Story Elements
This element includes the people, animals, or beings in a story.
What is characterization?
Her smile was as bright as the sun.
What is a simile?
A comparison using like or as.
This technique uses humour, irony, or ridicule to criticize a topic, often political or social. Example: A cartoon mocking politicians by showing them as clowns.
What is satire?
This appeal builds trust by using experts or credible figures. Example: A dentist recommends a specific toothpaste.
What is ethos?
A person shares an old article thinking it’s current.
What is misinformation?
False or misleading info shared without the intent to deceive.
This element reveals who is telling the story and how much they know.
What is point of view?
He didn’t know it yet, but this would be the last time he’d see his brother.
What is foreshadowing?
A hint or clue about what will happen later in the story.
A visual or object used to represent a deeper message or concept. Example: A broken chain representing freedom.
What is symbolism?
This appeal targets the audience’s emotions.
Example: A charity shows crying children to encourage donations.
What is pathos?
A fake news site creates a false headline to gain clicks.
What is disinformation?
False information deliberately created to mislead.
This element refers to the sequence of events that make up a story.
What is plot?
A fire station burns down.
What is irony?
A contrast between what is expected and what actually happens.
When the intended meaning is the opposite of what is said or expected. Example: An ad for healthy eating placed beside a fast-food commercial.
What is irony?
This appeal uses statistics or logical reasoning.
Example: “9 out of 10 doctors agree this treatment works.”
What is logos?
Ignoring articles that challenge your political views.
What is confirmation bias?
The tendency to favour information that supports what you already believe.
This element involves the struggle between opposing forces in the story.
What is conflict?
He was a real Romeo with the ladies.
What is an allusion?
A symbol, person, or event that refers to something outside the story, often historical or cultural.
Making something seem bigger, more important, or more dramatic than it really is. Example: A commercial says their vacuum “sucks up an entire room in seconds.”
What is exaggeration?
An ad shows a trusted doctor, uses images of sick patients, and includes survival rates. What appeal(s) are being used?
A user sends insults in a comment section but is polite in real life.
What is online disinhibition?
People behave more aggressively or openly online than they would in person.
This is the message the author wants the reader to learn.
What is theme?
Time is a thief that steals our moments.
What is a metaphor?
A direct comparison between two unrelated things without using like or as.
Graphic anti-drug Public Service Announcement
What is Shock Factor?
Uses disturbing or surprising content to grab attention
“Every 60 seconds, a child dies from hunger. You can help.” Which appeal is being used the most?
Pathos
Opening new tabs to verify a claim on a website.
What is lateral reading?
The strategy of checking other trusted sources before trusting information online.