Genre: a distinctive category of literary composition Literature Genre: marked by distinctive style, form and content. One is just right for YOU!
5 Main Genres NON-FICTION: real, factual, deals with actual people, places, and events FICTION: unreal, not true, not factual, a made up story FOLKLORE: stories once passed down orally DRAMA: a play or script POETRY: writing concerned with the beauty of language economy of words
Fiction Drama Nonfiction Folklore Poetry Realistic Fiction Comedy Informational Writing Fairy Tale Historical Fiction Science Fiction Tragedy Persuasive Writing Biography Legend Tall Tale Myth Fantasy Autobiography Fable
Autobiography LATIN ROOT: auto = self Form of nonfiction (true) Story of a real person s life Graphe means to write Written by the person the story is about Author does not need to do research Author shares how he/she feels and what he/she thinks When genre has blurred lines: MEMOIR: Technically, memoir is non-fiction. It differes from autobiography in that it covers a small period in the author s life; not meant to be comprehensive. Some of the details may be fabricated or memory thus, there is a fictional aspect to a memoir.
Biography LATIN ROOT: bio = life Form of nonfiction (true) Story of a real person s life Graphe means to write Written by a person who is not the main person in the story Author needs to do research Author shares how he/she feels and what he/she thinks
Realistic Fiction Form of fiction (not true) Accurately reflects life as it could be lived today Everything in the story could happen to real people living in our natural physical world The characters have normal human characteristics Story may be set in real places, but the story is NOT based on history
Historical Fiction Form of fiction (not true) Based on historical events Authentic settings Characters portrayed in realistic manner Some characters may be actual people from history, but the story is fictional Artistic mix of fiction and historical fact
Science Fiction Form of fiction (not true) Contains some sort of scientific element, such as Outer space Medicine Technology Within the realm of possibility Characters have some believable traits/qualities
Fantasy Form of fiction (not true) Contains one or more of the following: supernatural occurrences characters with magical powers things with magical powers animals with human characteristics real people in fantastic places fantastic creatures or characters in real situations
High Fantasy Form of fiction (not real) Good vs. evil (supernatural/evil forces) Story written in a series of books/ volumes Coming- of- age themes Include fantastical elements, such as: Elves and dwarves Magic Wizards Invented languages quests
FOR ENRICHMENT PURPOSES: Mystery Form of fiction (not true) Story revolves around a puzzle/problem Characters deal with the solution to a puzzle/problem, such as finding a missing item/person unraveling a secret rationalize an event that is not explained Contains clues/hints that help the characters and readers solve the puzzle/problem
Folktales Form of fiction (not true) Story that teaches a lesson Contain the beliefs and customs of a region or country Original story is modified to make it more interesting or more humorous Present larger-than-life characters and very unusual happenings
Fables Form of fiction (not true) Type of folktale Ends in a moral or lesson Characters are animals that talk and act like humans A character usually represents a single human characteristic, such as a fox being symbolic of a trickster
Legend Form of fiction (not true) Stories written about a real life hero and his/her mighty deeds Mix of fiction and historical facts that have been creatively altered to encourage moral conduct and right choices Leaves questions/wonder in the reader s minds (Did Mike Fink really wrestle a grizzly bear?)
Myths Form of fiction (not true) Pertains to the actions of the gods and/or goddesses Characters are super-natural beings with human emotions and qualities Plot may involve interplay between worlds (this world and previous/original world)
Classics Fiction, typically novels but can be dramas, poems, or even essays What makes a classic? Timelessness: enjoyed by readers from generation to generation Deals with universal themes and experiences that relate to readers, such as love conquers all good vs. evil rags to riches Communicates ideas across cultures Unforgettable characters
DRAMAS Stories written in script form. DRAMA Subgenres: Comedy: has a happy ending Tragedy: ends in death/sadness Tragicomedy: mixture of both
Poetry Imaginative literature Timelessness: enjoyed by readers from generation to generation Deals with universal themes and experiences that relate to readers Communicates ideas across cultures Unforgettable lines MANY, many subgenres in poetry. We WILL get them (i.e., sonnet, villanelle, ode, etc.) later in the year.
Let s Practice What We Know A. Fiction B. Non-Fiction
#1 GENRE? SUBGENRE? Dogs and Cats by Bob Brady A five paragraph essay where the student Bob Brady compares and contrasts dogs and cats. He provides a lot of information about both. Write the genre and subgenre on your paper.
#2 GENRE? SUBGENRE? Your Science Textbook Your science textbook contains much of the human knowledge of Earth and the universe. Write the genre and subgenre on your paper.
#3 GENRE? SUBGENRE? In My Own Words by Eva Perón Eva Perón writes the story of her life from childhood to her rise in political power in Argentina. Write the genre and subgenre on your paper
#4 GENRE? SUBGENRE? They Came from the Sun by Tom Mitchell The story of a race of aliens that come to enslave the residents of Earth with their advanced weaponry. Only one teacher can stop them, but is it too late? Write the genre and subgenre on your paper.
#5 GENRE? SUBGENRE? The Ant & The Grasshopper Adapted by Chad Peplum The really short story of an Ant who works hard all summer to prepare for winter and a Grasshopper who just plays. Winter comes and the Grasshopper freezes to death. The moral is prepare today for tomorrow s needs.
#6 GENRE? SUBGENRE? The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis It is the fictional story of an African American family living in Flint, Michigan who go to their grandmother's home in Birmingham, Alabama in the year 1963. The story is told around the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, an actual event in history.
#7 GENRE? SUBGENRE? Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind retold by Tom Cranes Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind was the toughest girl in the wild West. Right when she was born, she looked up and said, "Hello! I'm Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind! And I am amazing!" She once made a lasso out of live rattlesnakes, and then she caught a tornado with that lasso.
#8 GENRE? SUBGENRE? Going, Going... Green! By Angela Gaimari In this essay, Gaimari tries to convince people to do small things to help the environment. She gives readers many suggestions on how to live more ecofriendly and asks readers to make the change.
#9 GENRE? SUBGENRE? Harry Potter and the Philosopher s Stone by J.K. Rowling The first book in the Harry Potter series. Harry goes to wizard school and becomes a Gryffindor. He learns to play quidditch, a soccer like game played on flying broomsticks, and he fights an evil within the school with his newfound magic powers.
#10 GENRE? SUBGENRE? Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney In his first year of middle school, the main character Greg Heffley deals with cooties, learning to wrestle, Halloween, acting in the school play, and other problems that many middle school students face.