---
title: The Plot Thickens!
description: Students will examine a story to determine how the plot unfolds and how the characters change based on the plot.
image: https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/the_plot_thickens_-001.png
---

**Subject: ELA (English Language Arts)**

**Lesson Length: 45 mins - 1 hour**

**Topic: Story Arc**

**Grade Level: 6**

**Standards / Framework: **

- [CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3](https://learning.ccsso.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ELA_Standards1.pdf)

**Brief Description:**  Students will examine a story to determine how the plot unfolds and how the characters change based on the plot.

**Know Before You Start:** Students need to understand the concept of plot and how fictional texts are written with a story arc. An example is provided, but you may want to supplement with additional visuals to demonstrate this concept. Students need a fictional text to read and evaluate for this lesson.

**Hook:**

- Have students look at the sample comic. 
    - Discuss the development of plot in a story and its importance.
    - Share examples of common stories and have students identify the components of the plot.
    - Have students consider how the characters change in each of the stories based on the plot.

**Activity:**

- Provide a fictional text for students to read.
- Have students discuss the plot and how the characters change based on the plot.
- Ask students to create a  comic showing the story arc. 
    - **Panel 1:** Caption *Exposition*. Introduce the main characters.
    - **Panel 2:** Caption *Rising Action*. Depict an important event related to the story's conflict.
    - **Panel 3:** Caption *Climax.* Depict the most exciting or tense part of the story, e.g., Luke fighting Darth Vader in Star Wars.
    - **Panel 4:** Caption *Falling Action*. Show how the conflict was resolved or how the characters changed during the story.

**Closure:**

- Display the completed comics in a gallery walk.
- Discuss the plot diagrams. 

**Differentiation:**

- Allow students to use the speech-to-text feature.
- Provide sentence starters as needed.
- Preteach necessary vocabulary for ELL students.
- Allow students to work with a peer model.
- Provide a variety of texts with a range of reading levels.
- Allow students to sketch their ideas before creating their comic.
- Allow students to use the voiceover feature to read their comics aloud.

**Resources:**

- Comic to print or display: [Comic](https://share.pixton.com/q6ny2lf).
- Additional examples of a plot diagram or story arc.
- Fictional text material for students to read.

**Suggested Content:**

- [![](https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/80-days.png) Around The World In Eighty Days ](https://content.pixton.com/around-the-world-in-eighty-days)
- [![](https://img.pixton.com/content-pack/1777421967608152064/thumbnail.png) Journey To The Center Of The Earth ](https://content.pixton.com/journey-to-the-center-of-the-earth)
- [![](https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/thumbnail-harrypotter.png) Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone ](https://content.pixton.com/harry-potter-and-the-sorcerers-stone)
- [![](https://img.pixton.com/content-pack/2065502218033872896/thumbnail.png) The Giver ](https://content.pixton.com/the-giver)
- [![](https://img.pixton.com/content-pack/1629220213478301696/thumbnail.png) The Hunger Games ](https://content.pixton.com/the-hunger-games)
- [![](https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/thumbnail-lovethatdog.png) Love That Dog ](https://content.pixton.com/love-that-dog)

**Suggested Story Starters:**

- [ Five-Finger-Retell-Strategy Template ](https://story-starters.pixton.com/five-finger-retell-strategy-template)
- [ Retell The Hunger Games With Visual Prompts ](https://story-starters.pixton.com/retell-the-hunger-games-with-visual-prompts)
- [ Retell Around the World in 80 Days With Visual Prompts ](https://story-starters.pixton.com/retell-around-the-world-in-80-days-with-visual-prompts)
- [ Retell Journey to the Center of the Earth With Visual Prompts ](https://story-starters.pixton.com/retell-journey-to-the-center-of-the-earth-with-visual-prompts)

Assign Activity

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