Literature: Identifying Narrative and Descriptive Prose for JSS 3

Class: JSS 3
Term: First Term
Week: 9
Age: 14-15 years
Duration: 60 minutes
Subject: English Language Studies
Curriculum Theme: Literature
Previous Lesson: Grammar/Structure: Active and Passive Verbs
Topic: Literature
Subject Matter: Identification and discussion of narrative and descriptive prose

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• State and explain the two main types of prose.
• Differentiate between narrative and descriptive prose.
• Describe relevant prose features such as plot, characters, setting, theme, and style in relation to narrative prose.
• Describe relevant prose features such as setting, characters, and style in relation to descriptive prose.
• Identify examples of narrative and descriptive prose.

Affective Domain

• Appreciate the different ways writers use prose to convey stories and create vivid images.

Psychomotor Domain

• Apply their understanding to identify narrative and descriptive elements in short texts.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2014 Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• A suitable English Language textbook for JSS 3
• FCT ERC/NAPPS Scheme of work

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Whiteboard or chalkboard
• Markers or chalk
• Selected short passages of narrative prose (e.g., an excerpt from a short story or novel)
• Selected short passages of descriptive prose (e.g., an excerpt describing a place, person, or object)
• Flashcards with literary terms (plot, character, setting, theme, style)

Rationale for the Lesson

Understanding narrative and descriptive prose is fundamental to appreciating literature and developing strong writing skills. This lesson helps students recognise how writers craft stories and paint pictures with words, which improves their comprehension and enables them to apply these techniques in their own writing.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Students should have a basic understanding of what prose is and some general knowledge of literary terms like story, character, and setting.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Literature: Identifying Narrative and Descriptive Prose

Prose

Prose refers to written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure. It is the most common form of writing, found in novels, essays, articles, letters, and everyday conversation.

Types of Prose

Prose can be broadly categorised into different types based on its purpose and style. For this lesson, we will focus on two main types: narrative prose and descriptive prose.

1. Narrative Prose: This type of prose tells a story or recounts a sequence of events. Its primary purpose is to entertain, inform, or instruct through storytelling. Narrative prose answers the question “What happened?”
2. Descriptive Prose: This type of prose aims to create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind by detailing the characteristics of a person, place, object, or idea. Its primary purpose is to evoke sensory experiences and create a strong impression. Descriptive prose answers the question “What is it like?”

Features of Narrative Prose

Narrative prose typically includes several key literary features that help to tell the story effectively:

1. Plot: This is the sequence of events in a story. It usually includes an introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. The plot drives the narrative forward.
2. Characters: These are the individuals (people, animals, or even inanimate objects) who participate in the story. They can be main characters (protagonists and antagonists) or minor characters.
3. Setting: This refers to the time and place where the story occurs. It can include the physical location, historical period, social environment, and even the weather.
4. Theme: This is the central idea, message, or underlying meaning of the story. It is often a universal truth about life, society, or human nature.
5. Style: This refers to the unique way a writer uses language to tell a story. It includes elements like word choice (diction), sentence structure, tone, and use of literary devices (e.g., metaphors, similes).

Examples of Narrative Prose: Novels, short stories, fables, epics, biographies, autobiographies, news reports.

Features of Descriptive Prose

Descriptive prose focuses on creating sensory details and impressions. While it may feature characters and settings, its main goal is to describe them vividly rather than to advance a plot.

1. Setting: In descriptive prose, the setting is often elaborately detailed to create a strong sense of place. Descriptions might focus on sights, sounds, smells, textures, and tastes of the environment.
2. Characters: When characters are described in descriptive prose, the focus is on their physical appearance, mannerisms, clothing, and personality traits, painting a clear mental image for the reader.
3. Sensory Details: Descriptive prose heavily relies on appealing to the five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) to make the description more immersive and real.
4. Figurative Language: Writers often use similes, metaphors, personification, and other figures of speech to make descriptions more imaginative and impactful.
5. Style: The style in descriptive prose is often rich and evocative, with careful word choice and imagery to create a particular mood or atmosphere.

Examples of Descriptive Prose: Travelogues, nature writing, character sketches, descriptive essays, poetry (though poetry is not prose, it shares descriptive elements), product descriptions.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Explanation, Guided Practice, Question and Answer, Reading Aloud, Pair Work

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Activating Prior Knowledge

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the students and asks them what they understand by “prose” in literature, building on their previous knowledge of literary forms. The teacher then introduces the topic: “Identifying Narrative and Descriptive Prose.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the teacher’s questions and listen attentively to the introduction of the topic.

