Lesson Plan: EDIS 5400 & 4882

Plot Diagram & Character Conflict Review Session

Context:
Course name: Standard English language arts
Grade level: 6th grade
Length of lesson: 50 minutes
Description: 17 students, 11 boys and 6 girls, 7 minority students, 10 caucasian students
Sutherland Middle School is located just outside of Charlottesville with 574 total students
enrolled. Therefore, the setting is rather intimate although it is a public school. Kathleen
Haans classroom is a very positive environment. Mrs. Haan displays student work in
several areas and has an immense personal young adult literature library that students can
claim books from, and even take home on loan. The students are learning a standards
level English 6 curriculum. They spend a good portion of their time defining, studying,
and applying their Word Wisdom word lists that they receive and are tested on bi-weekly.
This is a grade-wide curriculum requirement at Sutherland. We are teaching a lesson at
the end of their unit on part of a Plot Diagram/Narrative, and external and internal
character conflict. Our lesson is a quiz review for their summative assessment they will
take at the end of the block. This lesson is immediately important to the students because
of the quiz, but is largely more important for them to build strong reading skills in
identifying the main issues and events in texts that they read independently. Mastering
these skills will make them stronger readers and help them unpack texts! The majority of
our students fall into the category of middle class. All students at Sutherland have
personal laptops (ThinkPads) provided by the school that they are able to take home, but
we will not be using them in our lesson.

Strategy Requirement Satisfied: Teaching in Context: Literary Terms

Objectives (KUD format)

SWBAT:
Know:
1. Know the different types of conflict in literature
a. Know the different types of external conflict found in literature
i. Individual vs TINSS: technology, individual, nature, society, or the
supernatural
b. Know internal conflict in literature.
i. Individual vs self
2. Know that the plot of a piece of literature is a progression of narrative elements
 a. Elements of plot progression: exposition, initiating event, rising action, climax,
falling action, resolution

Understand:
1. Understand the development of central conflict and resolution through the path of a Plot
Diagram.
2. Understand that there are different ways conflict can manifest in a text, whether external
or internal.

Do:
1. Identify types of external conflict.
2. Create scenarios that demonstrate a specific external conflict in small groups.
3. Act that scenario out to peers
4. Evaluate peers scenarios to determine the type of external conflict shown.
5. Label a plot diagram with the plot progression elements.

SOLs:
6.5 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of fictional texts,
narrative nonfiction, and poetry.
a) Identify the elements of narrative structure, including setting, character, plot, conflict,
and theme.

Methods of Assessment:
NOTE: SOL 6.5.a is being assessed in each assessment.
Diagnostic Formative Summative

Students will demonstrate
what they already know
about the elements of plot
by
...filling out the parts of
their Plot Diagram Half-
Sheet (Appendix A)
(K2, U1, D5)
*If the students will have a
word bank during the Plot
Diagram portion of their
quiz, then we will have the
Students will show their Plot Diagram Quiz
progress toward (Appendix B)
understanding the elements Students will ultimately be
of plot by assessed on 10/6 on the
elements of plot by a teacher-
...giving us a collective made quiz. (K2, U1, D5)
thumbs up, middle, or down
demonstrating their comfort
level with the Plot Diagram
Half-Sheet. We will scaffold
this understanding and
provide support by
immediately going over the
terms listed on the
board.(Exposition, Setting,
Characters, Background,
Initiating Event, Conflict,
Rising Action, Climax,
Turning Point, Falling
Action, Resolution) If not, we
will not provide these.
Students will demonstrate
what they already know
about narrative conflict
by
...Recalling the difference
between internal and
external conflict. The
students will raise their hand
to indicate whether
internal/external conflict
happens inside/outside of the
characters head. (K1b)
...Recalling the meaning of
TINSS (Appendix C):
They will be identifying the
meaning behind each letter
of the TINSS acronym. We
will write the acronym on
the board and then instruct
them to discuss what the
first letter means with their
desk row, telling them they
have thirty seconds to
discuss. Then, we will take
diagram with them in order to
answer any questions they
may have. We will also assess
their progress based on which
students willingly participate
in the class-wide review. (K2,
U1, D5)
Students will show their Character Conflict Quiz
progress toward (Appendix E)
understanding narrative Students will ultimately be
conflict by assessed on 10/6 on narrative
conflict by a teacher-made
....Identifying External quiz (the same quiz as above)
Character Conflict (K1a, K1b, U2, D1)
Scenarios (Appendix D):
identifying which of the 5
external character conflicts
their scenario represents.
(K1a. D1)
...Creating skits that
represent their External
Character Conflict
Scenario, and act it out for
peers. (D2, D3)
...Identifying Peers
External Character
Conflict Scenarios based
on Skits: They will further
demonstrate understanding
by identifying which of the 5
external character conflicts
 one answer and move onto their peers skits represent
the next letter of the after they have performed.
acronym. At the end, we (K1a, D1, D4)
will ask the class if
everyone agreed with each
answer and discuss as
necessary. (K1a, D1)

