Literacy Tools

Contents:

Reading strategies

Comprehension prompts

Editing

Nouns

Verbs

Adjectives and Adverbs

Types of sentences

Simple sentences, statements, commands, exclamations, questions

Compound sentences and conjunctions

Series sentences

Imbedded prepositional phrases and prepositions

Complex sentences

More words

Transition words and Transition sets

Figurative language

Punctuation

Commas

Apostrophes and quotation marks

Organizational skills

Chapter summaries and Novel study

Essays and paraphrasing

Expository

Procedural

Persuasive

Paraphrasing

Reading strategies:

If you’re having difficulty saying some of the words you are reading…

- Look at any pictures that are provided

- Stretch out and sound out the word – ig-ne-ous

- Look for any smaller words within the bigger word

- Chunk the word into parts – land form

- Skip the word and continue reading, then go back and see what

would fit

- Check the dictionary for its phonetic spelling

If you’re having difficulty understanding some of the words you are reading…

- Skip the word and continue reading, then go back and see what

word fits

- Use a dictionary

- Ask someone

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Comprehension prompts: When you read the next page(s) or chapter, try to…

Visualize, imagine, see, or picture the characters and setting in your mind. What do you smell, taste, hear, or feel when you read the chapter.

Determine important ideas about the story. What is the chapter about? What is the story about? So far, I’ve learned that…

Make connections

- with your own life – this is just like when I…- with another book you have read – I read another book where…- with the world – a life lesson from this book could be…

Ask questions about the story

- I wonder if…- I wonder why…- How could…- What is…

Infer during the story by guessing and predicting answers to your questions. If I were the main character I would…

Synthesize the information from the book by taking your questions during the story and then answering it in the end. I have learned that…

Editing reminders:

C – Capitalization

All sentences begin with a capital letter.

All proper nouns begin with a capital letter.

O – Organization

I have a title

I used complete sentences

The sentences are in a correct sequence.

The writing makes sense.

I used paragraphs where necessary

I used transition words between sentences

I used transition sentences between paragraphs

P – Punctuation

There is proper punctuation at the end of each sentence (statement, question, exclamation)

There are commas in all the right places.

S – Spelling

I used the word work, dictionary or asked someone for the correct spelling of difficult or unknown words.

Nouns

A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, quality, or event.

Common nouns name general kinds of people, places, or things.

(teacher, city, school, holiday)

Proper nouns name specific people, places, things, or events.

(Mr. Ali, Kuwait City, AIS, Ramadan)

Singular nouns can become plural (more than one) in different ways.

Many nouns can be pluralized by adding s.

(car – cars), (shoe – shoes), chair – chairs)

If the noun ends with an s, ch, sh, or x, then add es.

(bus – buses), (punch – punches), (brush – brushes), (box – boxes)

Some nouns become plural in unusual ways.

(child – children), (tooth – teeth), (mouse – mice), (die – dice)

Some nouns are both singular and plural

(moose, fish, sheep)

Pronouns are words that can be used in place of a noun to refer to a person place or thing. (I, he, they, me, she, them, we, it, you)

I was over at his house.

Verbs

A verb is a word that expresses an action, event or state of being.

Ghareeb rides his bike to school. Yesterday, he fell on his way home. Now he has a cut on his knee.

Action verbs – tells what the noun or subject is doing.

Sherifa climbs the tree. Nasser drives the buggy. Dania rides the horse. Fara reads her book. Jenna draws a picture.

Most action verbs can be seen and heard such as climbed, sang, builds, pushes, ran, swam, wrote, researched, eats, drinks, kicked, threw…

Some action words cannot be seen or heard such as wished, preferred, remembered, loved, cares, wonders, worries, hope, imagine…

Linking verbs – do not show action but still connect the subject to a word that describes it such as appear, become, feel, grow, look, remain, seem, smell, sound, taste, am, is, are, was, were, will be

William is excited about his promotion. She appears upset about the announcement. The eggs smell rotten. He went red after tripping on the rug. Your plans for the wedding sound nice. You look exhausted after studying all night. I am putty in his hands. Maria might have been more forthcoming with the news. Tom acted nervous when the teacher found the note. The audience fell silent when the conductor walked on stage. Dreams come true when we believe in them.

Adjectives describe nouns and/or pronouns. They help add meaning and put pictures into the reader’s mind.

The attic was filled with old toys and broken furniture.

