Literary Elements
The Sign of the Beaver
5th Grade
Title!!
• The name of the book…
• The Sign of the Beaver
Setting
• The setting of a story is the
time and place in which the
story occurs.
– Physical details
– Date
– Time of Day
– Season and/or weather
conditions
– Time in history
– Geographic location
Characters
• The people, animals, or other
creatures in a story. The ones
that act out the events of the
story.
• PROTAGONIST
– The main character
– Matt
• ANTAGONIST
– The character who works against
the protagonist (main character)
– ???
• List 5 characters that play a
major role in The Sign of the
Beaver
Characterization
• This explains the roles and functions of the characters.
• Shows what the character says, does, thinks, feels, or looks
like.
• What the other characters think about the main character.
 Write down traits for
each of your characters.
 Make sure you are clear
enough for a friend to
understand your work.
Theme
• The overall message of the
book.
• What the author wants you
to take away from the book,
or wants you to know.
• Collaborate with your table
group to think of the theme!
Conflict/Problem
• The conflict is the struggle
the main character is having
with himself, another
character or thing.
• Described as the heartbeat
of the story.
Author
• The person who wrote the book
• Elizabeth George Speare
 Author has many jobs
throughout the book…let’s
explore what the author can do
for the reader!
Point of View
• The position from which the story is told
– First Person
– The narrator is a character in the story
– Tells the story from his or her perspective
– Uses I and We
– Third Person
– The narrator is an invisible storyteller
– Reports the events in the story
– Uses he, she, or they
Mood & Tone
• What the reader feels when
reading the story.
• These emotions are
influenced by the author’s
choice of words!
• What the author thinks
and feels about the
characters or story.
• The reader can guess at
this by thinking about the
author’s choice of
words!
Author’s Purpose
• Usually, the author of the story writes a book for a purpose.
Some purposes include entertainment, persuade or
convince the reader, and possibly to teach or inform the
reader.
Introduction Paragraph
The name of the book we read in class was The Sign of the
Beaver. In the book, the author introduces us to Matt and Attean-two
teenage boys from different cultures. These boys meet each other in the
forests of Maine during a time when white men and Indians were not
always at peace. Throughout this essay, we will watch how Matt and
Attean develop an unlikely friendship.
A-Title
A-Character
A-Setting
A-Theme
Recap
• Title
• Point of View
• Setting
• Mood & Tone
• Character
• Author’s Purpose
• Characterization
• Theme
• Conflict/Problem
• Author
Plot
• The sequence of events in a story.
• Plot consists of 5 parts:
– Exposition
– Rising Action
– Climax
– Falling Action
– Resolution
Exposition
• The beginning of a story where the characters, setting, and
main conflict are introduced.
• Often tells what happened before the story begins.
• Background information is important to understanding the
characters’ feelings, personalities, and motives.
Rising Action
• The series of events in the story
that builds suspense.
• Changes the conflict/problem
• Makes you keep reading!!!
• Collaborate with your shoulder
partner to name some rising
action details from The Sign of
the Beaver
Climax
• The most exciting part of the
story
• Conflict/Problem can be at
it’s worst
• Called the turning point
• Reader can predict the
outcome
2nd and 3rd Paragraph
• Use your handout as a guide!
This story begins with Matt’s father leaving to go get the rest of his family in
Massachusetts. Matt is going to live on his own, in a new place, with no neighbors, for at
least seven weeks. Matt quickly learns that living on your own can be dangerous. For
example, one day he was craving honey and tried to take some from a beehive and was
stung countless times. Luckily, Attean, and his Grandfather, Saknis, were close by to help
him. To repay Saknis, Matt consents to teaching Attean how to read. This is the
beginning of a long journey between the two young boys.
Following this, Matt and Attean start to become friends. There are many
awkward times together, and a lot of childish fighting. But, as time progresses, the two
boys start to share secrets and activities. For example, Matt shares a book Robinson
Crusoe and the Bible stories with Attean. Attean teaches Matt how to hunt and fish
without “white man tools.” The boys bond over fishing and even had a close call in the
story. A bear attacked the two boys, and they worked together to kill the bear. Matt was
slowly being accepted by the Indian tribe, and more importantly, was getting Attean’s
friendship and respect. Matt got even more respect when he saved Attean’s “good-fornothing dog” from another tribe’s traps. Attean knew, that Matt was a true friend. To
show Matt that he was his “Indian brother” he and Saknis invited him to leave on the
annual winter hunt and to move to a new location with the tribe. Matt was conflicted
because he did not know if he should wait for his family.
Recap from yesterday
• Exposition
• Rising Action
• Climax
Falling Action
• The characters try to resolve
the conflict
• The events that close the
story
Resolution
• The outcome of the story
• The ending!!!!
4th Paragraph
• Use your handout as a guide!
Matt decided to stay where his family could find him. Even
though, Matt worked hard to make a new friend and gain the respect of
his tribe, his family was still more important to him. He could not bear
thinking his family thought something bad happened to him, or worse,
the Indians did something to hurt him. Matt took all the skills that Attean
had taught him and started preparing for his families return. He was
probably extremely scared. By the time Attean left with his tribe, it was
clear into November. It had been more than seven weeks. Finally,
Matt’s family arrived at the cabin. His mother, father, and younger sister
were excited to see him. Unfortunately, Matt’s new baby sister did not
make the journey and died 5 days after she was born. Matt had grown
up and his family was proud of him maintaining and providing for the
entire family on his own.