Describe the major differences in the structural elements of poems, dramas, and stories.
3rd Grade Reading - Text Parts Lesson
Story
A story is a short, made-up passage that shows events that happen to a character or characters. Usually, a story only shows a part of a character’s life.
These are the elements or parts of a story:
A beginning, middle, and an end
A problem or a conflict that the character has to solve
A climax or a turning point in which the problem builds up
Characters that speak through dialogue or who
are described by the narrator
Sentences and paragraphs instead of stanzas
Drama
A drama, or play, is a passage that tells a story using the lines characters say to each other.
These are the elements or parts of a drama:
Cast of characters: a list that appears near the beginning of the play; shows the characters that appear in the play
Stage setting: the description of the time and place of the play and what the characters are doing as the scene begins
Dialogue: the lines that the characters say to each other to move the plot along
Stage directions: the words that appear in parentheses throughout the play and tell the characters how to act
Poem
A poem is a passage that often uses rhyme, rhythm, and language that says a lot in a few words. Poems are made up of lines. A group of lines is called a stanza.
These are the common elements of a poem:
Verses: lines that make up a poem
Stanzas: a group of lines
Rhyme: using words that end in the same sound
Rhythm: the way sound is repeated in a pattern
Meter: the beat of the poem made by repeating a pattern of syllables
3rd Grade Reading - Text Parts Lesson