Adjectives can be used to make comparisons.

They were the sweetest apples I have ever tasted.

Adverbs describe the verb. It tells you more about the action.

She ran quickly to get to the store. He whispered softly.

Types of sentences

Look for these sentences in your reading, and try to incorporate them in your writing.

Simple sentences or basic sentences contain both a noun and a verb.

I played football. He walked to school.

Statement – most sentences are statements. They tell something. Statements end with a period. (The doctor took the patient’s temperature.)

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Question – a sentence that asks something ends with a question mark (?). (Do you have to go home?)

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Exclamation – a sentence with a strong feeling ends with an exclamation mark (!). (Oh, I really like that idea!)

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Command – a sentence that gives an order ends with a period. (Take off those dirty shoes.)

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Compound sentences – compound sentences use conjunctions to join two ideas in the same sentence.

Conjunctions - A conjunction is used to join ideas together and show how they are related.

They decided to go outside and have a picnic. They had a good time because it was sunny.

Here are some common conjunctions:

Compound sentences

Shares two or more complete thoughts (simple sentences or ideas). Connected by conjunctions Requires a comma before the conjunction

Examples

Many people enjoy eating fish, but others prefer meat. Wood comes from the forest, and metal comes from mining the

earth’s crust. The desert is becoming larger, because we continue to over use the

land.

although but since unless

and for than until

as when that because

if though while however

Series sentence – A series sentence joins words with similar characteristics.

Abdullah came to school without his pencil, ruler, notebook or homework. She wore a dress that was red, black, silver, and gold. I have P.E. on Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Imbedded prepositional phrases – A sentence can be divided by a preposition

The coffee cup, on the table, had been knocked over. The battery, in the electric car, has run out of power. The bridge, spanning across the river, is blocked by traffic.

Prepositions:

A preposition is word that shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to another word in the sentence.

About, above, according to, across, along, against, among, around, at, because, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, but, by, despite, down, due to, during, for, from, in, into, in addition, in case of, in regard to, inside, instead of, near, of, off, on, onto, out, outside, over, past, since, through, throughout, to, toward, under, underneath, until, up, up to, upon, with, within, without

The clown ran around the circus tent, over the bench, up the ladder, and onto the trapeze.

The students sat at their desks in the school on Monday.

The family sat on a blanket in the park near the Gulf beside the Marina Mall.

Complex Sentences – A complex sentence has an independent clause and a dependent clause.

Below are examples of complex sentences. In each example, the independent clause is shaded. An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence. The dependent clause is un-shaded. A dependent clause is not a complete sentence.

Stay in the bath until the phone rings.

The car swerved to miss Mrs Jackson, who had slipped off the pavement.

Transition words are used to link or sequence ideas in different sentences within a paragraph. They can also be used to sequence paragraphs. Transition words can be used in all genres but are almost always used in procedural writing.

Using transition words well can improve your writing. They help the reader move smoothly from one idea to the next. Here are a few common transition words and phrases.

According to, although, another, after, because, finally, first, for example, fortunately, however, lastly, maybe, meanwhile, next, now, perhaps, since, sometimes, soon, still, then, though, unfortunately, unless, until, when, whether, while,

In the following example, the transition words are in bold red.

What is the first sign of spring? Perhaps the first sign is the sound of birds singing again after a long winter. For some people, however, the first sign of spring is water in the basement. Unfortunately, we had a big flood in our basement last week.

Transition sets can be used to link or sequence ideas in a paragraph.

Basic Transition sets:

A good – an even better – the best

First of all – more importantly

First – next – finally

One – also – another – finally

To begin – after that – then – next – finally

First – second – third

At first – after the first step - then – after – later – to end with

Figurative language

Similes: Similes use the words like or as to compare two unlike things. They help the reader see things in a new way.

Examples: The leaves were as bright as fire in the afternoon sun. Sara swam like a seal.

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Metaphors: Metaphors are a special type of comparison. Two things are compared without using like or as.

Examples: A blanket of snow covered the fields after the storm. He is a lion in battle. The typical teenage boy’s room is a disaster area.

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Personifications: Personification is another kind of comparison. The writer describes an animal or object as if it had human characteristics.

Examples: The stars danced playfully in the moonlit sky. She did not realize that opportunity was knocking at her door. He did not realize that his last chance was walking out the door.

The Comma [ , ]

A comma is used to separate elements in a sentence and to tell the reader to pause.

