Lesson Plan : Elements of Plot
Teacher Name: | Brittany Shannon |
Grade: | Grade 9-10 |
Subject: | Language Arts |
Topic: | |
Content: | Time: 60 Minutes Key Vocabulary: climax exposition falling action resolution rising action |
Goals: | STRAND III: Benchmark III-F: Participate productively in self-directed work teams for particular purposes (e.g., to interpret literature, write or critique a proposal, solve a problem or make a decision). STRAND IV: Benchmark IV-A: Demonstrate proficiency in producing a variety of compositions. STRAND VIII: Benchmark IX-C: Analyze setting, plot, theme, characterization, and narration in literary prose, particularly in classic and contemporary short stories and novels. |
Objectives: | - Students will learn to define and understand the elements in a short story. - Students will be able to identify the elements of plot in a short story. - Students will be able to apply knowledge of plot to an original work of fiction. |
Materials: | White board Chart paper Markers |
Introduction: | •Ask the class to recall some of their favorite fairy tales from childhood. Have them turn to a partner and take two minutes each to share their favorite tale and give at least two reasons why they liked it. - For the student(s) that are ESL, have them pair up with a partner that speaks their native language. (Stories do not have to be "American") - Give students these examples, if they cannot think of one on their own. The Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Hansel and Gretel |
Development: | - Tell students that most traditional short stories contain events that can be diagrammed into a plot diagram. - On a white board, or a chalkboard, draw a plot diagram with the five elements: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Ask the class to supply the main events from the story of Cinderella. - Plot the elements on the white board as they occur: - Exposition: Cinderella lives unhappily with her step-mother and two step sisters; an invitation to a ball at the palace arrives. - Rising Action: The step sisters prepare to go to the ball; a fairy godmother appears and gives Cinderella a gown to wear to the ball and coach and footmen to take her there; she goes to the ball and dances with the prince; she leaves at midnight, losing a slipper on the steps; the prince finds the slipper and agrees to marry the woman whom it fits. - Climax: The prince visits the home of Cinderella; the two sisters try to fit in to the slipper, but Cinderella appears is discovered to be the wearer of the slipper. - Falling Action: Cinderella and the prince prepare to marry. - Resolution: They live happily ever after. |
Practice: | - Have students resume in their paired groups and create their own - fairy tale - using the short story elements we discussed. Have students fill out the plots elements of the story they created. |
Accommodations: | Differentiation Strategies: - Varying academic levels: uses mixed-ability groups, use small and whole group participation to allow students to learn from one another - Visual learners: incorporates plot diagrams to allow students to visualize a story's structure - Auditory learners: uses storytelling to encourage engaging and meaningful discussions; provides an opportunity to use key vocabulary in context - Kinesthetic learners: engages students by having them draw plot outlines on chart paper, allows students to move around the classroom and interact with one another - ESL Students: Students may share their own traditional stories in their native language. By working with someone who speaks their native language, they can collaborate collectively among each other and also with their peers. - ED: Students will be working in small to large groups, which will develop social skills and interaction. The student will be held to the standards in which were presented in the IEP. |
Checking For Understanding: | When discussing with the class the elements of plot, ask students probing questions to gain an understanding of where the students are. Ask questions like why do you think this is the climax of the story? Could it be defined differently by someone else? |
Closure: | - Remind students that writers use structure in short stories, but that they also should be aware of its use in mainstream movies and televisions shows. - Applied learning: Ask students to identify the elements in a movie, television show, or short story that they read or watch during the next several days. They should write a brief synopsis of the story and identify each element. |
Evaluation: | Students will be assessed based on participation and completion of the charts. Also, students will be graded on the charts they bring in identifying the elements from a TV show or another story. |
Teacher Reflections: | To be completed after the lesson: |
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