The document provides an overview of narrative texts and their elements. It discusses how infants, toddlers, and older children learn language through interactions at home and in social settings. The key elements of narratives are identified as theme, setting, characters, point of view, characterization, dialogue, and plot (including exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution). Examples are provided to illustrate each element. The document also covers narrative formats in media, including news stories that use structures like the inverted pyramid, hourglass, nut graph, and five boxes.

1. DR. RUSSELL RODRIGO
Week 2 Narratives in Media

2. Learning Objectives
1. To get the gist of the narrative texts by applying reading
strategies
2. Identify elements of narrative texts
3. Write short narratives

3. How do we learn to Communicate?
1. How, where, and what do infants learn about language?
2. How, where, and what do toddlers learn about languages?
3. How, where, and what have five-and-six year olds learned?

4. How do we learn to Communicate?
1. How, where, and what do infants learn about language?
 Infants communicate without words by cooing or babbling. They also
cry, fidget, or smile to communicate their needs or wants. They listen
to adults as they talk to them at home or in day care.
2. How, where, and what do toddlers learn about
languages?
 By the age of two, toddlers have learned a few words to
communicate what they want. They learn language by imitating
people around them at home and in their community.
3. How, where, and what have five-and-six year olds
learned?
 By the age five or six, children have learned to speak in sentences
by interacting with parents at home and with teachers and friends
at school.

5. What is a narrative text?
 Narrative text is writing that tells a story. It can be a made-up
story (fiction) or one that is based on real events.
 “To narrate” is the verb used to describe the act of telling a
story, so a narrative is the story and the narrator is the person
telling the story.

6. Time and Space Order Patterns: Narration,
Process and Description
 Clear communication between a writer and a reader comes from clear organization.
Clear organization is based on logical connections between ideas. Transitions and
patterns of organization are used to organized and express these logical connections.
 Time order, also known as chronological order, presents ideas based on that time I which
they occurred. Time order enables us to tell about and understand an event, a series of
actions, or a process.
 Space order tells where something occurs. Space order creates a clear visual image of a
person, place, object, or scene.
 Time and space are closely linked in our thinking. Action occurs in both time and space.

9. Narratives in the Media
 Watch the video of Deshauna Barber: One Question Changed Her
Life Forever | Motivational Speech | Goalcast.
 Answer the questions below.
 What TWO stories did the speaker share?
 What do you think are the elements of story telling?
 What literacy devices does the speaker use? Give examples and their
meanings.

11. Based on the video, what are the elements
of Narration
1. Theme
2. Setting
3. Characters
4. Point of view
5. Characterization
6. Dialogue
7. Plot

12. Elements of Literary Narrative Texts
1. Theme
2. Setting
3. Characters
4. Point of view
5. Characterization
6. Dialogue
7. Plot
 exposition statement
 rising action - conflict
 climax
 falling action
 resolution

13. Elements
1. Theme
 The main idea of a story,
usually expressed as a
generalization. It’s the big
message, the big idea.
2. Setting
 The time and place in a story.
3. Characters
 Protagonist-The “good guy” or
hero/heroin in the story who struggles
against the conflict, usually the main
character.
 Antagonist –The “bad guy” or villain
in the story that creates conflict for the
protagonist.

14. 4. Characterization - The description of the personalities of the characters in the
story and the way in which an author reveals their personalities.
5. Point of View
 First Person –the story is told from the main character’s point of view and uses the
pronouns “I” and “we”.
 Second Person -usually for instructions; uses the pronouns “you” and “your” (the
author is speaking to the reader)
 Third Person –the story is told from an outside point of view and uses the pronouns
“he” and “she” and “they”.
6. Dialogue - Characters talking using quotation marks.
“May we ask where you’ve been, Miss Everdeen?” Effie asks.
“So where haven’t you been?” Says Haymitch in a bored voice.

15. Plot
 The series of related events
that make up a story.
1. Exposition
2. Rising Action
3. Climax
4. Falling Action
5. Resolution

16. Plot
1. Exposition
 - The part of the plot that tells how the
story begins.
 You learn….
 Characters
 Setting
 Conflict (problem)
 Background information
The rest of the story is based on this
information
2. Rising Action
The events in the story that lead up to
the climax.
 Readers learn more about the
characters and the conflict.
 Each event that happens leads the
reader closer to the climax of the
story.

17. 3. Conflict- A struggle between an
opposing force.
 Internal conflict- the character
struggles with his or her own needs,
desires, or emotions.
 External conflict- a character struggles
with an outside force such as another
character or something in nature
Man vs self Man vs man
Man vs nature Man vs society
4. Climax
The point of crisis in the plot.
 When the outcome of the conflict is
decided one way or the other. – the
turning point
 The event of highest interest or excitement
in the story.
 Nothing is the same in the story after this
event because the main character
changes or learns something that changes
everything.