Rule 1: Commas separate the words in a list or series. When there are three or more words or phrases in a list, put a comma between each one. Use the word and before the last word or phrase on the list. Example: She carried a math book, a notebook, a pen, and her lunch in her backpack.

Rule 2: Commas separate the words in a date or address. Use a comma after the date if there is more of a sentence to follow. Example: On Tuesday, April 23, the class will go on a field trip to the zoo. Example: My family live in Maidan Hawalli, Kuwait.

Rule 3: Commas separate an introductory word or phrase from the rest of the sentence.Example: No thanks, I think I’ll stay here. Example: At the beginning, we weren’t sure what to expect.

Rule 4: Commas set off the name of a person being addressed. Example: Salman enjoys cooking with his older sister, Alghalia.

Rule 5: Use a comma in a compound sentence. Place the comma before the conjunction (and, but, or) that joins the two main parts of the sentence. Example: I go to Lincoln Elementary School, but my brother goes to AIS.

Rule 6: Use a comma to set off a quotation from the rest of a sentence. Example: Dina said, “we should go to a restaurant tonight.” “I have to study, but maybe tomorrow,” Danah said.

Rule 7: Use a comma between the name of the city and the name of the state, province, or country. Example: She lives in Paris, France. I live in Maidan Hawalli, Kuwait.

Apostrophes’

An apostrophe shows that one or more letters are left out and a contraction has replaced the original word.

(do not – don’t), (they are – they’re), (I will – I’ll), (you have – you’ve)

An apostrophe shows ownership or possession.

(Tim’s glove), (the cat’s food), (the class’s teacher)

Quotation marks

Quotation marks show the actual words that someone speaks.

Rules

1. Put the words a person says inside the quotation marks.

(“what can it mean?” I asked.)

2. If you start the sentence by telling who is speaking, use a comma before the quotation marks

(Abdul shouted, “Its recess.”

3. Use a comma if you show who is speaking after the quotation marks.

(“Let’s play together,” Kareem replied.)

4. Put a period, at the end of a quotation, inside the quotation marks.

(“I don’t know what I would do without him.”

5. Start a new paragraph every time a different person speaks .

Graphic Organizer for Chapter Summary

1. Topic sentence – The topic sentence should include the main or big idea. What does the author want me to know or think about?

2. The 2nd sentence should describe something about the setting, the mood or feeling.

3. The 3rd sentence should include the main characters in the chapter.

4. The 4th sentence should be about the action or problem, and a response to the problem.

5. Finish your summary by asking a question and making a prediction.- I wonder why…how…what…what if…- I think…will happen because…- I bet…because- I predict that…

Example:

Over the first few chapters, Stanley Yelnats travelled to and then arrived at Camp Green Lake Juvenile Correctional Facility. He quickly became aware that the camp was a dry lake with few buildings, fewer trees, and stifling heat. Stanley met a camp counselor wearing sunglasses, a cowboy hat, and a rattle snake tattoo. His name was Mr. Sir. After travelling 9 hours across a vast wasteland, Stanley was very disappointed that the camp was nothing like he expected. I predict that Stanley will not like it there. I wonder if Stanley will run away.

Novel Study

Students are expected to write daily notes (point form) based on setting, characters, problems and plot.

Daily page setup

Setting: Where is the story taking place? What is the mood? What is the feeling? What time of day or night is it?

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Characters: Who are the main characters that you are reading about at this time in the story?

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Plot: What is the main problem at this moment? Is there a solution?

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Main idea: What was the main idea of the chapter/s?

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Predictions: What do you think will happen next

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Can you list any?

Nouns/verbs/adjectives/adverbs/pronouns/prepositions/conjunctions/

Interjections/compound sentence/

Figurative language (similes, metaphors, personifications)

Expository WritingExpository writing is a nonfiction text that provides information.

Examples of expository writing are History reports, Science journals, Newspaper articles and Descriptive essays.

Informational texts includeTitleIntroduction Body of supporting paragraghs - - -Conclusion Labeled diagrams where necessary

Developing your ideas

One of the first tasks you will face when you write something is deciding what you want to say. This is true even when someone else suggests an idea or topic for your writing.

Think about your own experiences Skim books for more ideas Talk with friends for their input. Brainstorm ideas that you have about the specific topic,

jotting down every idea that you can think of, while adding the ideas of others.

