Characteristics STRAIGHTFORWARD Literary Narratives STRAIGHTFORWARD Informational Texts Purpose/Levels •Have a simple purpose (chiefly literary nonfiction) Have a straightforward purpose of meaning •Contain literal and inferential levels of meaning (chiefly stories) Structure •Use a simple and heavily signaled structure; clear transitions •Use a straightforward structure with clear transitions •Use simple subplots, flashbacks, and flash-forwards when possible •Exhibit norms and conventions of a broad field of (chiefly stories) study (e.g., science) •Conflicts are straightforward and often external (chiefly stories) •Employ a single narrator; offer basic insights into character (e.g., simple motives); main and minor characters showing some depth (chiefly stories) •Narrator offers basic insights into people, situations, and events (chiefly literary nonfiction) Language •Use mostly contemporary and familiar words and phrases (chiefly •Use some domain-specific [tier 3] words and phrases, stories) with sparse use of general academic [tier 2] •Use some general academic (tier 2) and domain-specific (tier 3) vocabulary words and phrases (chiefly literary nonfiction) •Use somewhat varied sentence structures •Sentence structures are somewhat varied and more or less formal than in everyday language •Use mostly literal language and some simple nonliteral and figurative language and literary devices •Observe language conventions (e.g., standard paragraph breaks) Abstractness •Some abstract ideas and concepts depicted (literary nonfiction) •Depict some abstract ideas and concepts Density •Moderately low information/concept density (literary nonfiction) •Have moderately low information/concept density Knowledge •Assume readers can read on literal and inferential levels Demands •Assume readers can read on literal and Demands •Assume readers can handle simple themes, morals, or situations inferential levels •Assume readers can relate to common experiences, fantasy settings •Assume readers can handle perspectives, values, and and characters, and some experiences outside their own ideas close to their own •Call on everyday knowledge and familiarity with genre conventions •Assume readers have everyday knowledge and some •Have low intertextuality (i.e., make no/few or unimportant broad content knowledge connections to other texts); drawing connections between texts at •Have low intertextuality (i.e., make no/few or the level of theme may enhance understanding and appreciation unimportant connections to other texts); drawing connections between texts at the level of general concept may enhance understanding
Characteristics STRAIGHTFORWARD Literary Narratives STRAIGHTFORWARD Informational Texts Purpose/Levels of meaning •Have a simple purpose (chiefly literary nonfiction) •Contain literal and inferential levels of meaning (chiefly stories) Have a straightforward purpose Structure •Use a simple and heavily signaled structure; clear transitions •Use simple subplots, flashbacks, and flash-forwards when possible (chiefly stories) •Conflicts are straightforward and often external (chiefly stories) •Employ a single narrator; offer basic insights into character (e.g., simple motives); main and minor characters showing some depth (chiefly stories) •Narrator offers basic insights into people, situations, and events (chiefly literary nonfiction) •Use a straightforward structure with clear transitions •Exhibit norms and conventions of a broad field of study (e.g., science) Language •Use mostly contemporary and familiar words and phrases (chiefly stories) •Use some general academic (tier 2) and domain-specific (tier 3) words and phrases (chiefly literary nonfiction) •Sentence structures are somewhat varied and more or less formal than in everyday language •Use mostly literal language and some simple nonliteral and figurative language and literary devices •Observe language conventions (e.g., standard paragraph breaks) •Use some domain-specific [tier 3] words and phrases, with sparse use of general academic [tier 2] vocabulary •Use somewhat varied sentence structures Abstractness •Some abstract ideas and concepts depicted (literary nonfiction) •Depict some abstract ideas and concepts Density •Moderately low information/concept density (literary nonfiction) •Have moderately low information/concept density Knowledge Demands •Assume readers can read on literal and inferential levels •Assume readers can handle simple themes, morals, or situations •Assume readers can relate to common experiences, fantasy settings and characters, and some experiences outside their own •Call on everyday knowledge and familiarity with genre conventions •Have low intertextuality (i.e., make no/few or unimportant connections to other texts); drawing connections between texts at the level of theme may enhance understanding and appreciation Demands •Assume readers can read on literal and inferential levels •Assume readers can handle perspectives, values, and ideas close to their own •Assume readers have everyday knowledge and some broad content knowledge •Have low intertextuality (i.e., make no/few or unimportant connections to other texts); drawing connections between texts at the level of general concept may enhance understanding
Handout%203%20-%20Characteristics%20of%20Complexity.docx