story elements presentation & activity
DESCRIPTION
This presentation lists and defines elements of a story including plot, theme, and setting. Students will also be prompted to complete a formative assessment during the course of the slideshow.TRANSCRIPT
STORY ELEMENTS
Miss Cifu
INTRO
Every story has some basic elements, whether it is
a short story, novel, play, folk tale, etc.
PLOT
The plan, scheme, or main story of a literary or
dramatic work, as a play, novel, or short story.
Every story has a plot because if it didn’t, it
wouldn’t be a story.
Plot can also be referred to as storyline.
PLOTTING PLOT
Exposition
Ris
ing
Actio
n
Climax
Falling Action
Resolution
EXPOSITION
Literary device used to provide the reader with
background information about events, setting,
characters, etc.
Which of the literary elements that we have
studied in the past few days might we find in the
exposition?
RISING ACTION
Series of events that build up to the main point of
interest in a literary work.
Example: • In the Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers as tribute,
goes to the city, trains for the Hunger Games, becomes the “Girl on Fire.”
CLIMAX
The point at which tension is at its highest.
Which of the literary elements that we discussed
yesterday would also be labeled as the climax?
FALLING ACTION
The part of the story at which the climax has been
reached and the conflict is being.
RESOLUTION
The ending of the story.
The conflict has already been resolved.
YOUR TURN
With a partner, choose a literary work, movie, play,
etc.
Draw a plot diagram and describe the exposition,
rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
SETTING
The setting is when and where the story takes
place.
Example:• Batman takes place in Gotham City.• Romeo and Julieti takes place in Verona, Italy.
Describing the setting can be as vague as the name
of a city or as detailed as this:• On a dark and stormy night in 1869 London, a
detective sat in a cozy, but drab room by a fireplace.
ADD
To your plot diagram, add the setting of your
chosen story.
CHARACTER
Characters are the people (or animals in some
cases) that the story is about.
There are major characters and minor characters.
There are dynamic, static, flat, and round
characters.
CHARACTER TRAITS
Aspects of the character’s behavior or personality.
These are intrinsic qualities NOT physical
attirbutes.
DYNAMIC CHARACTERS
Dynamic characters change throughout the course of the
story.
Example:• Luke Skywalker started off as a small town boy living on
Tattooine, but he became a well-respected Jedi knight.
The central conflict of the story is usually what changes the
character.• In Up, the old man is super nice until his wife dies, and then he
is really mean, but after going on his adventure with Russell and getting his house to Paradise Falls, he becomes nice again.
STATIC CHARACTERS
Static characters do not change over time.
The Emporer in Star Wars is evil in the beginning,
and he is evil at the end.
ROUND CHARACTER
Characters that have a complex personality are
referred to as round characters.
They may be conflicted or contradict themselves
often.
Example:• Harry Potter is an example of a round character.
FLAT CHARACTERS
This character has one trait.• The tiny robot, Mo, in Wall-E that is always cleaning
up dirt is a flat character.
ADD
With your partner, choose three characters from
your chosen text/movie.
Write down the character’s name, which type of
character they are, and list some of their traits.
PROTAGONIST
The protagonist is a central character in the story,
but not necessarily the main character.
This is the person you’re cheering for.
The good one.
ANTAGONIST
This character works against the antagonist.
This character is presents an obstacle that the
protagonist needs to overcome.
ADD
With your partner, decide if any of the three
characters were the protagonist or antagonist of that
text/movie.
Write that down.
THEME
An idea that is repeated in a literary work making
it the most important idea in the text.
Generally, themes are universal concepts.• Examples: love, greed, friendship.
If it keeps popping up, it’s probably a theme.
ADD
Write down any themes that you think are part of
that text/movie.
What ideas kept reoccurring?
Think about how you can state that idea generally.
TONE
The attitude of the writer toward a subject.
This is conveyed through diction (word choice).• Here’s an example of how you can say the same
thing, but the tone changes because of diction.• I looked outside, and it was pouring down rain outside.• I looked out the window, and the sky was black and it
seemed as if there was no end in sight to this storm.
MOOD
Literary element that evokes feelings in the reader.
Similar to tone
Creates the emotion that the reader feels while
reading the text.
ADD
Describe in 3-5 sentences the tone and mood of
that text/movie.
Make sure both your names are on this sheet of
paper.