Notice & Note:

Why do we read fiction?

1) Pleasure 2) Pass the time (escape)

3) Research shows reading improves your social skills by helping you better understand another human being.

Put differently, entering imaginary worlds of fiction improves your ability to take another person's point of view.

Reading makes us better people!

How do we read fiction?

Closely.

Literary Signposts:

Close Reading? Huh??

Close Reading: deep and thoughtful examination of a text to develop a strong understanding of its meaning.

Got it. Close reading = deep and thoughtful thinking of a text. Signpost???

Street signs are helpful because they tell us what to do while driving or walking around town.

Literary Signposts are similarly helpful because they tell us what we should DO while READING.

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Real Life Example: Imagine your friend who you always hang out with at lunch suddenly starts spending lunch sitting alone at the far corner of the yard or with an entirely different group.

Why is the character doing that?

Fictional Example:

Fictional Example:

Aha Moment

Today we're going to learn another signpost we should look for as we read.

This one is called "Aha Moment."

This is an easy signpost to learn because we've all probably experienced an "Aha Moment."

For instance, have you ever walked in class and noticed everyone was reading, and suddenly realized it was "advisory" and not "class" time.

That's an Aha Moment.

Or have you ever been starving in 4th period and wondering why, and then you realize it's Wednesday (so you haven't had lunch yet)!

That's an Aha Moment.

Finally, have you ever wanted to tell someone something but forgot what it was, and then sometime later you suddenly realized what you wanted to say.

That's an (annoying) "Aha Moment."

Aha moments are those moments when we realize or discover something instantly

In our books, an "aha moments" are those moments when a character realizes something, and that realization will probably change his or her actions in some way.

Authors sometimes give us clues that a character has come to an important understanding.

Sometimes the Author writes...

• "Suddenly I realized"
• "In an instant I saw"
• "It came to me in a flash"
• "I now knew"
• "I finally understood"

There are many possibilities, but they will all point to some understanding the character finally reached.

Those clues are there to tell us this moment in the book is important, and we need stop and give it some thought!

So once, we've spotted an "Aha Moment", we have to pause and do something to help us understand what's going on--

We have to ask ourselves: How might this change things?

Thinking about possible answers to that question will let us see why the "Aha Moment" is important and how it affects the story.

If the character figured out a problem, you just learned about the conflict.

If the character learned a life lesson, you probably just learned about the theme--the story's message.

Remember, to do this we have to stop and ask ourselves: How might this (aha moment) change things?

Aha Moment:

Aha Moment:

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Words of the Wiser

We've been talking about Signposts that we might spot in a story or novel.

Remember, these signposts help us close read--to read deeply and thoughtfully.

Today, we're going to learn another signpost--

Words of the Wiser

Let's think about what this means.

Who has ever gotten advice from an elder?

We all have. These words, or advice, are meant to make us wiser--they are meant to teach us a life lesson.

Life advice

• If you're on time, you're late.
• If there's enough for one, there's enough for two.
• Stay ready so you ain't gotta get ready.
• You'll catch more flies with honey.
• If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Authors, in some way, are like a parent or grandparent.

Sometimes, they include a scene in which wise words are shared.

When you are reading, lookout for these moments where the main character has a quiet and serious talk with a wiser character.

After you find this moment, stop and ask yourself:

"What's the life lesson and how might this affect the character?"

Stopping to think about this question might help you understand an important idea/message the author wants you to think about.

Thinking about this question might also help you learn more about the conflict a character faces.

Words of the Wiser:

Words of the Wiser:

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Tough Questions:

We all ask questions such as:

Hmmmmm

• What's for dinner?
• Where are my shoes?
• Did I brush my teeth this morning?

Those are questions to which we certainly want answers, BUT...

...they aren't what we'd call really tough question.

Tough questions are what we sometimes ask ourselves, or someone else, that seem, at least for a while, not to have an answer.

We might ask:

"How will I ever get over this?" when we hear a loved one has died.

We might ask:

"Am I brave enough to say no?" when we're asked to do something we know we shouldn't do.

If you haven't spoken with a friend or a loved one in a long time because of a fight...

You may ask yourself "Should I reach out to them? Should I practice forgiveness?"

Tough questions are a part of life because life is, well, tough sometimes.

When you share a tough question with a friend--or just think it to yourself, you're really sharing something that's bothering you.

In a novel, we call that the internal conflict.

If you can spot the tough questions a character asks themselves or to a friend, then you'll have found the...

Deep problems the character is worrying about--the problems they may need to overcome.

Authors often show us these "tough questions" in fairly straightforward ways.

The main character either asks a trusted person or themselves a question that obviously doesn't have an easy answer.

Occasionally, a character might not ask a question, but might say something like:

"I wonder if..."

Once you notice the "tough question" (or the "I wonder" statement), it's important to stop and ask yourself:

What does this question make me wonder about?

Think about it this way--If you heard all your friends were hanging out and you weren't invited...

You might ask yourself "Why'd I get left out?"

And from that question you might WONDER if you had done something wrong--if you had hurt someone's feelings.

So let's briefly review.

When authors want to show us the internal conflict--the deep problems that worry a character...

They often let the character share that conflict by having them ask some "tough question"

They might ask this question to themselves or to a friend.

When we see a "tough question", we should stop and ask ourselves:

What does this question make me wonder about?

La Luna

Cooler Self

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REVIEW:

Closely.

Close Reading: deep and thoughtful examination of a text to develop a strong understanding of its meaning.

Got it. Close reading = deep and thoughtful thinking of a text. Signpost???

Street signs are helpful because they tell us what to do while driving or walking around town.

Literary Signposts are similarly helpful because they tell us what we should DO while READING.

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