Story plot structure

General

Every story has some type of structure that helps readers follow the story. Although story structure can vary widely, this five-part story structure (also known as Freytag's Pyramid) is commonly used to better understand stories.

This lesson shows what these stages look like in a detailed breakdown of the well-known story Goldilocks. There are also shorter texts which students are asked to analyze to determine the story structure within.

Standards

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.5

Learning Objective

Students will know the structure of a story.

Introduction

Students will brainstorm elements of stories. Discuss why it is important to know the parts of a story.

Instruction

Show and explain to students the parts of a story:

- Exposition, where characters and setting are introduced
- Rising action, where the conflict begins to emerge and complicate things
- Climax, where the conflict reaches a peak after which nothing is the same
- Falling action, where the conflict begins to wind down
- Resolution, where the conflicts are resolved and character's lives are changed

Next, students will read Goldilock and identify the parts of the story.
They will also identify the characters and setting. They will then read The Tortoise and the Hare as well.

Quiz

These 10 problems review the five parts of a classical story structure and then ask students to identify the five parts in a short version of The Boy Who Cried Wolf.

Closing

Students will recall:
- Why is it important for stories to have a structure?
- What are the different parts of the story structure?

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