Welcome to the Plot and Conflict: Short Story Unit page. In this unit you will discover what makes a story worth telling. You will learn how plot and conflict moves a story forward and captures our attention along the way.
Preview of unit goals:
Text Analysis:
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Analyze how incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
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Identify plot stages, conflicts, and subplots.
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Analyze suspense.
Reading:
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Identify and analyze sequence and cause-effect relationships.
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Make inferences and cite evident to support them.
Media and Viewing:
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Identify and analyze film elements; analyze a director’s choices.
Follow the steps below to complete the Plot and Conflict Short Story Module.
- Review this Google Slide titled Elements of Plot Diagram. Once you have ready through the notes watch the video below of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air Theme song. Look for the different elements of plot within the song. Once you have watched the video get with a partner of your choice and identify and discuss the elements of plot within the song.
Discuss with the teacher.
- Next, you are going to add some notes about plot to your composition notebooks. First, watch the video below.
Go to the Plot and Conflict: Short Story Module Resource Page and look over the resources posted for step 2. Follow the steps on the resource page to complete your notes.
- We will continue with the concept of plot and complete the interactive notebook page titled “Lesson 2: Plot Analysis, Activity 1”. Go to your teacher for the worksheet. Go to the Plot and Conflict: Short Story Module Resources Page and look at the guide for creating the pyramid below. We will be using this plot pyramid for step 4. The plot pyramid will go on page 137 of your interative notebook.
- Now that you have put your plot pyramid together let’s take notes over the elements of plot. Go to the Plot and Conflict: Short Story Module Resources Page and get the notes for the elements of plot. Record your notes under flaps of the plot pyramid.
- Go to my.hrw.com and go to Unit 1: Plot and Conflict – Raymond’s Run. Complete the Level Up: Making Inferences activity. Once you complete it print out your practice results page and turn it into the teacher. Your results page should look something like the image below.
Once have printed out the results page look at the video trailer of Raymond’s Run. Watch the trailer and use it to predict what might happen in the story. - Now you are ready to begin reading “Raymond’s Run”. Go to my.hrw.com Unit 1: Plot and Conflict – Raymond’s Run. Open up the Reader/ Writer Notebook and answer the questions before, during and after reading. USE COMPLETE SENTENCES when writing your answers. Print off your answer and turn them into your teacher.
- Let’s review the concept of conflict. Ask your teacher for the worksheet titled “Lesson 4: Conflict”. Go to the Plot and Conflict: Short Story Module Resources Page and look at the example of the completed page and directions for setting up your page.
- Now let’s put your conflict knowledge to the test. Go to Google Classroom and open the Google Slide called “Types of Conflict”. Complete the assignment and then submit it to Google Classroom.
- Go to my.hrw.com Unit 1: Plot and Conflict – The Ransom of Red Chief. Complete the Level Up: Conflict exercise. Print off your results and give them to the teacher. Also, complete the Level Up: Making Predictions exercise. Again print of your results and give them to the teacher.
- Again go to my.hrw.com Unit 1: Plot and Conflict – The Ransom of Red Chief. Open of the Reader/ Writer notebook and complete the before, during, and after reading questions as you read the story “The Ransom of Red Chief”. Print out your answers and give them to the teacher.
- Go to my.hrw.com Unit 1: Plot and Conflict – The Ransom of Red Chief. Read through the PowerNotes Presentation. Then complete the Word Sharp: Suffixes exercise and print out your answers.
- Open up the Reader/ Writer notebook and complete the before, during, and after reading questions as you read the story of “Clean Sweep”. Print out your answers and give them to the teacher.
- Next we will be working with Edgar Allan Poe’s “Tell-Tale Heart”. Go to my.hrw.com Unit 1: Plot and Conflict – “Tell-Tale Heart” and open up the PowerNotes presentation. Read through it and watch the trailer. Then open up the History Video and watch it. Write 5 of your the most interesting facts you learned from this film and turn it into the teacher.
- Please go to the Plot and Conflict: Short Story Module Resources Page and complete the instructions for adding the “Advanced Plot Techniques” worksheet to your interactive notebooks.
- Go to my.hrw.com Unit 1: Plot and Conflict – Tell-Tale Heart and complete the Level Up: Suspense and Foreshadowing exercise. Print it out when you are done and turn it into the teacher. Complete the Level Up: Narrator and Speaker exercise. Again print it out when you are finished and turn it into the teacher. Then you will complete the Level Up: Academic Vocabulary exercise. When done print it out and turn it into the teacher.
- Now you are ready to begin reading “Tell-Tale Heart”. Go to my.hrw.com Unit 1: Plot and Conflict – Tell-Tale Heart and open the Reader/ Writer Notebook. Complete it as you read the “Tell-Tale Heart”. When you are done print out your work and turn it in to the teacher.
- Below are some video interpretations of Poe’s “Tell-Tale Heart”. Watch the different versions and then write a short review of each video (3-4 sentences). How are the versions similar? Different? Do you think the videos catch the spirit of the writing? When you are done with this turn your film reviews in to the teacher.
- Tell your teacher you are ready for the Media Study from “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”.
- Now you are ready for the Unit 1: Plot and Conflict exam! Tell your teacher you are ready.