Materials:
Appendix A: Plot Diagram Half-Sheet
Appendix B: Plot Diagram & Conflict Quiz
Appendix C: TINSS Acronym (example of board writing)
Appendix D: External Character Conflict Scenarios
Appendix E: Team Audience Cards

Procedures/Instructional Strategies:
Beginning Room Arrangement:
Students will enter and sit in their assigned seats.
[Changes in this arrangement that become necessary later will be noted in the plan]

1. [3-5 mins.] Welcome/greeting/announcements

[TESSA] Hello everyone! How are you all? [Allow time for student responses]. All right, thats
good to hear! Do you all have any plans for this weekend? [Allow time for a few responses; call
on a few students if they raise their hands]. Those plans sound really fun! Now, before we tell
you our plans for this weekend, does anybody remember our names? I really hope you all do!
[Hopefully there is a class-wide chorus of our names; if not, we can quickly say our names.]

2. [1-2mins.] Bridge and/or Hook to lesson

[TESSA] Ok, Ms. Wetzel and I are going to work with you all on your plot diagrams and
character conflict. Those topics sound familiar, dont they? [Again, hopefully they all say yes].
We know that you all are taking a quiz on these two things later today in this class, so were
going to spend some time reviewing. We know that you know it, but were going to make sure
that were all masters before we take the quiz after lunch! [Some students may look worried or
blurt out about not knowing there was a quiz today. If that happens, we will assure them that
today is a review exactly for that and move on.]

3. [10mins.] Plot Diagram Race

[CARLIN] Ok, now that we are all familiar with one another, lets start our review! First we
are going to review the parts of a plot diagram. We know you guys already know this, because
youve been studying it for a while now, but hopefully this review will be a fun way to remind
yourselves of all that you know! [Again, hopefully they all say yes or affirm that in some way].
All right, we are going to have a race on who can fill out their plot diagrams the quickest! When
you complete your diagram, you must raise your hand so that either Ms. Short or I can come and
check to see if you labelled the diagram correctly. The first five to correctly label their plot
diagrams get candy! Now isnt that exciting? [Many students voice their agreement]. Now, it is
key that we are focused as we do this; you dont want somebody else to beat you in this race
because you are saying your answers or are being distracted, right? [Again, they voice their
agreement]. If I were in this race, would I tell Ms. Wetzel, That blank is totally the
exposition!? [The students say that I would not do that]. No, no, I wouldnt! Remember, you
wanna win so you can get that candy! Everyone understand? Are there any questions? [The
students confirm that they understood everything]. [While Carlin explains this, Tessa hands out
the review sheets.] (Appendix A)

All right, lets begin! Raise your hand when you finish or if you have a question! [As students
complete the diagram we will walk around and look over shoulders, offering help where students
have blank papers. As students raise their hands we will keep track of the first 5 with complete,
correct diagrams. If diagrams are not entirely correct, we will give prompts such as, Youve
done a great job identifying x, y, z, but there is one/a few blank(s) that arent quite right. Can
you figure out which one(s) based on the other blanks around them. Remember, they all lead up
to the other. There is a continuing trail as each part of the plot influences the next!, etc.]
[Five students complete plot diagrams; we give each of the winners candy as they complete the
diagram].

