story elements plot
TRANSCRIPT
Story Elements
What is a “plot?”
• A plot is the action that moves a story along from beginning to end.
• A plot usually has moments of rising action that grow bigger and bigger as the story progresses.
• This leads to the most exciting moment, or climax, after which there is a quick ending, or “denouement.”
Goldilocks & the 3 Bears
• Let’s look at the plot in a
familiar story: “Goldilocks
and the Three Bears”
• In the beginning of the story
we meet the main character,
a little girl named
“Goldilocks”.
• Although she’s considered
the “hero” of the story, she’s
not really a “good girl.”
Our chart...
Beginning of the plot...
• The story begins with Goldilocks going into the forest, after promising her mother she wouldn’t.
• Then she discovers a stranger’s house and decides to go inside, even though no one is home.
• This begins a series of poor choices that eventually lead to scary consequences for Goldilocks.
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The next escalation
• What is the first thing Goldilocks sees?
• After tasting all three porridges, she eats up the one she considers “just right.”
• Now she’s gone beyond just going inside a stranger’s house, she’s eaten their food!
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The next escalation
• What is the next thing
Goldilocks sees?
• After she tries out all of the
chairs she likes the last one
best of all, but when she
sits in it – it breaks!
• Goldilocks isn’t even sorry
that she broke someone
else’s furniture.
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The next escalation
• What does Goldilocks do
next?
• She goes upstairs and tries
out all the beds!
• She chooses the one that’s
“just right,” and falls
asleep.
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The Three Bears
• Of course, we know
something that Goldilocks
doesn’t know – that the
house belongs to three
bears!
• They have gone for a short
walk in the forest while
their breakfast (the three
bowls of porridge) cools
down.
The Bears Come Back
• Just as Goldilocks falls asleep, the bears return home – and this begins a second series of escalations:
• They discover the eaten porridge!
• They discover the broken chair!
• They go upstairs, and find Goldilocks! – and she wakes up!
• This is the climax of the plot.
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The denouement
• After Goldilocks wakes up,
the story quickly finishes:
• She jumps out the window
very scared, and runs
home.
• The three bears never see
her again.
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She runs away
The end
Plots in stories
• It’s easy to see how the
choices Goldilocks makes
keep the action rising up
and up until the very end.
• Most stories follow this
same pattern of rising
action leading to an
exciting climax, and a
quick finish, or
denouement.
THE END
A NUTSY THE SQUIRREL PRODUCTION
COPYRIGHT 2014 OAK HILLS MEDIA CENTER
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.