18. 5. Falling action - The events that
lead to the conclusion after the
climax.
 These events are a result of the
changes in, or the decisions made
by, the main character during the
climax.
 Everything in the falling action
leads to the conclusion of the
story
6. Resolution
 The part of the plot that
reveals the final outcome.
 The conflicts are solved and
all questions are answered.

19. What else is an element?
 Voice- the way a piece of writing sounds
 Mood- the overall emotion created by a work of poetry or literature
 Tone- the attitude that a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or
a character
 Sensory language/Imagery- writing that appeals to one or more of the
five senses

20. Practice 1: Read the text “Mother Tongue” by Amy
Tan (p.307)
1. Logical Order:
Is this passage a narration or a process? Which transitions/signal words did the
writer use?
2. Central Idea: What is the writer’s central point?
3. Relevant Details: What are the “different Englishes” Amy Tan uses?
4. Effective Language: What vivid words does the writer use to create
images in the reader’s mind?

21. Answers:
1.Logical Order: Narration. See underlined lines.
2.Central Idea: Overcoming barriers in English language development and
accepting different Englishes
3.Relevant Details: Simple – the kind English she spoke with her mother. Broken – the
kind of English her mother used to speak with her . Watered down – her translation
of her Chinese to English.
4.Effective Language: See underlined words.

25. Practice:
 Tell a story

26. Narratives in Media
WEEK 2 SESSION 2

27. Practice: Watch the video and make a diagram
showing the elements of narration listed below.
Elements of Narration
1. Theme
2. Setting
3. Characters
4. Point of view
5. Characterization
6. Dialogue
7. Plot

28. News Stories Format

29. News Stories Format
1. The Inverted Pyramid - best suited for hard news stories. The article begins with the
lead and presents information in order of descending importance. The most important
information comes first, followed by less important details.
2. The Hourglass - builds on the inverted pyramid and combines a narrative. It delivers
breaking news and tells a story. The first 4-6 paragraphs contain a summary lead and
answer the most pressing questions. Then a transitional phrase cites the source of the
upcoming story - "Police say the incident occurred after closing last night." The article
concludes with the chronological story.
3. The Nut Graph - it includes an anecdotal lead that gets the reader's attention, followed
by a paragraph that provides larger context for the story and moves the article in that
direction. This form lets the reporter explore larger issues behind an incident. For
example, a nutgraph article might begin with the story of a fire, then move into a discussion
of budget cuts that lead to delays in fighting the fire.

30. 4. The Narrative - has a beginning, middle, and end just like a story. One famous
example, Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, was actually published as a novel. But for most
news articles, narratives should be short and to the point and used only where telling a
personal story helps to convey the point of the article. The New Yorker is noted for using
narrative form.
What do you think are the concerns in narrative journalism?
1. blend of facts and feelings
2. many authors have been nabbed for stating mistruths in their pieces
3. narrative journalism makes fact-checking challenging

31. 5. The Five Boxes Story - combines the forms listed above. Useful when
you have a lot of data to sort through.
1. Box 1 contains the lead
2. Box 2 contains the nutgraph,
3. Box 3 tells the story begun in Box 1
4. Box 4 contains supplemental details such as statistics or expert opinions
5. Box 5 contains the "kicker" or the quote, image, or comment that ends the
story on a strong note.

32. Example
Shoebox Britain: how shrinking homes are affecting our health and
happiness
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/oct/10/shrinking-homes-affect-health-shoebox-
britain

33. The Reasons Stories Fascinate
Audiences
1. Immerse your audience in a story.
2. Tell a personal story.
3. Create Suspense
4. Bring characters to life
5. Show. Don’t tell.
6. Build up to S.T.A.R. moment.
7. End with a positive takeaway.
“A successful talk is a little miracle—people see the world differently afterward.”
-TED curator Chris Anderson

34. Week 2 Assignment
 Find a recent news story.
 Identify the elements of narration used.
 Identify literary devices used. (E.g. metaphor, simile, personification, etc.)
 Analyze its format.
 Highlight the parts of the news and label according to the identified format.
 What to post:
 1. Analysis in an image (JPEG.) format of your PPT Slide. (3-4 images). Ensure the names of the members are
also posted. See the template discussed in class.
 2. Link of the News Story
Post on Blackboard. Due: Sunday, 11:59 p.m. Comment to TWO other posts. Be critical and constructive in
your comments.

35. News Story Analysis
 News Title:
 When & Where?
 What elements of narration were used?
 Characters:
 Plot
 Theme (takeaway, etc.)
 What literary devices are used? Identify and write their meanings.
 What form/structure is used? The 5 Boxes Story
 Box: 1 _________
