RL 6.3 - RI 6.3 Station Information (Math Conference)

Essential Skills/Concepts Related to RL 6.3

Character and Setting

CHARACTERS ARE THE people, animals, or lifelike objects in a story. Since the author makes up the characters, they can be anything he or she wishes, from real-life humans to aliens to talking cars! Characters show what they’re like through their words and actions, and how they respond to other characters.

Example

In Persia, there lived two brothers: Casmir and Ali Baba. Brothers they were, but as different as day and night. Casmir, the older brother, married a rich woman, though she was often mean to him and others. He became a wealthy merchant. But Ali Baba married a sweet girl who was very, very poor. Love he had, but he had to work hard cutting wood and selling it in the marketplace.

Each character, like those in Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves and other stories in this book, has special traits, or qualities. One character may be tall, angry, and dishonest. Another may be gentle, thoughtful, and heroic. Having a variety of characters in a story makes it more interesting.

The setting of a story is where and when it takes place. In Ali Baba, it was Persia. Most stories have more than one setting. Each is important to what happens in the story.

Example

On Saturday morning, the family packed the car and left for a camping trip on Mount Vista. Later that day, Mr. Maxim and the two boys left their campsite and headed up the mountain. A sudden snowstorm swept through the area that night. And Monday morning a distressed Mrs. Maxim walked to the nearest state police post to report that her husband and boys were missing.

Here the settings are the family home, the campsite, and the police station. As you read, note different characters and settings, and how a setting can influence what characters do or how they speak. For example, at home Mrs. Maxim might be very calm and friendly, but at the police station, she may stammer or cry as she speaks very formally to the officers.

 Essential Skills/Concepts Related to RL 6.3

Plot: Conflict and Resolution

A PLOT IS the sequence of events in a story. The beginning, or exposition, explains a character’s conflict, or problem. The main part tells how the character tries to solve the problem with rising action that leads to a climax, or turning point. That’s when someone usually realizes how to solve the problem. Then there’s falling action that leads to the resolution, or end. It tells how the problem is finally solved, or occasionally, it not solved. Some people might call that an unhappy ending!

Here’s a look at plot parts, using the familiar story of the Pilgrims’ 1620 voyage on the Mayflower.

THE PILGRIM STORY: BASIC PLOT

Exposition	tells the problem, or conflict	Some people in seventeenth century England are persecuted. They need to go somewhere safe.
Rising Action	main part of the story	In September 1620, some 102 people, along with their animals, furniture, and supplies needed for a new life, head for America aboard Mayflower over rough seas. On the grueling 65-day voyage, many people are sick, some die, and a baby is born.
Climax	turning point toward a  solution to the problem	November 9: The crew spots land off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The ship heads south to Virginia, where Pilgrims have permission to settle. Bad weather and dangerously shallow water force the captain to turn back north.
Falling Action	events from the climax to the solution	November 11: The ship lands in Massachusetts. The Pilgrims come ashore to explore the area. They decide to settle in Plymouth, and live on the ship while building on shore.
Resolution	problem is solved	Early 1621: The Pilgrims move into their new homes in America at Plymouth Plantation.

Essential Skills/Concepts Related to RL 6.3/RI 6.3

Problem and Solution

A SUMMARY IS a short retelling of a story or an event. You summarize every time you tell friends about your vacation or a movie you saw. You can’t tell everything, so you tell what’s most important: the main idea and a few details.

Usually, you can do this in just a few sentences. Here’s an event and summary:

What Happened

Sara goes shopping at the mall over the weekend. She runs into an old friend, Chris, who’d moved away last year. They have lunch together and Sara discovers that Chris’s family will be moving back to town next month, so he’ll be going to her school again. Chris says he hopes he’ll be able to get back on the school soccer team since he’s on a winning team where he’s been living.

Sara’s Summary: Guess who I ran into at the mall, whose family’s moving back to town? Chris . . . and he thinks he’ll probably be back on our soccer team!

You can summarize a story or article; or just a part of it.

Text

Archaeologists learn about the past by studying things ancient people left behind. The people can be grouped by the technology they used: Stone Age people used stone tools; Bronze Age people first made metal tools. A painting or carving may show people in carts. That’s technology. Scraps of material are clues to how people used technology to make clothing. And written journals tell how people used technology to make medicines from plants.

Summary: Scientists find evidence of how people used technology during their lifetimes. Different technologies were used at different times in history to make tools, clothing, art, vehicles, and medicines.

Posters, book covers, and ads are summaries. They give all the most important information about something in a small space! Sometimes you have to write or give an oral book report, and on many tests, you’re asked to write a short essay about a selection. That’s why it’s important to learn to look for the most important facts and sharpen your summarizing skills!