Ok folks, we have our winners! Raise your hands high and proud! [The winners giggle and raise
their hands, potentially brandishing their candies]. Lets congratulate them! [Maybe clap or
snap]. Ok, I hope that race was fun and gave each of you a nice opportunity to refresh your
knowledge of plot diagrams. Now, I want to know how you all felt about that activity; hold a
hand up and do a thumbs-up [model with my hand] if you feel comfortable with the plot
diagram, a thumb to the middle [model with my hand] if you understood most but not all of this
activity, and a thumbs-down [model] if you are still developing knowledge of the plot diagram.

[There is a mix between thumbs-up and thumbs to the middle].

Lets go over this plot diagram together. Now, looking at this plot diagram, I think the first label
would be exposition. Give me a thumbs-up if you agree! [Hopefully they all do]. Can someone
tell me why it is the exposition? [Jimmy (pseudonym) raises his hand].

Jimmy: Its the exposition because it comes at the beginning of the plot diagram.

Yes, Jimmy! Nice contribution! What is usually in the exposition, Jimmy?

Jimmy: I think Mrs. Haan mentioned setting . . .

Yes, great! Can anyone build on what Jimmy has said? There are three things that the exposition
of a plot covers. . .

Linda (pseudonym): Oh, I know! Its setting, characters, and background!

Awesome, that is exactly right! The exposition explains the setting, character, and background of
a story, and thats why it comes first!
[Follow in this manner for each of the 6 elements of the plot diagram. The five winners will
identify the next five plot terms and discuss their meaning].

Everyone, you did such a great job reviewing what you know about plot diagramming and I can
see that you are becoming very good at labelling the plot diagram! Now, Ms. Short will start
talking to us about more material that will be on our quiz-- exciting, huh?

4. [5-6 mins.] Internal & External Conflict Diagnostic Review

[TESSA] Okay everyone now that weve reviewed the parts of the Plot Diagram, we are going
to review the second half of the material for todays quiz--character conflict! For a quick brain
exercise Ms. Wetzel and I are going to ask you a few questions. Some of them will have to do
with character conflict and some of them wont, so listen closely and make sure youre paying
attention. After each question well ask you to raise your hand if it applies to you. Give me a
thumbs up if that makes sense? [Students gives thumbs up, if anyone is confused, I will give
space for them to ask clarifying questions] Okay raise your hand if.
...you love ketchup?*
...you think internal conflict happens INSIDE the characters mind?
...you like to draw?*
...you think external conflict happens OUTSIDE the characters mind?

[As I ask these questions I will be sure to repeat them two or three times quickly as students raise
their hands. This will be especially important to ensure students catch the questions about
internal and external conflict.] Great job everyone with your quick responses and thinking! It
looks like we have quite a few ketchup-lovers in the crowd. Can someone raise their hand and
remind us where internal conflict happens? Inside or outside of the characters mind? [A student
will raise their hand and give us their answer, we will either confirm that they are right/ask if
others agree in order to provide the correct answer.] Great, what about external conflict? Does
that occur inside or outside of the characters mind? [Repeat above, confirm or ask students if
they agree/disagree to guide toward the correct answer.]

Great everyone, now that weve reminded ourselves that external conflict occurs outside of the
characters mind, well review the different types of external conflict before we play a little
game. On the board we have an acronym, or letters that stand for something else. Does this look
familiar to anyone? (Appendix C) [Hopefully theres some affirmative nodding.] Great! Lets
fill in the blanks on the board! Lets remember that there are 5 types of external conflict, one for
each letter listed above. Take 30 seconds now and talk to the people at your desk trio--what does
T stand for? [students debate] Okay, who can tell me what T stands for? [Repeat this cycle for all
of the letters, T, I, N, S, and S.]

Okay, great job recalling the different types of external conflict everyone. Now, we are going to
play a quick game to test out knowledge!

*We will only ask these fun questions if time allows. If there is not enough time, then we
will simply ask students to raise their hand regarding the internal/external conflict questions.

5. [20-25 mins] External Conflict Scenarios Activity

[CARLIN] Okay everyone, we are going to count off 1 through 5. Remember your number,
because this will be your team! Stay seated as we count off, then Team 1 will go to the desks by
Mrs. Haans desk, Team 2 will sit in the front left corner, Team 3 will sit front and center, Team
4 will sit by the door, and Team 5 will sit by the sink. [Count off aloud to get into teams. We
have not yet spent enough time with the students to place them in strategic groups based on
strengths to scaffold their learning. Because of this, we will randomize these groups, hopefully
giving them enough time to work with someone they have not worked with before or do not
usually partner with.] Okay, does everyone have their number? Great, lets quickly move to our
new spots.

