When comparing and contrasting characters, think about their adventures they undergo
as well as their character traits.
Dove
Ant
Character
Character






Comparing and Contrasting Characters
When comparing and contrasting characters, think about their adventures they undergo
as well as their character traits.
Ant
Grasshopper
Character
Character






Understanding Theme
Theme =the implied message, moral, or lesson in the story
The author uses the character’s lesson to teach us something about life
Text
Lesson Learned
The Dove and the Ant
The Ant and the Dove
helped each other when
they were each in
danger.
Friendship & Kindness
The best way to make
friends is by exchanges
of kind deeds.
The Ant and the
Grasshopper
The Grasshopper didn’t
take the Ant’s advice to
lay up food for winter, so
in the winter he was dying
of hunger while the ants
had plenty of food.
Be Responsible
The Frog and the Milk
pail
Personal Connection
Theme
It is best to prepare
for the days of
necessity.