Planning your writing

When you are working on a longer piece of writing, it can be helpful to make a plan before you start.

A simple plan could include

A few notes listing your ideas A list of some sources of information you want to check A list of the facts you want to present A graphic organizer

Expository essay organizer

Title: ___________________

Paragraph 1 (introduction)

Main Idea/Topic Sentence: _____________________________________

Supporting ideas:

Topic sentence for paragraph 2 __________________________________

Topic sentence for paragraph 3 __________________________________

Topic sentence for paragraph 4___________________________________

Conclusion sentence: __________________________________________

Paragraph 2

Restate the topic found in the second sentence of the introduction.

Detail and/or example to support and explain your topic for paragraph 2

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Detail and/or example to support and explain your topic for paragraph 2

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Detail and/or example to support and explain your topic for paragraph 2

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Transition sentence to conclude paragraph 2 and highlight paragraph 3

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Paragraph 3

Restate the topic found in the third sentence of the introduction.

Detail and/or example to support and explain your topic for paragraph 3

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Detail and/or example to support and explain your topic for paragraph 3

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Detail and/or example to support and explain your topic for paragraph 3

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Transition sentence to conclude paragraph 3 and highlight paragraph 4

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Paragraph 4

Restate the topic found in the fourth sentence of the introduction.

Detail and/or example to support and explain your topic for paragraph 4

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Detail and/or example to support and explain your topic for paragraph 4

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Detail and/or example to support and explain your topic for paragraph 4

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Transition sentence to conclude paragraph 2 and highlight conclusion

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CONCLUSION

Restate Main Idea: ____________________________________________________________

Restate Supporting ideas:

1 __________________________________________________________

2 _________________________________________________________

3 __________________________________________________________

Finish the essay with a comparison or fact.

Paraphrasing – for unfamiliar and hard to understand words, use a parenthesis and a definition beside each word.

Write a sentence from your research.

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Now write the sentence, in your own words, without looking at it, as you understand it.

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Procedural writingProcedural writing is used to explain or instruct, typically using a series of steps using transition words and transition sets. The two most important characteristics of procedural writing are

1.The clarity of ideas The title must be clear and must state the goal. All the materials and quantities must be stated clearly The instructions must be explicit

2.The sequencing of the text Linking or transitional words explicitly convey the

process in a logical manner (“first,” “then,” “next,” “after,” “finally”).

Remember, the reader must be able to follow the instructions without assistance.

Most procedural writing texts follow this structure:Goal: This is usually stated in the title “how to build a display shelf”Steps/Method: a series of clearly numbered steps beginning with short clear words such as “first,” “then,” “next,” “after,” “finally.” Some steps may include a diagram.

Basic Transition sets:

A good – an even better – the best

First of all – more importantly

First – next – finally

One – also – another – finally

To begin – after that – then – next – finally

First – second – third

At first – then – after – later

Procedural writing models

Step by step method

1st step: From Mr. Lavictoire’s class, walk 37 meters Southeast to the stairs.

2nd step: Next, walk to the bottom of the stairs.

3rd step: At the bottom of the stairs, turn Northeast and walk 4 meters and stop.

4th step: After that, turn East and walk 16 meters.

5th step: Finally, turn West and walk until you reach the designated area.

Single Paragraph method

If you follow these directions from Mr. Lavictoire’s class, You will arrive at designated area. To begin with, walk 37 meters southeast to the stairs. After that, proceed to the bottom of the stairs. Then, turn northwest and continue 4 meters and stop. Next, travel east 16 meters. Finally, turn west and advance until you reach the designated area.

Persuasive Writing

The purpose of persuasive writing is to convince the reader to agree with your point of view. It is used in opinion reports, movie reviews, advertisements, and in many speeches. Persuasive writing usually has An introduction, body, and conclusions

A main idea (thesis) Strong arguments that prove the main idea (facts and reasons)

Helpful hints

State your point of view clearly at the start.

Include at least three good arguments.

Choose a tone that works well (for example, serious, humorous, angry, or excited).

Summarize your point of view with a strong statement.

Persuasive writing – Gr. 4 – generic

The paper should include...

1. An introduction that includes a question, a topic sentence, 3 supporting arguments, and a conclusion that states your opinion.

2. 3 Paragraphs that support the advantages or disadvantages and identifies the stakeholders of your topic of interest.

