The Plot Mountain

Plot Mountain!

Character

A person, animal, or imaginary creature that plays a role in the story

Ways to describe them:
– Physical traits
– Personality traits
– Motives
– Actions
– Feelings

Multiple Choice

Character traits are usually what part of speech?

• adjectives
• adverbs
• nouns
• verbs

Multiple Choice

Sophie is trying to find her ring. She digs through the drawer and finds her old pair of sunglasses. “So that’s where those went,” she said.

• Clean

• Careless

• Lucky

Multiple Choice

Jack is the new student at school. He doesn’t speak much in class and often avoids eye contact by fixing his eyes on the floor.

• Sneaky

• Messy

• Shy

Open Ended

Think of a good friend.

How might you describe that friend to a new student in order to convince them to become a part of your friend group?

Setting

The time and place in which the story takes place

Describing:
– Environment
– Time of day or year
– Historical period
– Situation
– Place
– Season

Multiple Choice

What is the setting of a story?

• The time and place a story happens

• The people or animals in the story

• What happens in a story

• How a character feels

Multiple Choice

How could an author show the setting of a story?

• by telling how old a character is

• by telling how a character feels

• by describing the problem a character faces

• by describing how characters dress, talk and live

Multiple Choice

Which of these settings would fit best in a fantasy book?

• a school

• a haunted castle

• a beach house

• a ski lodge

Multiple Choice

What might a character feel in a dark forest?

• happy

• awake

• scared

• bored

Multiple Choice

A story about knights and castles probably takes place in the

• future.

• present.

• evening.

• past.

Multiple Choice

When would a story about flying cars probably take place?

• hundreds of years ago

• in the Old West

• in the future

• in the present

Multiple Choice

Sofia is nervous and excited. Her knees shake. Where do you think she is?

• on a bake sale

• on stage in front of a lot of people

• at home

• in an ice cream parlor

Conflict

Clash between opposing forces
– Human vs. Self
– Human vs. Human
– Human vs. Nature
– Human vs. Technology
– Human vs. Fate
– Human vs. Society

Without conFLIct, there is no plot!

Multiple Choice

What type of conflict did Brian MOSTLY deal with in Hatchet?

• Person VS Person

• Person VS Nature

• Person VS Technology

• Person VS Self

• Person VS Fate

Match

Match the following CONFLICTS to the correct type

• Gary fights another kid

• Gary procrastinates and fails an assignment

• Simon is caught in a tornado

• Simon refuses to pay taxes, and is put in jail

• Alan is old and struggles to figure out how to use a new cellphone

Person VS Person

Person VS Self

Person VS Nature

Person VS Society

Person VS Technology

• Person VS Person

• Person VS Self

• Person VS Nature

• Person VS Society

• Person VS Technology

Multiple Choice

What does plot mean?

• a sequence of events in a story

• a problem between two characters

• the lesson the reader understands

• story events in random order

Multiple Choice

What graphic organizer best represents a story's plot?

• a Venn diagram

• a T chart

• a bubble map

• a mountain

Plot

the structure of the action of a story

Plot Mountain

Open Ended

Why is it important to study the plot mountain map with stories?

Exposition

The beginning of the story

Plot Mountain

Multiple Select

What will you likely learn in the EXPOSITION?!? (Select ALL that apply)

• Important Characters

• Location and Time of the Story

• The Solution to the Problem

• The Ending of the Story

• The Initial Problem

Rising Action

A series of events building the tension toward the climax

Plot Mountain

Multiple Choice

When does the RISING ACTION typically happen in a story?

• After the major events have happened

• At the beginning of the story

• After the initial conflict

• After the end of the story

Climax

The most
intense or
crucial moment
or event when
the tension
reaches a peak

Plot Mountain

Multiple Choice

Choose the best climax:

Scientists have cloned dinosaurs who have broken out of their cages and want to eat the scientists.

• A volcano exploded and the dinosaurs and scientists all died.

• It was only a dream.

• The tyrannosaurus almost eats the lead scientist, but he resets the backup fences and the dinosaurs are caught.

Multiple Choice

Mr.Jones had a rat in his house that he could not catch. Choose a climax for this scenario.

• Mr.Jones gave up.

• After numerous failed traps, Mr.Jones heard a SNAP! He smiled to himself knowing the battle was finally over.

• The rat had gotten away and Mr.Jones was furious!

• Mr.Jones hired an exterminator to catch the rat.

Falling Action

The tension fades and the consequences are examined

Plot Mountain

Multiple Select

Which two answers are examples of a Resolution

• Two friends fight over a boy, but in the end, they realize that friendship is more important

• Cindy and Michelle lived in a small town in Illinois. They were best friends and always hung out. But the unexpected happened one day. They both revealed that they liked the same boy!

• The West Lake High School football team was a sad excuse for a football team. Every year they struggle to win, but especially against the East Lake High School football team. They always thought they were better than them.

• The Lake High School football team happily celebrated their victory after a challenging face-off with East Lake High School. They worked hard and didn't give up, even though no one thought that they could win.

Multiple Select

Which TWO answers are examples of falling action?

• After Belle saved the beast with her love, the curse was broken, and all of the other characters who were affected by the curse slowly return to their human form.

• After Luke Skywalker destroys the Death Star, he returns to the rebel base a hero and receiving congratulations from his friends.

• Luke Skywalker was an ordinary boy who lived in Tatooine

• Belle saved the beast with her love, and he turned into a human.

Resolution

How the story’s central problem is resolved, the conclusion

Plot Mountain

Multiple Choice

True or False: ALL stories have a RESOLUTION?

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

What is another way to think of RESOLUTION?

• New Years Eve Lies

• Tying up loose ends,

• Tying up the bad characters

• New Endings

Poll

Rate your UNDERSTANDING of PLOT ELEMENTS & THE PLOT MOUNTAIN

• I am lost, please save me...

• I understand it, but I still need help.

• I got it, no problems here!

• I know it and I could teach it to someone else.