[The students move to the appropriate spots based on the numbers they were given].

Ok everyone there are two tasks each team will complete! Ms. Short is placing a scenario on
your desk face down while I give you instructions. Each scenario represents one of the types of
external character conflicts we just talked about! When Im done talking, each team will flip over
their scenario and read it together. You will brainstorm with your teammates to decide which
character conflict your scenario represents. When you think you have it, raise your hand and Ms.
Short or I will come over to tell you whether or not youve got it right! Give me a thumbs up if
that makes sense. [Students give thumbs up or ask questions.]
Once you have confirmation from us, you will work together with your team to create a short skit
based on whats happening in your scenario. Everyone in your team must participate in the skit,
and at the end of everyones brainstorm period each team will perform for the class, and your
classmates will try to figure out what kind of external conflict youre acting out! Give me a
thumbs up if that makes sense. [Students give thumbs up or ask questions.] Are there any other
questions? Alright then, start brainstorming and raise your hand as soon as you think you know
which area of external conflict is in your hands! [These instructions will also be written at the
top of their scenario sheets (Appendix D), as well as on the board.]

[Students will brainstorm with partners as Ms. Short and I walk around. We will listen in as
students brainstorm, offering affirmation if they are on the right track or guiding questions if they
need some help. As students raise their hands we will give them confirmation and ask them
Great job, now how do you think you will act this out? We will give them affirmation or small
suggestions for improvement, and then give them space to iron out the details for their
performances.]

[With 10-15 minutes left or when groups quiet down/get off track] Okay everyone lets share
out skits with each other! Remember as you perform that you want to help your classmates figure
out which external conflict youre representing. While you brainstormed, Ms. Short passed out
five labeled cards to each team. After each performance you will have a 30 second conference
with your team to decide which external conflict the skit represents, then on the count of three
everyone will hold up the conflict the skit represents. Does anyone have any questions about how
that will work? [Give space for clarification and questions.]

[Call on groups individually to give their performances. After each skit guide the 30 second
conferences and ask each team to hold up the card with the correct conflict on it. Ask the original
skit team what external conflict they were representing, and have one team member explain what
was happening and how it was man vs. _____? Continue through this cycle until each group
performs and all 5 external conflicts have been represented.]

6. [2-5 mins] Closure:

[TESSA] Great work today everyone! Do your best to keep all of that information swirling
around your brains until the quiz. While youre taking the quiz remember the skits you just
watched, that may help you if you get stuck on a question about external conflict! Its time for
lunch, so everyone push in their chairs and line up by the door with your lunchboxes if you
packed today. Well see you after lunch, have a great break!
Differentiated Instruction to accommodate one or more of my profiled students:
We have differentiated this lesson by the way we provide instructions. We provide them
on the handout, on the board, and orally. Additionally, every time the students are working and
we are not offering explicit class-wide guidance, we walk around and engage with students--
making ourselves available for questions and support.
Specifically we differentiated the lesson for Student M, who shows evidence of possible
dyslexia and is in the process of being assessed for an IEP. We structured the lesson to involve
independent work, which she sometimes struggles with because of her difficult with spelling and
reading comprehension. We specifically involved small group work and went over the answers
in a whole class setting in order to scaffold her understanding.
**Student J has a tendency to get off task, as his teacher brought to our attention. He sits
in the back corner of the room where he has plenty of space to spread out across multiple desks,
but this allows him some extra space to make origami and tune out the lesson as well. Mrs. Haan
brought this to our attention during the last small-group sharing after lunch, which was after we
stopped filming. We then made an effort to move around the room more strategically and stand
next to student J for the rest of the lesson and during the quiz. This way the student knew we
were paying attention to him individually and helped him stay on task.
We have broken down the lesson into several forms of group work and individual work.
Students will participate in individual work, small group work, and whole-class review. This
allows students who feel more comfortable in different settings to have moments of comfort, as
well as growing moments where they are asked to demonstrate their understanding to us as well
as their peers. In small group work students are also given an opportunity to scaffold their peers
comprehension or receive support if they need it. We create two types of games, one that is
competitive and one that is not, in case there are students who are not comfortable with
competitive environments.