3. A conclusion that sums up the paper. The conclusion should restate your opinion, give the alternative, and has clear call to action.

Introduction

1st paragraph - Introduction

Create a question related to your topic.

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Topic sentence

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Describe an advantage/disadvantage that supports your opinion (least important)

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Describe an advantage/disadvantage that supports your opinion

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Describe an advantage/disadvantage that supports your opinion (most important)

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Conclusion: state you opinion

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2nd paragraph – 1st supporting argument – least important argument

1. Topic sentence _____________________________________________

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2. Detail ___________________________________________________________

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3. Detail ____________________________________________________________

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4. Detail ____________________________________________________________

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5. Transition sentence _________________________________________________

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3rd paragraph – 2nd supporting argument

1. Topic sentence _____________________________________________________

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2. Detail ___________________________________________________________

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3. Detail ____________________________________________________________

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4. Detail ____________________________________________________________

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5. Transition sentence _________________________________________________

4th paragraph – 3rd supporting argument – most important argument

1. Topic sentence _____________________________________________________

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2. Detail ___________________________________________________________

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3. Detail ____________________________________________________________

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4. Detail ____________________________________________________________

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5. Transition sentence _________________________________________________

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5th paragraph – conclusion

Restate your opinion _______________________________________________________

Sum up your reasons ________________________________________________________

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Infer what could happen if action isn’t taken _____________________________________

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Conclude with a clear call for action _____________________________________________

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Persuasive writing – Gr. 4 – Energy unit

Students will write a persuasive paper on a source of energy.

The paper should include...

A hook or question or statementAn introduction that includes an opinion3 Paragraphs that support the advantages or disadvantages of this source of energy. One paragraph should include the concept - renewable resource - and whether or not their source of energy is renewable.A conclusion that sums up the paper. The conclusion should state whether this source of energy contributes to a sustainable world.

Alternative Energy - Introduction

1. Burning fossil fuels is the number one source for energy around the world.2. Coal is a natural resource that we use as a source of energy, but burning coal and

other fossil fuels for energy has disadvantages.3. Fossil fuels are a non-renewable resource. 4. Mining coal can destroy vast areas of landscape. 5. Burning coal and other fossil fuels produce harmful emissions, and contributes to

the greenhouse effect.6. The more we learn about sustainability, the less likely we are to continue burning

fossil fuels.

2nd paragraph

1. Coal and other fossil fuels are a non-renewable source of energy.2. Once we burn the coal to create electricity, the coal is gone. 3. When we burn all the fossil fuels, there will be no more.4. Our consumption of fossil fuels doubles every 20 years.5. One prediction has us running out of coal in less than 20 years.6. Unlike coal, the wind and sun will not run out, therefore they are considered

renewable resources.

3rd paragraph

1. Mining coal destroys the environment and landscape.

2. Strip mining involves scraping away the earth to get at the coal. 3. Strip mining destroys landscapes, forests and wild life habitat at the site of the mine.4. After, when rain falls, the earth erodes and the loosened earth is carried to existing

streams and rivers, and pollutes them. 5. The result is a barren land that stays contaminated long after the coal mine shuts down.6. But, using coal destroys more than just the land.

4th paragraph

1. Burning coal releases sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. 2. Sulfur dioxide causes acid rain, which kills plant life and coral reefs.3. Burning fossil fuels is the leading source of Carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere,

and the carbon dioxide prevents excess surface heat from radiating away from the Earth.4. This causes global warming, and global warming is responsible for the melting of glaciers,

the rising sea levels, and the extreme weather patterns of the past few years.5. The melting of glaciers may cause further global warming by eliminating the Earth’s

reflective surface.

Conclusion

1. Relying on coal and other fossil fuels does not contribute to a sustainable world.2. Strip mining kills ecosystems and habitats.3. Global warming causes changing temperatures, which is a crucial component to all of

the Earth’s biomes.4. Global warming reduces the Earth’s reflective surface, and contributes to even higher

global temperatures. 5. In order for life to continue on Earth, the negative human impact from mining and

burning coal must be stopped.

Introduction

Name your source of energy and your opinion about the source.

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Is it a renewable resource?

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Describe an advantage/disadvantage of this source of energy?

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Describe an advantage/disadvantage of this source of energy?

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Conclusion: Does this source of energy contribute to a sustainable world?