Learning Point: Understanding of prose

Step 2: Explanation of Types of Prose

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Definition

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the two main types of prose: narrative and descriptive. The teacher provides clear definitions and highlights their primary purposes, using simple examples to illustrate each type.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, ask questions for clarification, and take mental notes of the definitions.

Learning Point: Types of prose explained

Step 3: Discussion of Narrative Prose Features

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher presents a short, simple passage of narrative prose (e.g., the beginning of a fable or a short story). The teacher then guides students to identify and discuss the features of narrative prose: plot, characters, setting, theme, and style within the provided passage.

Pupils’ Activity: Students read or listen to the passage, then identify and discuss the narrative features with the teacher’s guidance.

Learning Point: Narrative prose features

Step 4: Discussion of Descriptive Prose Features

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher presents a short, simple passage of descriptive prose (e.g., a paragraph describing a market scene or a person). The teacher then guides students to identify and discuss the features of descriptive prose, focusing on sensory details, setting, character descriptions, and style within the passage.

Pupils’ Activity: Students read or listen to the passage, then identify and discuss the descriptive features with the teacher’s guidance.

Learning Point: Descriptive prose features

Step 5: Comparative Analysis

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Comparison/Analysis

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads a discussion comparing and contrasting the two types of prose using the examples discussed. The teacher asks students to explain the key differences in purpose and how features are used in each type.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils actively participate in the discussion, highlighting the differences and similarities between narrative and descriptive prose.

Learning Point: Comparing prose types

Step 6: Practical Identification Exercise

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Application/Pair Work

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher provides two new short passages, one narrative and one descriptive, without identifying them. Students work in pairs to identify which passage is narrative and which is descriptive, explaining their reasons based on the features discussed.

Pupils’ Activity: Students work in pairs to identify the prose types and justify their answers.

Learning Point: Identifying prose types

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. What are the two main types of prose we discussed today?
2. Explain the main purpose of narrative prose.
3. Mention three features of narrative prose.
4. How does descriptive prose primarily achieve its effect?
5. Give an example of a text that is primarily descriptive.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Understanding prose types

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils/students to copy the essential Board Summary notes on the types of prose and their features into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils/students copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Recording lesson notes

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarises the main points of the lesson, reiterating the difference between narrative and descriptive prose and the importance of identifying their features for better comprehension and writing. The teacher encourages students to pay attention to these elements when reading.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the summary and ask any final questions.

Learning Point: Lesson consolidation

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework

Instruction: Read the following passages and answer the questions below.

1. Passage A: “The old woman, bent like a question mark, sat on the worn wooden bench. Her face, a roadmap of wrinkles, held eyes that sparkled like polished stones. A faded wrapper, once vibrant blue, now muted by countless washes, draped loosely around her thin frame. She hummed a tune, a soft, reedy sound that barely disturbed the quiet afternoon.”
2. Passage B: “Once upon a time, in a small village nestled beside a whispering forest, lived a brave young boy named Kemi. One day, a fierce storm swept through, destroying the villagers’ crops. Kemi, determined to help, set off on a perilous journey to the enchanted mountain, hoping to find the legendary Sunstone that could bring fertility back to their land.”

Questions:

1. Identify which passage is an example of narrative prose and which is descriptive prose.
2. For the narrative passage, identify the main character, the setting, and a brief outline of the plot.
3. For the descriptive passage, identify at least three sensory details used by the writer.
4. Explain in your own words the primary difference between Passage A and Passage B.

Lesson Keywords

• Prose – Ordinary written or spoken language, without metrical structure.
• Narrative Prose – Writing that tells a story or recounts a sequence of events.
• Descriptive Prose – Writing that creates a vivid picture by detailing characteristics of a person, place, object, or idea.
• Plot – The sequence of events in a story.
• Characters – The individuals who participate in a story.
• Setting – The time and place where a story or event occurs.
• Theme – The central idea or message of a literary work.
• Style – The unique way a writer uses language.

Differentiation

For students who grasp the concepts quickly, provide more complex literary passages for analysis and ask them to identify additional literary devices. For students needing more support, offer simpler, shorter passages and provide sentence starters or word banks to help them articulate their observations about prose types and features.

Suggested Lesson Videos

For further understanding, search on YouTube for:

• “Narrative vs Descriptive Writing JSS 3”
• “Elements of Narrative Prose explained”
• “How to identify descriptive writing”