NARRATIVES VS.

NON-NARRATIVES

Susan Ely Reading and Responding

Narratives Non-Narratives

Use storyline in chronological order

(time order) The point is what

the writer or character learned from what happened

Heavy on description, setting, plot and character

Easy to visualize

Organized logically according to main ideas and details. Can use a variety of organizational patterns.

The point is stated in the thesis statement (statement of purpose)

Heavy on supporting reasons, evidence, research etc.

Not so easy to visualize

But….Sometimes we can use both A narrative used in a non-narrative piece

for support Pg. 5, example 1.2 Introduction

Body

Conclusion

supporting reason

supporting reason

supporting reason

Why write narratives?

Create shared history

Entertain

Spark curiosity

Help us find meaning through real life events

When used as support….

Narratives add human interest

Narratives provide insight

Narratives draw us closer to the writer/storyteller

But…..

Narratives used as support will most likely NOT be the main idea of the essay. Narrative

IEvent

IEvent

IEvent

Non-NarrativeI

Support (cause/effect)I

Support (compare)I

Support (Narrative)I

Support (Statistics/facts)

So, what’s the point in knowing if I’m reading a narrative or not?

“You have a better idea of how to read the assignment” (pg. 4) How is this true?

You will know what to expect.So…

It helps you preview (mapping where the reading will take you) because you know narratives use different comprehension clues

If you are reading a narrative, there are ways to help you remember what you read

General Narrative Structure

Rising Action (Tension)

Falling Action

(Reflection)

Climactic Moment

Introduction

Background

Setting

Thesis

Introduce Conflict

Co

n c l u s i o n

My Response Journal to “Fish Cheeks” by Amy Tan

Pre-reading: Think of a time when your parents, siblings or other close relatives put you into a social situation that made you feel very uncomfortable or embarrassed.

My Response Journal to “Fish Cheeks” by Amy Tan

Setting Characters Beginning Event (or problem) Plot (or action) Outcome Personal Thoughts (what did you learning

from the story)?

Thesis Statements in Narratives

main idea = (topic + meaning of the story)

2 ways a narrative’s main idea might be incorporated

Explicit—directly articulates purpose of the story

Implicit—does not directly state the purpose. Starts right into story and lets the details/images reveal the thesis.

Example

TOPIC: playing college football

Example Implicit Thesis Statement for narrative: starts right into story and lets the details/images reveal the thesis

Example Explicit Thesis Statement for narrative: My experience playing college football taught me skills that will benefit me throughout the rest of my life.

Vocabulary

Context (inference)

People who worked with him were mickled by Rashid’s terrible job performance.

 A. disgustedB. delightedC. happyD. disowned

Context (definition)

The scientific experiment was not tortentous; even after performing the experiment repeatedly, Dr. Watson couldn’t tell whether the medicine was safe.

 A. availableB. timelyC. unclearD. conclusive

Context (contrast)

Instead of actively job hunting, Sunil was soddile; he figured the right job would come to him.

Basic dictionary definition structure:

Term Class Characteristicsfork utensil two or more prongs

A fork is a utensil that has two or more prongs.

Basic dictionary definition structure:

Term ______Class__Characteristics

happiness feeling/emotion pleasure or enjoyment because of your life’s situation

Happiness is a feeling of pleasure or enjoyment because of your life’s situation.

Basic dictionary definition structure:

Term ______Class_____Characteristics

Leap to jump from a surface or over something

Pounce to jump suddenly, going toward and take hold

of something

Vocabulary help

Online Dictionaries like Webster:http://www.merriam-webster.com/

Quizlet:http://quizlet.com/

-Round 2-

Topic vs. Main Idea

Topic vs. Main Idea

TOPIC Can be

stated in a single word or phrase

Not opinionated

MAIN IDEA Stated in a

complete sentence (in your own words)

Expresses the writer’s opinion on the topic

Also called _______

-Round 3-

Skim vs. Scan

Finding Main Idea

Scanning- Looking down and around a page quickly and efficiently searching to find specific information (word/phrases).

Search for:

Key wordsFacts or phrases

Finding Main Idea

Skimming- Discovering main ideas by reading: 1st and last paragraphs topic sentences paying attention to

Titlesbold type or italicsphotographs captions

Skim vs. Scan

SKIM● To quickly find

details/main ideas

● Do 3-4 times faster than normal reading

● Reading a lot in a short amount of time

● Good when deciding if something is worth your time

SCAN● Comes before

skimming● Does it have

info. I’m looking for?• Certain words• Certain phrases

New York Times

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/