Interpretive Writing
Responding to Literature
This
type of writing:
Þ
Develops an idea about a
story rather than just retells or summarizes
Þ
Clearly identifies claims
about the subject
Þ
Convinces audience that
these claims are justified
Þ
Demonstrates that the
writer knows the subject well
Þ
Gather specific and
relevant evidence from the text
Þ
Has interesting and on
target ideas about the subject
Þ
Makes it clear when evident
matters
Þ
Only retells and summarizes
when retelling is purposeful – i.e. has evidence to support claims writer is
making.
Writer must ask
him/herself…”How relevant is my evidence?”
Writing
a Response to Literature…Quick Checklist
____
Identify the author and the title of the work
____
Begin by summarizing the work
____
State a thesis or argument clearly and concisely
____Organize your argument in a logical way
____
Build your argument by…quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing
specific parts of the story
____
Make connections between your ideas and evidence by explaining how
you think the evidence
supports you ideas.
____
Organize your essay by providing transitions between paragraphs and
sentences
____
Restate your thesis in the last paragraph
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Grade 4:
Response to Literature
|
Grade 5:
Response to Literature
(500-700 Words) |
|
a. Demonstrate
an understanding of the literary work
b. Support
judgments through references to both the text and prior knowledge |
a. Demonstrate
an understanding of the literary work
b. Support
judgments through references to both the text and prior knowledge
c. Develop
interpretations that exhibit careful reading and understanding |
|
Grade 6:
Response to Literature
(500-700 Words) |
Grade 7-8:
Response to Literature
(500-700 Words) |
|
a. Organize and
interpretation that demonstrates careful reading, understanding and
insight
b. Organize the
interpretation using clear ideas or images
c. Develop and
justify the interpretation through examples and evidence from the
text |
a. Organize and
interpretation that demonstrates careful reading, understanding and
insight
b. Organize the
interpretation using clear ideas or images from other literary work
c. Develop and
justify the interpretation through examples and evidence from the
text |
Link to
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3r d Grade:
Narrative Analysis |
4th Grade
Narrative Analysis |
5th Grade
Narrative Analysis |
|
a.
Comprehend basic plots of classic fairy tales, myths,
folktales, legends, and fables from around the world. b. Determine
what characters are like by what the say or do and by how the author
or illustrator portrays them. c. Determine
the underlying theme or author’s message in fiction and nonfiction
text. d.
Recognize the similarities of sounds in words and rhythmic
patterns (e.g. alliteration, onomatopoeia) in a selection. |
a.
Identify the main events of the plot, their causes, and the
influence of each event on future actions. b.
Use knowledge of the situation and setting of a character’s
traits and motivations to determine the causes for that character’s
actions. c. Compare and
contrast tales from different cultures by tracing the exploits of
one character type and develop theories to account for similar takes
in diverse cultures (e.g. trickster takes). d.
Define figurative language (e.g. simile, metaphor, hyperbole,
personification) and identify its use in literary works. |
a.
Identify the main problem or conflict of the plot and explain
how it is resolved. b. Contrast the
actions, motives (e.g. loyalty, selfishness, conscientiousness), and
appearances of characters in a work of fiction and discuss the
importance of the contrast to the plot or theme. c.
Understand that theme refers to the meaning or moral of a
selection and recognize themes (whether implied or stated directly)
in sample works. d.
Describe the function and effects of common literary devices
(e.g., imagery, metaphor, symbolism. |
|
6th Grade:
Narrative Analysis |
7th
Grade
Narrative Analysis |
8th Grade
Narrative Analysis |
|
a.
Analyze the effect of the qualities
of the character (e.g., courage or cowardice, ambition or
laziness) on the ploy and the resolution of the conflict. b. Analyze the
influence of setting on the problem and its resolution. c.
Define how tone or meaning is conveyed in poetry through word
choice, figurative language, sentence structure, line length,
punctuation, rhythm, repetition, and rhyme. d.
Identify the speaker and recognize the difference between
first-and-third-person narration
(e.g., autobiography, compared with
biography). e. Identify and
analyze features of themes conveyed through characters, actions, and
images. f.
Explain the effects of common literary devices (e.g.,
symbolism, imagery, metaphor) in a variety of fictional and
non-fictional texts. |
a.
Identify events that advance the plot and determine how each
event explains past or present actions(s) or foreshadows future
action(s). b.
Analyze characterizations as delineated through a character’s
thoughts, words, speech patterns, and actions: the narrator’s
description; and the thoughts, words, and actions of other
characters. c.
Identify and analyze recurring themes across works (e.g., the
value of bravery, loyalty, and friendship; the effects of
loneliness). d. Contrast
point of view (e.g., first and third person, limited and omniscient,
subjective and objective) in narrative text and explain how they
affect the overall theme of the work. |
a.
Evaluate the structural elements of the plot (e.g., subplots,
parallel episodes, climax), the plot’s development, and the way in
which conflicts are (or are not) addressed and resolved. b.
Compare and contrast motivations and reactions of literary
characters from different historical eras confronting similar
situations or conflicts. c.
Analyze the relevance of the setting (e.g., place, time,
customs) to the mood, tone, and meaning of the text. d.
Identify and analyze recurring themes (e.g. good versus evil)
across traditional and contemporary works. e.
Identify significant literary devices (e.g., metaphor,
symbolism, dialect, irony) that define a writer’s style and use
those elements to interpret the work. |