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2nd paragraph

Is it a renewable resource? ___________________________________________________

What is a renewable resource? ________________________________________________

Why is it important?________________________________________________________

Make a comparison to a non-renewable resource.________________________________

Transition sentence? ____________________________________________________________

3rd paragraph

Describe an advantage/disadvantage of this source of energy? Don’t forget to transition.

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4th paragraph

Describe an advantage/disadvantage of this source of energy? Don’t forget to transition.

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Conclusion

Conclusion:

Describe sustainability

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Does this source of energy contribute to a sustainable world?

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Describe how your chosen source of energy affects the sustainability of the world.

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In your opinion, should we continue to use this source of energy?

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Bibliography:

Paraphrasing steps

1. Read

2. Think

3. Write (your understanding)

Have students use parenthesis around important word meanings.

Story MapTitle: Author:

Setting:Where does your story take place?

When does your story take place?

How much does your setting affect your main character’s problem?

Main Characters:Who has the problem?

Who is causing the problem?

Who is helping you?

Conflict or problem: (person vs himself, person vs person, person vs nature, person vs society)What is your main character’s problem?

Is it a big enough problem that it will take a whole story to solve it?

How does your character try and fail to solve the problem?

Event 1

Event 2

Event 3

Resolution: the best stories come from when you think the main character is just about to give up and then they finally solve the problem.

Ending – lesson learned:

Narrative WritingPart One: Ideas

People often wonder where writers get their ideas for stories. It takes so many ideas to make a story or a novel! Here's a secret: writers don't think of all those ideas. They steal them! Not really, but they find ideas from many sources and combine them to make an original story.

Look for ideas in real life, such as funny quotes, interesting people, or occurrences at school.

Consider your favorite stories. You can use elements of them to make a new story.

Brainstorm! Combine several ideas to form the basis of a new story. For example, Harry Potter books combine school, sports, destiny, a kid in a "Cinderella" type situation, battles between good and evil, and magic to create compelling stories.

Part Two: Sketch the "basics" of your story

1. Sympathetic character

2. Who faces a problem

3. Character solves problem

Don't get into details, but have an idea of your main character and the conflict.

Part Three: Fill in the details: Character and Conflict

Characters

First, build your main character. Here are important traits of a main character:

Has a problem or need. Has the ability to solve the problem, whether or not he knows

it (there's usually more suspense if he doesn't). Often has a flaw to overcome to solve the problem or win the

reward.

Then, think about your secondary characters: the main character's friends and enemies. To get you started, I've listed some types of secondary characters, along with famous examples of each.

Villains: Block the main character from reaching goals. (The Green Goblin in Spider-Man)

Allies: Assist the main character in reaching goals. (Robin in Batman)

Mentors: Wise characters that help the main character. (Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars)

Jokers: Lighten things up! Often the main character's best friend is a joker. (Donkey in Shrek)

Tips on creating characters:

If you already have a plot in mind, think of who needs this plot -- who has a need the plot's reward would fulfill? Who could grow by overcoming the obstacles? That is your main character.

Combine different types of characters. Examples: a funny villain (Dr. Evil in Austin Powers); a mentor who is also a joker (Hagrid in Harry Potter); a villain that becomes an ally and helps the main character solve the real problem (Floop in Spy Kids).

Conflict -- a storyteller's best friend

The stronger the story problem, the stronger the story. Don't be nice to your character! Create obstacles to the goal.

The story is more exciting that way, the character learns more, and the reward is more valuable since the character worked so hard for it.

The classic conflicts: These are ideas to get you started.

Person versus person: The most popular, since conflicts between people are the most interesting to readers. (Example: Cinderella and her wicked stepmother)

Person versus himself: Conflict between good and evil or strengths and weaknesses in a character. This is deep stuff and not usually the main conflict. (Example: The Grinch is evil and hates Christmas, but he is not evil at heart -- he is like that because someone hurt him. The Grinch feels inner conflict over the good and evil inside of him.)

Person versus nature: Usually involves natural disasters or survival skills. This conflict is exciting, but often difficult to write about at length. (Example: The character in Jurassic Park must survive in and escape from a dangerous land of dinosaurs.)

Tips on creating conflict

Combine different types of conflict. Maybe your characters struggle to survive and fight among themselves.

Add more conflicts and obstacles if your story seems slow or not "big" enough.

Before you write, know how the problem will be solved. Don't write yourself into a hole!

The main character must solve the problem. Don't have someone (or something) enter at the last minute and save the day.

