Reading Literary Text 3 (RL 3):

Anchor Standard: Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of

a text.

Grade 6: Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the

characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

Grade 7: Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters

and plot)

Grade 8: Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal

aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

RL 3: Analyzing Story Elements: Character Development

Students explain how a character changes as a result of the story’s plot. Then they provide evidence to support

their analysis of the character’s development.

RL 3: Analyzing Story Elements: Plot Development

Students track the development of the plot by completing a plot triangle including the exposition, rising action,

climax, falling action, and resolution.

RL 3: Analyzing Story Elements: Character and Plot

For this organizer, students will analyze the plot according to a character’s reactions feelings to the events.

Students will describe the character at the beginning of the story as well as at the end.

RL 3: Analyzing Story Elements: the Effect of Setting

Students will begin this organizer by describing the story’s setting. The rest of the organizer asks students to

describe the impact of setting on mood, characters, and conflict.

Additional Items:

Plot Organizer

Plot Diagram: Three Pigs Example

Character Map

Character Traits and Evidence

Trait Chart

Vocabulary for Describing Characters

Story Map 1

Story Map 2

Setting Creates Conflict Poster

Setting Shapes Character Poster

Setting Creates Mood Poster

RL 3: Analyzing Story Elements: Character DevelopmentAnalyzing Story Elements: Character DevelopmentAnalyzing Story Elements: Character DevelopmentAnalyzing Story Elements: Character Development

DIRECTIONS: Use the following organizer to analyze how a character develops in response to conflict in a

story or drama. Provide excerpts from the text to support your analysis.

Title: ______________________________________________________________ Character: ______________________________________________

Your Words Evidence from the Text

Conflict the Character Faces

How the Character Changes

Meaning of the Change

RL 3: Analyzing Story Elements: Plot DevelopmentAnalyzing Story Elements: Plot DevelopmentAnalyzing Story Elements: Plot DevelopmentAnalyzing Story Elements: Plot Development Directions: A plot diagram helps you see how stories and dramas are organized. Use it to analyze the main

parts of a plot.

Name of Story or Drama: _______________________________________________________

Main Conflict: Explain the story’s main problem here____________________________________________

Exposition: Resolution:

Climax:

Rising Action

Falling Action

RL 3: Analyzing Story Elements: ChaAnalyzing Story Elements: ChaAnalyzing Story Elements: ChaAnalyzing Story Elements: Character and Plot racter and Plot racter and Plot racter and Plot

DIRECTIONS: Use the following organizer to analyze how a character develops in response to events in the

story or drama.

RL 3: Analyzing Story Elements: the Effect of Setting Analyzing Story Elements: the Effect of Setting Analyzing Story Elements: the Effect of Setting Analyzing Story Elements: the Effect of Setting Directions: In many stories, the setting greatly impacts the characters and events. Use the graphic organizer

below to analyze how the setting influences or impacts each of the other story elements. Use evidence from the

text to support your ideas.

Character:

Conflict:

Mood:

Setting:

Character Map Character Map Character Map Character Map

Character Traits and Textual Evidence Character Traits and Textual Evidence Character Traits and Textual Evidence Character Traits and Textual Evidence

Trait Chart Trait Chart Trait Chart Trait Chart

Vocabulary for Describing Characters Vocabulary for Describing Characters Vocabulary for Describing Characters Vocabulary for Describing Characters

