01+Narrative+and+Expository+Texts

=We began the year by teaching the differences between narrative and expository texts. We used the Empowering Writers manual, //The Comprehensive Narrative Writing Guide//, as a resource to teach genres. Listed below are some of the lessons, activities and ideas we used.=

1. First we introdced the terms narrative and expository. We related them to reading fiction and non-fiction. We then created a chart of what we know about narrative stories and expository texts.
Posters to use in class:

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2. We shared book covers and had the students predict if it was a narrative or expository text. Through discussion we were able to affirm or correct their predictions. To check their understanding we took a Scholastic Book order form and had them cut out examples of both expository and narrative titles. Then they sorted them and glued them down on a tree map. See example:===== Teacher pictures to use to make a tree map of Narrative or Expository book covers:

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3. With their table groups students then were given a pile of books and were asked to sort them into two categories, narrative and expository. If they were unsure of the category they opened the book and read a small portion to determine in which category the book belonged. Discussion followed about why they sorted the books they way they did and new discoveries about the differences in narrative and expository texts were added to the earlier chart.=====

4. We further broke down narrative texts by classifying them as: personal experience or character/problem/solution.
Posters to use in class: