A non-narrative analytic essay must be void of all traditional storytelling tendencies and must rely solely on the presentation and dissection of an argument. For example, fifth graders who want to deconstruct their favorite book in a report structured as a non-narrative essay could analyze different passages of the book without introducing a narrative voice or first-person inflections. Fifth graders can also analyze a current event, preparing both sides of an issue and comparing the facts using an impartial tone.
Presenting information in a deliberately straightforward manner without incorporating creative narration to retell events captures the non-narrative style in a research-based essay. Fifth graders use the skills they learn working on a research-based non-narrative essay for the duration of their academic careers. For example, students can research and write about an era in history. Other possible topics could include earthquakes or the survival strategies of various animals in the wild.
While the non-narrative essay is often fact-based and without the personal inflections or storytelling qualities of the personal essay or memoir, it is possible to craft a non-narrative essay centered on personal themes. To write a non-narrative personal essay, students create a sense of progression without using the typical elements of a plot. For example, fifth graders can write essays about a memorable childhood summer in which they recreate a series of vivid and specific images pertaining to the subject to drive the essay, rather than depicting a chronological course of events.
In an experimental non-narrative essay, students can write about any topic or theme they desire as long as they avoid traditional narrative patterns. For example, if a student writes a non-narrative essay that resembles a short story, she must avoid constructing her account around an easily recognizable beginning, climax and conclusion. Since the goal of the non-narrative essay is to deconstruct the traditional trajectory of storytelling, it can be applied to many genres of writing. Help fifth graders access their creativity by encouraging them to construct essays on any subject and genre while abstaining from conventional narrative arcs.