Before Reading
This week we are going to look at a narrative that is completely different to the short stories we have been enjoying over the past couple of weeks. The purpose in reading these stories is to identify the narrative structure and use these
- Firstly let's look at the front cover. Look at the title and the illustrations on the front cover. What type of narrative will this story be? (Realistic fiction? Imaginative fiction?) How can you tell?
- The author has used the title as a means of foreshadowing what the complication of the story will be. Do you like this? Why or why not?
- Using any knowledge you have of kangaroos, why might a kangaroo not be able to hop?
- Look at the front cover again. Are there any clues as to why the kangaroo in the story might not be able to hop? What problems could this cause the kangaroo? How might this problem be solved? Do you think the solution in this story will be realistic (For example, going to the vet and maybe having an operation)?
Are all the events equal in a narrative??
In a narrative a complication or conflict doesn't get solved right away, there are often a series of events that start sausing the action to rise.
In the story, Big Red tries several things before sending Keith off to the hospital. As each of these attempts fail, the desperation to find a cure becomes more and more intense. This helped to build suspense in the narrative . . . A very good trick!! You can feel the rise and the fall in action as the story progresses. You could try this very easily in your own writing. |
On the whiteboard wall . . .
With your teacher you could draw a simple graph like the one above or to the right. Briefly jot the events of the story on the plot structure. Your "mountain" shape might be like an equilateral triangle or a bit lopsided depending upon the number of events and whether they are in the rise of the action or the fall of the action leading that leads to the resolution.
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