Materials Appendix:

Appendix A: Plot Diagram Half-Sheet (blank)

We printed out the quiz and cut off the bottom section only for this material. We passed
this out to the students with the blanks unfilled.

Appendix B: Plot Diagram & Conflict Quiz

This material will be added once we obtain the quiz.

Appendix C: TINSS Acronym (what we will put on the whiteboard--handwritten)

Individual vs...

T ______________ (Technology)
I ______________ (Individual)
N _____________ (Nature)
S _____________ (Society)
S _____________ (Supernatural)

Appendix D: External Character Conflict Scenarios

Instructions:
1. Brainstorm with your group to determine which type of external conflict this scenario
describes. Raise your hand when you have it!
2. Create a skit based on the scenario on your sheet to perform for your classmates. Make
sure all team members are participating in the skit.

Individual vs. ___________

Congratulations! You were one of the lucky few who got tickets to the Charlottesville Unity
concert two weeks ago! After the concert, something really crazy happened-- you saw Arianna
Grande by the Papa Johns pizza cart, grabbing a personal pan pizza! You walk up to her and she
offers to give you an autograph, and you know this would be the perfect thing to add to your
Snap Story. As she is signing your concert ticket, you get ready to take the Snap when -- to your
disappointment -- you have no wifi. No one will even know this incredible moment ever
happened.
______________________________________________________________________________

Instructions:
1. Brainstorm with your group to determine which type of external conflict this scenario
describes. Raise your hand when you have it!
2. Create a skit based on the scenario on your sheet to perform for your classmates. Make
sure all team members are participating in the skit.

Individual vs. ____________

You and your best friend are so excited to hit up the Book Fair in the library before lunch today!
Youve been saving up for the new Grumpy Cat book for a week, and you cannot wait to read it
on the bus ride home today. But when you walk into the library, you and your best friend both
walk straight to the very last copy of the Grumpy Cat book on the shelf. You had no idea you
both wanted to buy it! Now youre both stuck with one hand on the cover, neither person willing
to back down. It looks like you wont be eating lunch today after all...

Instructions:
1. Brainstorm with your group to determine which type of external conflict this scenario
describes. Raise your hand when you have it!
2. Create a skit based on the scenario on your sheet to perform for your classmates. Make
sure all team members are participating in the skit.

Individual vs. __________

Youre a National Geographic photographer and you are in the middle of the Alaskan tundra,
hunting for the perfect picture of the rare snow leopard. After hours and hours, you finally found
him! Your camera is ready and youre just about to take the shot when the snow leopard notices
you, too. The snow leopard does not look like it is playing games-- time to run!
______________________________________________________________________________

Instructions:
1. Brainstorm with your group to determine which type of external conflict this scenario
describes. Raise your hand when you have it!
2. Create a skit based on the scenario on your sheet to perform for your classmates. Make
sure all team members are participating in the skit.

Individual vs. __________

Oh wow, yesterday was the best day ever--because Taylor Swift released her new song! You
think she is the best artist to have ever lived, but no one agrees with you. Its the worst, you feel
like no one understands how you feel! You go to school today wearing your favorite Taylor
Swift tshirt and immediately everyone in the hallway gives you a weird look. One person even
says, You actually like Taylor Swift? Shes so last year! Its you against the world, but youll
be forever loyal to your girl TSwift.
____________________________________________________________________________

Instructions:
1. Brainstorm with your group to determine which type of external conflict this scenario
describes. Raise your hand when you have it!
2. Create a skit based on the scenario on your sheet to perform for your classmates. Make
sure all team members are participating in the skit.
Individual vs. ____________

Its Halloween and you have found the coolest haunted house to explore! As soon as you get to
the house, however, you realize its pretty spooky, but thats what youre there for, right? So,
you go in and stroll around the house. About midway through the house, you notice the air
becomes super cold-- you can see your breathe. Just then, you hear a ghostly voice say, Im glad
you all have decided to join us. You look around the room and find that you and your group are
cornered by ghosts!

Appendix E: Team Audience Cards

Individual Individual
vs. vs.
Nature Supernatural
Individual Individual
vs. vs.
Society Individual

Individual
vs.
Technology