5.1 Before You Read
| Site: | Cowichan Valley School District - Moodle |
| Course: | ELA6, CSS, Sferrazza |
| Book: | 5.1 Before You Read |
| Printed by: | Guest user |
| Date: | Saturday, 18 May 2024, 6:02 PM |
Good Guys and Bad Guys
Before you explore your novel study choices, learn about "good guys" and "bad guys" (guys meaning anyone!) and their roles in stories.
What is a story without a problem? And what is a problem without a bad guy? What kind of story would Harry Potter be with no Voldemort? What about Star Wars with no Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader? The three little pigs story would be rather dull without a big bad wolf coming along to threaten their existence.
In this lesson, you will learn about:
- two kinds of characters: protagonists and antagonists.
- four kinds of conflict.
There will be a short quiz after this lesson so pay attention! You can also apply your understanding in your novel study responses.
Watch the video to find out more:
Conflict
A story without a problem would be rather ho-hum! Did you know there are different categories of problems? A synonym for problem is conflict - they mean the same thing.
Watch the video to learn about four kinds of conflict, then you will learn about two more kinds of conflict. NOTE: When the video uses the word "man", it is intended to be inclusive (as in "mankind"). I prefer to say "person versus ----" when defining types of conflict.
More Conflict
The video explained four kinds of conflict:
- Person vs. Person
- Person vs. Nature
- Person vs. Society
- Person vs. Self
In the 21st Century, there are new "enemies" we can add to the list:
Person vs. Technology
This is a conflict in which the main character (protagonist) resists technological forces. He or she may battle robots, hostile computers, or just struggle to accept or use the technology of a changing world.
Person vs. the Supernatural
This is a conflict in which the main character (protagonist) may battle monsters or strange creatures, challenge beings with magical powers, or encounter hostile aliens.
Practise
Read the description of the story. Determine the protagonist (central character) and antagonist (opposing force). Then describe the type of confict (example: person vs. nature).
It's the year 3030 and society is completely dependent on computers and robots. A young boy named Domino is flying his hover board to school when all of the machines start acting up and attacking people due to a powerful computer virus. What will Domino do now that the machines that are supposed to help him have turned against him?
The protagonist is
The antagonist is
The type of conflict is
More Practise
Read the description of the story. Determine the protagonist (central character) and antagonist (opposing force). Then describe the type of confict (example: person vs. nature).
Another school year is beginning at Macdonald Hall. But instead of coming back to the recreation centre they'd requested, Bruno and Boots find a brand new football field, paid for by Hank (the Tank) Carson – ex-football player and current zucchini-snack tycoon.
Bruno was a fun-loving boy who went to Macdonald Hall High School. His best friend was Boots(Melvin) O'Neal, who also went to Macdonald Hall. They were desperate for a dream recreation hall instead of a football field, and went to the limit to attempt to get it.
Mr.Sturgeon was the principal of Macdonald Hall who had to exercise his authority on Bruno and Boots quite frequently.
Will the boys get their recreation centre?
(By the way, I would highly reccomend this hilarious novel if you like to laugh! It takes place in Ontario and is written by Gordon Korman.)
The protagonist is
The antagonist is
The type of conflict is