PowerPoint by Olivia Mitchell, Mackenzie Dent, & Zach Munoz

SUMMARY The Deep Time Diaries by Gary Raham is a fascinating story about a 22 nd century family that discovers a time machine that takes them through Earth’s prehistoric past.

FOCUS QUESTION When put to the test, can a family band together to make it through their problems, or will they crumble under pressure?

EXPOSITION- writing or speech primarily intended to convey information or to explain

INTRODUCTORY CHARACTERS Gregory Olifee- a scientist studying life beyond Earth Miriam Olifee- a paleontologist Jon Olifee- the 13 year old son Neesha Olifee- the 12 year old daughter

INITIAL SETTING The family is first seen accelerating through a worm-hole in space. They were so far away that Earth looked like a small marble in the distance.

RISING ACTION- a related series of incidents in a literary plot that build toward the point of greatest interest.

The Olifee family reach 20,000 years b.p, and see strange things, such as extinct creatures and barren continents.

After being herded into their space shuttle by the mysterious robot bugs, the family is sent back 52 million more years. The Olifees visit a lake, where they see an unusual, prowling, yellow-eyed monkey.

68 million years later, the Olifee encounter living triceratops, ostrich-like dinosaurs, and meteor showers.

CLIMAX- the highest or most intense point in the development or resolution of something

The family is startled by shaking while cleaning up their campsite, and flies away inside their spaceship just as a massive T-Rex begins to roar.

FALLING ACTION- the part of a literary plot that occurs after the climax has been reached and the conflict has been resolved.

The Olifee family continue to travel back 800 million years through time. They then leave their filled diaries in a sealed time capsule for others to encounter and read.

SCI-FI ELEMENTS Science fiction is sometimes composed of future technological advances and scientific innovations. This story is considered science fiction because of the fact that the Olifee family is from the future, and is transported through time by robotic bugs.

STORY RESPONSES Olivia Mitchell, “I thought that this story was very interesting. However, I thought that some parts were very cliché.” Zach Munoz, “This story was interesting, but confusing sometimes.” Mackenzie Dent, “I thought that this story was okay. It wasn’t my favorite, though.”

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