It often includes hints or a description of how the character’s life will be forever changed. It includes the events that happen after the climax and before the story comes to an end. Falling Actionĭuring the falling action, the character must deal with his decisions and the changes in his life brough about by the conflict. The reader should be feeling excitement, concern, and tension. It is often intense for the character and has the potential to change the character or the character’s life forever. It is the critical point where all the action, tension, and conflict must be dealt with.
The climax is the event that changes the course of action or way of life for the main character. The rising action is where the main character experiences complications and setbacks, but the sequence of events moves him/her toward the climax. The rising action starts with the “inciting incident” which triggers the conflict and starts the story’s action. The exposition is where readers learn about the main characters, the setting, and the background information they’ll need to understand the rest of the story. I always point out that most stories follow a very similar organizational arc, regardless of the type of story.Ī typical plot diagram has five main elements. With the plot diagram on your wall or bulletin board, students can actually see the linear path that a story follows from beginning to end. Story Mountain provides a great visual for the sequence of events known as the plot. And from that writing, we can learn valuable lessons about that author’s organization, style, and craft. It’s worth pointing out that as we read a story, we’re reading someone else’s writing. One key point I try to express to my students is that reading stories and writing stories are closely tied together. Now is the time to really analyze the characters, setting, and how the plot unfolds. Once the first reading of the story is over, allow students a chance to briefly turn and talk with their classmates for initial reactions.Īfter giving students a few minutes to verbalize their thinking, you can finally ask all those burning, teacher-type questions you’ve been holding in.Īt this point, you can begin to really dig into the story. So just to restate: The first time through, keep to the story! Keep your explanations short and sweet and let students experience the author’s flow and pace. When that happens, comprehension and enjoyment go out the window. Have you ever had a story discussion where your students beg, “Can we just keep reading the story?” That’s a clear sign that you’re interrupting the story flow. The first time through, I try not to interrupt the flow of the story with too much teaching and questioning. The important thing is to read through the story for enjoyment and comprehension. We sometimes read together in a large group, sometimes with a partner, or sometimes with a group of three.
The first time we read a story in class, we just read it. Regardless, you’re absolutely going to love mapping out story plots using this graphic organizer. Some teachers call it Story Mountain, some call it the Plot Arc, and others refer to it as the Plot Diagram.