Narrative Writing

This term the Senior Syndicate is looking at Narrative Writing. The following information can be found at the English Online website. The following information provided the children with the features and structure that is required in the narrative genre.

Purpose
The basic purpose of narrative is to entertain, to gain and hold a readers' interest. However narratives can also be written to teach or inform, to change attitudes / social opinions eg soap operas and television dramas that are used to raise topical issues. Narratives sequence people/characters in time and place but differ from recounts in that through the sequencing, the stories set up one or more problems, which must eventually find a way to be resolved.
Types of narrative
There are many types of narrative. They can be imaginary, factual or a combination of both. They may include fairy stories, mysteries, science fiction, romances, horror stories, adventure stories, fables, myths and legends, historical narratives, ballads, slice of life, personal experience.
Features

• Characters with defined personalities/identities.
• Dialogue often included - tense may change to the present or the future.
• Descriptive language to create images in the reader's mind and enhance the story.

Structure
 In a Traditional Narrative the focus of the text is on a series of actions:
Orientation: (introduction) in which the characters, setting and time of the story are established. Usually answers who? when? where? eg. Mr Wolf went out hunting in the forest one dark gloomy night.
Complication or problem: The complication usually involves the main character(s) (often mirroring the complications in real life).
Resolution: There needs to be a resolution of the complication. The complication may be resolved for better or worse/happily or unhappily. Sometimes there are a number of complications that have to be resolved. These add and sustain interest and suspense for the reader.
 To help students plan for writing of narratives, model, focusing on:

• Plot: What is going to happen?
• Setting: Where will the story take place? When will the story take place?
• Characterisation: Who are the main characters? What do they look like?
• Structure: How will the story begin? What will be the problem? How is the problem going to be resolved?
• Theme: What is the theme / message the writer is attempting to communicate?

Language

• Action verbs: Action verbs provide interest to the writing. For example, instead of The old woman was in his way try The old woman barred his path. Instead of She laughed try She cackled.
• Written in the first person (I, we) or the third person (he, she, they).
• Usually past tense.
• Connectives,linking words to do with time.
• Specific nouns: Strong nouns have more specific meanings, eg. oak as opposed to tree.
• Active nouns: Make nouns actually do something, eg. It was raining could become Rain splashed down or There was a large cabinet in the lounge could become A large cabinet seemed to fill the lounge.
• Careful use of adjectives and adverbs: Writing needs judicious use of adjectives and adverbs to bring it alive, qualify the action and provide description and information for the reader.
• Use of the senses: Where appropriate, the senses can be used to describe and develop the experiences, setting and character:
  • What does it smell like?
  • What can be heard?
  • What can be seen - details?
  • What does it taste like?
  • What does it feel like?
   
• Imagery
  • Simile: A direct comparison, using like or as or as though, eg. The sea looked as rumpled as a blue quilted dressing gown. Or The wind wrapped me up like a cloak.
  • Metaphor: An indirect or hidden comparison, eg. She has a heart of stone or He is a stubborn mule or The man barked out the instructions.
  • Onomatopoeia: A suggestion of sound through words, eg. crackle, splat, ooze, squish, boom, eg. The tyres whir on the road. The pitter-patter of soft rain. The mud oozed and squished through my toes.
  • Personification: Giving nonliving things (inanimate) living characteristics, eg. The steel beam clenched its muscles. Clouds limped across the sky. The pebbles on the path were grey with grief.
   
• Rhetorical Questions: Often the author asks the audience questions, knowing of course there will be no direct answer. This is a way of involving the reader in the story at the outset, eg. Have you ever built a tree hut?
• Variety in sentence beginnings. There are a several ways to do this eg by using:
  • Participles: "Jumping with joy I ran home to tell mum my good news."
  • Adverbs: "Silently the cat crept toward the bird"
  • Adjectives: "Brilliant sunlight shone through the window"
  • Nouns: "Thunder claps filled the air"
  • Adverbial Phrases: "Along the street walked the girl as if she had not a care in the world."
  • Conversations/Dialogue: these may be used as an opener. This may be done through a series of short or one-word sentences or as one long complex sentence.

Homework: Cantamath

Term 3 Newsletter

Colossus by Katia

Highly intelligent and unique, Colossus is an enormous 14ft great white shark that patrols the waters around Seal Island in South Africa. He weighs 3000 pounds and is the king of the waters around False bay.

Colossus’ diet mainly consists of cape fur seals, smaller fish and even other sharks but, Colossus, being the largest most threatening shark in his habitat will take over feeding and eat whatever he likes.

Colossus was first sighted in False Bay in 2011 by scientists Chris Fallows and Jeff Kurr, he was seen again hunting in 2012 but was absent in 2013, Colossus was gone for two winters before being seen again in July 2014. He was present in the surrounding waters of Seal Island for two weeks before breaching above the surface in aerial predation. The shark experts expect that Colossus’ breaching was a learnt behaviour from viewing the other sharks around the island.

Like any human fingerprint a sharks dorsal fin is unique and special. Every sharks dorsal fin can be used as a way of identifying them. Along with having a rare appearance each shark has it’s own special personality. Colossus has scars and markings that give the scientists the ability to single him out. Colossus has shark lice in his eyes and many scars around his right eye. He also has a large piece of his dorsal fin missing. Not only do these markings help identify the sharks but also show that they have many battle scars.

