1. Signposts in Literature

2. What is a signpost?
A signpost is something in a text that alerts readers to significant moments in that text. When we question a signpost,
we are able to explore it and
find evidence to support our
interpretations.

3. Contrasts & Contradictions
Signpost #1

4. How does an author show us how a character is changing and developing?

6. Why would the character act this way?

7. Contrasts & Contradictions
A sharp contrast between what we would expect and what we observe the character doing
Behavior that contradicts previous behavior or well-established patterns

8. Clues to the Signpost
A character behaves or thinks in a way we don’t expect
An element of a setting is something we would not expect

9. Literary Elements
Character development: how a character changes over the course of a story
Internal conflict: struggle within a character
Theme: universal message about life
Relationship between setting (time and place) and plot (sequence of events)

10. La Luna
Let’s look for contrasts & contradictions in La Luna, a Pixar short about a boy coming of age in the most peculiar of circumstances.

11. As You Read
Mark any contrasts & contradictions you see. Use sticky notes or make a record in your reading notebook.
Jot down your thoughts about why the character would act that way.