able demanding hopeless restless

active dependable humorous rich

adventurous depressed ignorant rough

affectionate determined imaginative rowdy

afraid discouraged impatient rude

alert dishonest impolite sarcastic

ambitious disrespectful inconsiderate safe

angry doubtful independent satisfied

annoyed dull industrious scared

anxious dutiful innocent secretive

apologetic eager intelligent selfish

arrogant easygoing jealous serious

attentive efficient kindly sharp

average embarrassed lazy short

awkward encouraging leader shy

boastful energetic lively silly

bold evil lonely skillful

bored excited loving sly

bossy expert loyal smart

brainy fair lucky sneaky

brave faithful mature sorry

bright fearless melancholy spoiled

brilliant fierce messy stingy

busy foolish miserable strange

calm fortunate mysterious strict

careful forgiving naughty stubborn

careless fresh nerdy studious

cautious friendly nervous talented

charming frustrated noisy tender

cheerful funny obedient thankful

childish generous obnoxious thoughtful

clever gentle old thoughtless

clumsy giving peaceful tired

complex glamorous picky tolerant

concerned gloomy pleasant touchy

confident graceful polite trusting

confused grateful poor trustworthy

considerate greedy popular unfriendly

cooperative grouchy positive unhappy

courageous grumpy precise upset

cowardly guilty proper useful

creative happy proud warm

cruel harsh quick weak

curious hateful quiet wicked

dangerous healthy rational wise

daring helpful reliable witty

dark honest religious worried

decisive hopeful responsible young

Story Map 1Story Map 1Story Map 1Story Map 1

Story Map 2Story Map 2Story Map 2Story Map 2

Setting

from “All Summer in a Day”

“It had been raining for “It had been raining for “It had been raining for “It had been raining for seven years; thousands seven years; thousands seven years; thousands seven years; thousands upon thousandupon thousandupon thousandupon thousandssss of days of days of days of days compounded and filled compounded and filled compounded and filled compounded and filled from one end to the other from one end to the other from one end to the other from one end to the other with rain, with the drum with rain, with the drum with rain, with the drum with rain, with the drum and gush of water, with and gush of water, with and gush of water, with and gush of water, with the sweet crystal fthe sweet crystal fthe sweet crystal fthe sweet crystal fall of all of all of all of showers and the showers and the showers and the showers and the concussion of storms so concussion of storms so concussion of storms so concussion of storms so heavy they were tidal heavy they were tidal heavy they were tidal heavy they were tidal waves come over the waves come over the waves come over the waves come over the islands. A thousand forests islands. A thousand forests islands. A thousand forests islands. A thousand forests had been crushed under the had been crushed under the had been crushed under the had been crushed under the rain and grown up a thousand rain and grown up a thousand rain and grown up a thousand rain and grown up a thousand times to be crushed again. times to be crushed again. times to be crushed again. times to be crushed again. And this was the way life was And this was the way life was And this was the way life was And this was the way life was forever on the planforever on the planforever on the planforever on the planeeeet Venus t Venus t Venus t Venus and this was the schoolroom of and this was the schoolroom of and this was the schoolroom of and this was the schoolroom of the children of the rocket men the children of the rocket men the children of the rocket men the children of the rocket men and women who had come to a and women who had come to a and women who had come to a and women who had come to a raining world to set up raining world to set up raining world to set up raining world to set up civilization and live out their civilization and live out their civilization and live out their civilization and live out their lives.” lives.” lives.” lives.”

“Margot stood apart from them, “Margot stood apart from them, “Margot stood apart from them, “Margot stood apart from them, from these children who could never from these children who could never from these children who could never from these children who could never remember a time when there wasn’t remember a time when there wasn’t remember a time when there wasn’t remember a time when there wasn’t rain and rain and rain. They were all rain and rain and rain. They were all rain and rain and rain. They were all rain and rain and rain. They were all nine years old, and if there had been a nine years old, and if there had been a nine years old, and if there had been a nine years old, and if there had been a day, seven years ago, when the sun day, seven years ago, when the sun day, seven years ago, when the sun day, seven years ago, when the sun came out for an hour and showcame out for an hour and showcame out for an hour and showcame out for an hour and showed its ed its ed its ed its face to the stunned world, they could face to the stunned world, they could face to the stunned world, they could face to the stunned world, they could not recall.” not recall.” not recall.” not recall.”

Setting

from “Rattlesnake Hunt”

Setting

“The sun was bright overhead, the sky a translucent

blue, and it seemed to me that it was warm enough for

any snake to do as it willed. The sweat poured down my

back. Ross dropped the rattler in a crocus sack and

Will carried it. By noon, he had caught four. I felt

faint and ill. We stopped by a pond and went swimming.

The region was flat, the horizon limitless, and as I came

out of the cool blue water I expected to find myself

surrounded by a ring of rattlers.”

from Travels with Charley

“The night, far from being frightful, was lovely

beyond thought, for the stars were close, and although

there was no moon the starlight made a silver glow in the

sky. The air cut the nostrils with dry frost. And for pure

pleasure I collected a pile of dry dead cedar branches and

built a small fire just to smell the perfume of the burning

wood and to hear the excited crackle of the branches. My

fire made a dome of yellow light over me…”