Story Elements
What is the Setting in a story?
The places/locations in a story
What is Narrative writing?
Writing where you create a story.
What are informative texts?
Non-fiction texts, texts which are based on facts, and texts which can teach you about a topic.
What is the Civil Rights Movement?
A time period in the United States of America where people fought for equal rights for African-Americans.
When are we not talking to other people in English class?
When we are together as the whole group (for directions, instructions, etc.), especially when someone else is talking (the teacher or another student who is sharing out). Some other times are: When we are reading and when we are writing.
What is the Plot in a story?
The sequence of events in a story.
True or False: Narrative writing must always be about something that actually happened.
False! Stories can be about real events, or they can be about made-up events (hence, Fiction writing).
What are at least TWO (2) examples of Informative Text Features?
Title/Heading, Subtitles/Sub-Headings, Quotes, Illustrations, Text Differences, Chart/Graph, Timeline, Inset/Sidebar.
When did the Civil Rights Movement happen?
It happened during the 1950s and 1960s.
What does active reading time look like in English class?
Voices/side conversations are off, my book is open in front of me, I am focused on the words on the page, and I am making progress in my book (I am turning the pages).
What is Characterization in a story?
The character's personality traits.
How can you create a story idea?
(Answers may be different.) One way to create a story idea is to take a moment from your life as inspiration (but twist this moment so it happens a different way). Another way to create a story idea is to think about a story you wished existed in the world.
What are online databases? What is an example of an online database we have used in class?
Sites where you can find reliable research. Gale would be an example of an online database.
What are at least FOUR (4) of the topics we researched about the Civil Rights Movement?
Jim Crow Laws, Plessy vs. Ferguson, Brown vs. Board of Education, Segregation, Civil Rights Acts (1960 & 1964), "Separate and Equal," Central High School/Little Rock Nine, Governor Orval Faubus vs. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ruby Bridges, NAACP, Peaceful Demonstrations, Freedom Rides, Thurgood Marshall, March on Washington, Ku Klux Klan
What does successful writing time look like in English class?
Voices/side conversations are off, my notebook or Google Doc is open in front of me, I am focused on adding words on the page, and I am making progress in adding words to the page (I am adding multiple complete sentences, creating paragraphs).
What is Theme in a story?
The lesson/message of the story (what the author wants you to learn from reading the story).
What should all of the events on your story (the plot) connect to?
All the events in your story should connect to what are your character's goals/motivations, as well as your character's struggles/obstacles.
What is a research skill we practiced in class? Hint: It connects to what you do after reading each paragraph/section of an article.
Pause after reading each paragraph/section and write down what you think is the main idea or most important idea from this paragraph/section (what it taught you about the topic).
What is Brown vs. Board of Education?
A case decided in 1954 in which the Supreme Court of the U.S.A. declared racial segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional.
What does successful partner/small group time look like in English class?
Voices are on and conversations are happening, the conversations are on-task (they connect to the current class activity). You are completing any other parts of the activity that go along with your conversation (such as writing down what your group is discussing).
What is Conflict in a story? What are different Types of Conflict?
The Conflict is the big problem in the story. Some different types of conflict are: External and Internal Conflict, as well Person vs. Self, Person vs. Person, and Person vs. Society.
What is 3D Writing? What are some ways to build 3D Writing into your story?
3D Writing is including evidence in your writing to help show what is happening (not just telling/summarizing). Some ways to build 3D writing into your story include: Describe the event (include what is happening around the character/sensory details), dialogue, describe the character's thoughts and feelings.
Why is it important to do research? Why is it important to use online databases as part of your research?
It is important to do research to help you learn about a specific topic. Online databases are important to use because they give you accurate/reliable information about a topic.
What is the topic of Central High School/Little Rock Nine?
In 1957, 9 black high-school students tried to be the first black students integrated into a white high school (called Central High School).
What can you do if/when you finish an activity in class (and we haven't moved on to another activity as a class)?
Read my independent reading book, or work on completing another English class activity that I didn't finish earlier in class/from another day in class.