Who is telling the Story?  By Maria Perez  Grand Canyon University: TEC 546  May 29, 2012

Objective:  By the end of the lesson  S2-C1-P06 I will be able to identify the speaker or narrator in a literacy selection.  4W4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

It’s about who is telling the story  To tell who is telling the story focus on the voice.  Focus of narration not dialogue.  Narration is when the someone is telling a story, or is the voice of the story.  Dialogue is when the characters in a story are speaking.  Dialogue is separated by “quotation marks”

There are three different point-of view: First-Person, Second-Person, Third-Person First- Person The narrator is part of the story. Author’s keywords: I, me, we, us, our, my, mine Second- Person Usually for instructions. Author’s keywords: you and yours Third- Person Narrator is not involve, it is the voice of the story. The author use the names of characters, he, she, their, them

Examples First- Person I had a great time at the movie theater. Second- Person You will have a great time at the movie theater. Third- Person Maria had a great time at the movie theater.

Time for you to practice  First, read the passage  Next, on a piece of paper write the narrator or point-of-view  First-Person  Second-Person  Third-Person

Passage 1 From A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle In the Time novels, Meg and Polly ask some big questions. Many of us ask these questions as we’re growing up, but we tend to let them go because there’s so much else to do. I write the books I do because I’m still asking the questions. One physicist says that the big question is: Are we alone in the universe or not? I go out at night and look at the starts, hundreds of billions of starts, and think that there are surely other galaxies whose solar systems include planets with thinking life…..

Passage 2 From Bridge to Terbithia by Katherine Paterson “Were you going, Jess?” May Bell lifted herself up sleepily from the double bed where she and Joyce Ann slept. “Sh.” he warned. The walls were thin. Momma would be mad as flies in a fruit jar if they woke her up this time of the day. He patted may’ Belle’s hair and yanked the twisted sheet up to her small chin. “Just over the cow field,” he whispered. May Belle smiled and snuggled down under the sheet. “Gonna run?” “Maybe.”

Passage 3  In a glass, pitcher, or large container, combine Lipton Iced Tea Mix with cold water using the proportions given. Add ice and serve Number of glassesUse this much LiptonWith this much water 14 tsp1 cup 221/2 Tbsp1 pint 41/3 cup1 quart

Passage 4 From A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins The thought in my head were like millions of flurries, and the memories of graduation, studies, girls and college life kept piling up like the banks of snow around me. It had only been eight month since I walked away from it all. College had been a dream I looked forwards to, and attending was as inevitable as being born, owning my own car…

Passage 5 From Fourth Grade Rats by Jerry Spinelli It was the first recess of the first day of school. A mob of third-graders had me and Joey Peterson backed up against the monkey bars. They were giving us the old chant. When they came to the word “rats,” they screamed it in our faces. Then they ran off laughing. “I wish I was still in third grade,” I said. “Why?” said Joey. “So I could still be an angel.”

Passage 6 From Frog and Toad Together by Arnord Lobel One morning Toad sat in bed. “I have many things to do,” he said. “I will write them al down on a list so that I can remember them.” Toad wrote on a piece of paper: A list of things to do today Then he wrote: Wake up “I have done that,” said Toad,

Answers  Passage 1- first person  Passage 2- third person  Passage 3- second person  Passage 4- first person  Passage 5- first person  Passage 6- third person

Your turn  Pretend you are an author and you need to tell a story. Your assignment is to:  Write three paragraphs.  Paragraph one will be written in first person so remember to include yourself.  Paragraph will be written in second person so make sure you are given directions or telling facts.  Third paragraph will be written in third person, therefore make sure to use names of characters, and he, she, them, or they. Do not include yourself.