Part Four: Planning the Plot

Character and conflict are the heart of your story. The plot is just the

sequence of events that happen as the character faces problems. Here are a few things to remember about plotting:

A plot is based on cause and effect. The plot follows the effects of the character's actions and

decisions. Avoid a series of events. You want a chain of events, each

affecting the next. Each link in the chain should be necessary to your story!

Elements of most plots

Plan these scenes and you should be ready to write. I've used examples from the movie Shrek.

"Get the story going" event: Show character's problem & event that starts adventure. (Shrek's swamp is ruined when Lord Farquaad puts fairy tale creatures there. Lord Farquaad promises to remove the fairy tale creatures after Shrek rescues Princess Fiona.)

Adventure scene(s): Meet friends & enemies, face obstacles, learn lessons, prepare for...(Shrek meets Donkey, they rescue Princess Fiona and set off for Duloc. Along the way, they become friends and have adventures, like fighting Robin Hood and his Merry Men.)

THE BIG EVENT: Everything is on the line. Most exciting part of story. (The wedding scene.)

Wrap-up: Tie up the loose ends and hand out rewards & punishments. (Shrek marries Fiona, Donkey falls in love with the dragon, and Farquaad is eaten by the dragon.)

Part Five: Plan your scenes

Scenes: how you show your plot

Decide how to show action, plot, character interactions, lessons characters learn, etc. Example: Don't just say, "Alex was shy." Have Alex demonstrate shyness by the way he interacts with others. Later, show Alex has gotten over his shyness by having him face someone he was previously afraid of.

Each scene needs a beginning, middle, and end. See if you can use the end of one scene to transition to the beginning of another, and so on.

Don't write a short scene for a major event, and don't make a scene out of something that doesn't need to be. Example: If several uneventful days go by as a character waits for important test results, don't write several day's worth of boring events. Skip to the test results and show the character has waited for days.

Setting

Plan your setting -- know details about it. This makes your story more vivid.

Setting helps you avoid "floating" scenes -- conversation or action that could be happening anywhere.

Setting adds atmosphere to scenes. Example: In a beach story, a character might compare Aunt Mary's screeching to a seagull. In a city story, Aunt Mary might remind the character of a burglar alarm.

In some books, the setting is like a character. Example: Survival stories like Gary Paulsen's Hatchet.

Dialogue

Dialogue does many things for your story.

Reveals character (especially through reactions) Advances plot Brings scenes to life Adjusts the story's pace TAKES UP SPACE!!! (Start a new paragraph every time a new

character speaks. This takes up space, which is useful if you need a story of a certain length.)

Tips on writing dialogue

Avoid long greetings and goodbyes. These slow the story and add little.

Convey character by showing a character's reaction or way of speaking.

Don't use dialogue as a substitute for action. Example: If you have an earthquake in your story, write a great earthquake scene with lots of action. Don't have a character say "Oh! An earthquake!" and leave it at that.

Setting

Plan your setting -- know details about it. This makes your story more vivid.

Setting helps you avoid "floating" scenes -- conversation or action that could be happening anywhere.

Setting adds atmosphere to scenes. Example: In a beach story, a character might compare Aunt Mary's screeching to a seagull. In a city story, Aunt Mary might remind the character of a burglar alarm.

In some books, the setting is like a character. Example: Survival stories like Gary Paulsen's Hatchet.

Start with a bang! Your story's opening scene

Start with the day that is different -- the day the hero is called to adventure

Start your story as close to the "big event" as you can Show the main character and the problem, or hint at the

problem. Use action to get your story rolling and make your reader want

to see what happens next.

Part Six: Write - I don't write until I've planned my character, conflict, scenes, and especially my opening. In your rough draft, just concentrate on getting it all on paper. You can go back and fix things later.

Part Seven: Revise - It's important to correct spelling and grammar mistakes, but first, make sure your story is in good shape. Look at your plan again and make sure that you showed those things in your story. Here are two examples:

Sometimes writers plan a great character, but reread their rough draft and discover they left out important information about the character. Check that you showed the character's problem, strengths, and weaknesses.

Sometimes writers find that important parts of their BIG SCENE were not properly set up earlier in the story. For example, if your character solves a riddle in the big scene, you need to show earlier in the story that your character is good at riddles.

I hope these tips help you create wonderful stories! Have fun! Good luck!

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