Transitions Can Tie Genres Together Coherence means that the content of the project moves easily from piece to piece and does not confuse the reader. Unity means that the project is a complete unit that has a theme or focuses on a clear purpose.
Items that can be used as transitions between genres: ó ó ó ó ó ó ó ó
A short genre: journal entries, letters, recipes, or stream of consciousness. Stanzas from one song. Famous quotes about a trait or value: heroism, determination. Selected quotes from a scholar, poem, or work of literature. Symbolic graphics or photographs with captions. Historic documents, mementos, or artifacts. A family tree or Timeline of related events. Important facts or glossary entries.
Elements that can help coherence: t t t t t t t t t t
Chronology or sequence of events Timeline of related events Table of contents and titles for genres Names of people and places Family tree or relationships stated clearly Meta-story in which the smaller stories are embedded Repeated reference to one event Overview in the introduction Reference to earlier events Concluding review
Problems to Avoid: § § § § § §
Genre confusion--what is this? Narrator confusion--who is I? Chronology confusion--what happened first? Theme confusion--why am I reading this? Climactic confusion--what happens next? Interpretive confusion--how do you feel about this? Dr. Nancy Mack Multigenre Research Projects: Multifaceted, Multipurpose Writing Assignments Teachers College Press