Forms of Literature

6th Grade Reading

Created by:

Ms. Peldonia

Objective We will distinguish the

important elements and characteristics of all the genres using guided note-taking, crossword puzzle, Loopwriter game, and a review test.

1. Novel or Novella

Long works of prose fiction that tell a story about imaginary people or animals called characters that live in a made-up world, or setting.

Novellas are briefer than a novel.

2. Short StoryA brief work of prose fiction that tells

about imaginary people or animals called characters.

3. NonfictionNonfiction tells a story of a person’s life,

narrates a series of true events, describes a real scene, and/or presents information.

Examples of NonfictionAutobiography – the

story of parts or all of a person’s life, written by that person (all true events)

Biography – an author tells a story of someone else’s life (usually of a person whose life has a special meaning)

Exposition – to present and explain information

Informal Text – ranging from directions and warranties to maps and contracts, they are real-world texts that you encounter as you manage your daily life

Essays are another form of nonfiction

Essay – brief prose works about a particular subject

There are four different types of nonfiction essays.

1.Reflective – explore an author’s thoughts about ideas or experiences

2.Narrative – tells a story of actual events

3.Descriptive – presents people, situations, or places

4.Persuasive – tries to convince readers to think or act in a certain way

4. PoetryPoetry is literature that appears in verse form.

Forms and Purposes Elegy – relatively long formal poem about death

or other serious topics Epic – long narrative poem that conveys the

adventures of heroic characters and is connected to the history of a nation, race, or religion.

Ode – dignifies uplifting lyrics written to celebrate a person, place, thing or event

Sonnet – 14-line lyric poem with one of several rhymes schemes.

5. Drama Drama can be written in prose or

poetry. Drama tells a story through the words

and actions of actors who impersonate the characters.

Text contains the characters’ spoken words, or dialogue, and bracketed information, called stage directions.

6. The American Folk Traditions

Myths, tales, ballads, and tall tales all make up this rugged, outdoor literature.

They were shaped by singers and storytellers around campfires for generations before being brought to the “indoors” of a printed page.

American Folk Terms Folk Tale – a story passed down by word of

mouth for the purpose of teaching the ideas and values of a culture.

When reading folk tale you should notice certain elements of the culture that produce them.

A specific setting such as a desert or riverside landscape.

The unique rituals and customs of a group. The values or beliefs that people hold. Specific dialect, or the patterns of speech

that are characteristic of a cultural group or region

More American Folk Terms Myth – tales of gods, heroes, and

animals that explain natural occurrences or customs and beliefs

Tall Tale – a humorous story that recounts exaggerated events in a matter-of-fact way, using the everyday speech of the common people

That’s all folks!