As part of research shark scientists Alison Towner, Jeff Kurr and Chris Fallows have constructed many gadgets to experience and discover new facts about the amazing creature. One of the gadgets created was the ‘Robo Seal’. This experiment was used to find out how the sharks would react to a newcomer. They also were interested to see how much the seals could tolerate. when the results came back the scientists found that the sharks hit the seals with 29 g-force this is almost always a certain death for humans. Chris Fallows also created the W.A.S.P Water Armour Shark Protection so he was able to get up close and personal with the magnificent creatures, this experiment proved a success when Chris came face to face with an enormous 18 ft great white in Stewart Island, NZ.

The other object made was the seal sled this was used to get photos of the sharks breaching and attacking the seals. Jeff Kurr lay on the seal sled waiting as a seal decoy floated 5 metres ahead of him, many sharks surrounded Jeff as he lay waiting. The shark scientists were hopeful but after 90 long minutes the team decided it best to return to the boat. All of a sudden Colossus lept into the air and completely obliterated the decoy in one bite.

After Colossus left False Bay shark experts Alison, Chris and Jeff traveled to New Zealand to explore whether Colossus had swum to another continent. During their visit at Stewart Island they  used the W.A.S.P to look for Colossus in the ocean. While Chris was down in the water he found many sharks from 12-15 ft. After being down for almost an hour Chris was amazed to see an enormous male shark about 18 ft long.

Colossus, even as a newcomer, has adapted well to the waters around Seal Island and is continuing to do so. He is a unique and magnificent creature patrolling the ‘ring of death’ in False Bay, South Africa.

 Anglerfish by Rallen L

Anglerfish are predators, that live in the eternal darkness of the deep oceans and have a distinctive way to catching their prey. They are known as the black devil . They are one of the scariest and is the ugliest living creature on earth.

These types of fish, are known to exist, in the South-Western Basterns, the Black, Mediterranean and the Eastern Atlantic Sea. A few of them, are also found in the Icelandic waters and are also found worldwide. These species inhabit at a depth of 3,000 metres. Some of the anglerfishes also lives in the continental shelf

The male anglerfish, are significantly smaller than the female. Female anglers, can grow up to 3 feet.

Anglerfishes are scary, with their crescent shaped- mouth with sharp translucent teeth. They have a massive head. Their light on their head, is their dorsal spine, that looks like a fishing pole, that can attract fishes. These anglers are 8 inches  ( 20 cm), 3.3 feet long ( 1 metre) and weighs around 50 kg (110 lbs). There are more than 200 species of this terrifying creatures. Their lighted lure, glows with the help of million of bioluminescent bacteria. Their skin is dark, rough, knobbly and has no scales. Anglerfish' lifespan is 20 years or more.

The anglerfish are carnivores, and these vicious eaters are not picky. These fishes can consume almost any creature they can lure with their fleshy, ball-like organ that dangles near their mouth. They can sway the flesh of their prey in any direction desired, while keeping its body perfectly still. And also, they can swallow their prey to twice their own size. When they're about to attack, they hide in the sand, sticks out their lure and waits for their prey. Almost nothing can eat an anglerfish.

Anglerfish continues to patrol the deep waters all over the sea and they are still waiting to catch their next prey.

The Bronze Whaler by James A

Bronze Whaler By James A

This shark belongs to the requiem shark species. It has multiple names Copper shark, Narrowtooth and Bronze Whaler. It could be in any tropical waters.

This shark can grow up to 11 feet (3.3 meters). The Bronze Whaler has hook shaped narrow teeth unlike other requiem sharks. On top of the Bronze Whaler between the dorsal fins is a bronze colour. They aren't usually friendly to humans but won't attack them unless there is food or prey. Like most other sharks they get aggressive in the presence of food.

The Bronze Whaler is an active shark that feed in groups. The are fast so they can catch sardines in the annual sardine run at South Africa along with other large predatory fish. They feed mostly on small bony fish, octopus, squid and crustaceans. The bronze Whaler also eats other small sharks and Ray fish.

Bronze Whalers live in warm subtropical waters. It has been found in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and other places. The Bronze Whaler has been found near the sea bed. It was recorded that it went around 100m down, scientists think it has gone even further down. The Bronze Whaler has been found in large bays, harbour channels and rivers.

The Bronze Whaler can be found in schools of 100’s of these individual sharks but are often found alone. These sharks split themselves into 2 groups for where they are found juveniles are found in shallow waters throughout the year and adults are found in subtropical areas throughout the year.

To breed the Bronze Whalers bite each other. The litter size can be 7-24 and when they are born they can measure up to 60cm. The Bronze Whaler can live for 25-30 years old but the exact life span has not been found yet.

The Bronze Whaler has been found in Nelson multiple times and has been spotted even more times. It’s name Bronze Whaler suits it well because of the bronze color on top of it’s body. This shark still has mysteries about it that need to be solved. This may be one of the small sharks but it’s one of the cool ones.

Rattlesnakes Carmen

Air Jaws by Room 13

  Click on the image to view the children's writing.