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The structure of a narrative

English - Flood by Jackie French

Miss Winning

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Exercise book or paper

Pencil

Image credit: Pixabay

In this lesson, you will need:

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Intro quiz

Recap previous lessons

The structure of a narrative

Activity

Exit quiz

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Keywords

A narrative is a piece of writing that tells a story.

Events are the things that take place in the story.

Narrative structure is the parts of the story and the way they are all used together.

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The structure of a narrative

Opening/orientation
Build up
Problem/complication
Resolution
Ending

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Pause point

How many parts are there in the narrative structure?

There are five parts in the narrative structure.

Opening/orientation
Build up
Problem/complication
Resolution
Ending

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The structure of a narrative

Opening/ orientation	The first part of the story. Introduces character and setting. Uses exciting describing words to help the reader imagine the scene.

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The structure of a narrative

Build up	What are the events leading up to the problem?

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The structure of a narrative

Problem/ complication	What goes wrong? Explanation of the problem and response to the problem.

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The structure of a narrative

Resolution	How is the problem solved? Explanation of the solution and response to the solution.

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The structure of a narrative

Ending	How does your story end? How do the characters feel at the end of the story?

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Pause point

In what part of a narrative is the problem solved?

Pause the video while you think of the answer.

The problem is solved in the resolution.

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The structure of a narrative: ‘Incy Wincy Spider’

Opening/ orientation	Character: Incy Wincy Spider. Setting: In the garden.
Build up	Incy Wincy Spider climbed up the water spout.
Problem/ complication	Down came the rain and washed poor Incy out.
Resolution	Out came the sunshine and dried up all the rain.
Ending	And Incy Wincy Spider climbed up the spout again.

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Sometimes a story might have more than one problem.

For example, the story of ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’.

Problem 1

Goldilocks eats all of Baby Bear’s porridge.

Problem 2

Goldilocks breaks Baby Bear’s chair.

Problem 3

Goldilocks is sleeping in Baby Bear’s bed.

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Pause point

Can you think of another fairy tale that has more than one problem?

Pause the video while you think of a fairy tale.

The Three Little Pigs is another example of a fairy tale with more than one problem.

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The book Flood is another example of a story with multiple problems.

“The rain turned savage.”
“The wall of water surged into the river” and the river rose.
“Trees and sofas sucked and swirled in the torrent.” Buildings and boats were destroyed by the river.
“The cables of the boardwalk snapped. A kilometre of wood and metal became a weapon of the flood.”

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Source: Flood (Scholastic Australia), Jackie French and Bruce Whatley, used with the kind permission of Scholastic Australia.

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The book Flood also has multiple smaller resolutions throughout the story.

“The rain stopped.”
“Volunteers filled sandbags to hold the river back.”
A tiny tugboat nudged the boardwalk out to sea.
Strangers offered help.

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Source: Flood (Scholastic Australia), Jackie French and Bruce Whatley, used with the kind permission of Scholastic Australia.

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Pause the video to complete your task

Resume once you’re finished

Task

Choose a fairy tale or story you know well. In your exercise book, draw a table to show the narrative structure of the story you have chosen.

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Task answers: Incy Wincy Spider

Opening/ orientation	Character: Incy Wincy Spider. Setting: In the garden.
Build up	Incy Wincy Spider climbed up the water spout.
Problem/ complication	Down came the rain and washed poor Incy out.
Resolution	Out came the sunshine and dried up all the rain.
Ending	And Incy Wincy Spider climbed up the spout again.

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Intro quiz

Recap previous lessons

The structure of a narrative

Activity

Exit quiz

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