Lesson Planning Template

Lesson Title: Elements of the Plot Structure

Grade: 6th

Goals or Objectives: Students will be able to state the 5 elements of a plot structure, describe
what happens at each step, and identify those elements within a selected story.
Grade Level Guide: Content Standards
Content Curriculum Focal
Points (ie: NCTM, IRA,)

Common Core State

Standards

Interdisciplinary Connections

IRA Standard 5: Literate

Environment - 5.4
Candidates use a variety of
classroom configurations
(i.e., whole class, small
group, and individual) to
differentiate instruction.

CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.6.3
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.

Students are learning about

kinetic and potential energy in
science class. They are creating
their own roller coasters. We
wanted to integrate the roller
coaster theme into literature.
(Ohio Learning Standards
Grade 6 - Matter and Motion:
This topic focuses on the study
of foundational concepts of the
particulate nature of matter,
linear motion, and kinetic and
potential energy)

Academic Language: Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Resolution, Conflict,
Character, Setting
Students Needs: This class contains both students who are english language learners and
students with special needs including a visual impairment, a learning disability, and ADHD.
English Language Learners
These students may have gaps in vocabulary
and comprehension for the stories. They will
receive the stories ahead of time to pre-read,
and difficult vocabulary will be pre-taught.

Special Needs (can be a group such as

struggling readers or individuals)
Students with special needs may need
modifications to complete work. Some
worksheets will have scaffolded questions to
guide these students.

Materials:
Guided note sheet & teacher note sheet with filled in notes
copy of Breakaway short story

Plot structure template worksheets

Childrens books: Oh Bother! Someones Messy, Hens Feathers, Tiger in my Soup, Officer
Buckle and Gloria, Poohs Neighborhood
Language Function: This lesson involves varying levels of critical thinking which increase in
complexity as the lesson progresses. Students must describe the elements of the plot structure,
explain what happens at each step, analyze and evaluate a story to identify each element of the
plot structure, and justify each step of the plot structure within the selected story.
Lesson Plan
Before:
Begin by playing the roller coaster simulation video: Welcome to 6th grade language
arts class. Please keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times. Thank you and
enjoy the ride of your life.
How many of you have been on a roller coaster before?
(if some do not raise their hands) How many of you have seen one before?
That experience included a lot of different feelings and emotions, right?
Today were going to be talking about the elements of a plot structure within a story; well
be comparing it to a roller coaster.
Were going to explain the elements/steps of the plot structure using a prezi. We need
you to listen carefully and fill in the missing words in these guided notes.
(ask Maddie to help pass out guided notes)
During:
Go through each plot structure element in the prezi (exposition, rising action, climax,
falling action, resolution)
Read slowly to give students time to fill in notes; teachers walk around room to ensure
students are filling in correct words
Maddie will have a list to check off as we explain each step of the plot structure.
Haley will have modified notes with each step on a different page so information is
spread out.
Pass out Breakaway story example to each student. Teachers alternate reading while
circulating the room.
Advise students to follow along with their own handout.
Maddie will receive stickers to put next to each paragraph after we finish reading it.
After finishing, flip over story and look at plot structure chart.
Have plot structure chart projected on the board.
Fill out plot structure chart for Breakaway story as a class.
Think, Pair, Share format teacher ask question (such as, what is the
exposition in Breakaway, students will talk amongst their tables to come up
with the answer. Walk around and listen to answers. Call on a student to
answer. Fill out the chart as a class.
Pass out plot structure song lyrics. Play song and have students follow along with lyrics.
Replay song and teach students dance moves/gestures
exposition handshake because youre meeting the characters
rising action punch because its the conflict

climax turn in circle because its the turning point

falling action pretend to wrap up a gift because the story is wrapping up
resolution check mark in air because its the final moments of the story
Play refrain a few more times to ensure students know dance moves
After:
Cold call students to ask about reasoning behind dance moves after explaining:
ex: We shake hands during the exposition because were meeting the characters.
Brianna, why do we shake hands for the exposition?
Pass out color-coded tickets. Students move to the corresponding table.
Students will read the short story at their table together.
Pass out blank plot structure charts. Students fill out chart together.
Students will have 15 minutes total to do this: online timer projected on board.

Assessment:
Type of
assessment
(formal or
informal)

Informal

Description of
assessment

Modifications to the
assessment so that all
students could
demonstrate learning

Guided notes for

the elements of
the plot structure

- Haley will have

modified notes with each
step on a different page
so information is spread
out.
- Natia will receive notes
in a larger font.
- Maddie will receive
additional directions to
highlight the name of
each step and highlight
its section on the chart
to stay focused.
- For the ELL students,
we made a Prezi that will
show the notes on it with
the answers because
this will allow students to
be able to see how the
answers are spelled and

Evaluation Criteria- What

evidence of student
learning (related to the
learning objectives and
central focus) does the
assessment provide?
Students accurately fill in
the blanks in their guided
notes with the
corresponding word from
the prezi.

will help them be able to

better follow along with
the presentation.
Informal

Breakaway story
plot structure
(whole class)

- Natia will receive an

enlarged worksheet.
Think, Pair, Share
format/whole group
instruction to ensure all
students practice the
concept before doing it
independently.
- The ELL students will
be receiving a
Breakaway worksheet
with the difficult
vocabulary words
highlighted. On the
bottom of the worksheet
there will definitions for
these vocabulary words.

Students discuss in their

table groups and share
with the whole class.
Students fill out each
element of the plot
structure related to
Breakaway story based
on what the class decides.

Informal

Song dance
movements

Teachers walk around

room to assist any
students struggling with
the gestures.
Teachers ask students
questions about why
were doing each motion
to subtly reinforce and
repeat gestures for
struggling students.

Students use the correct

dance movement for each
step and are able to
explain why that gesture
relates to the element.

Informal

Group plot
- Tables are assigned so
structure for short that struggling students
story
are grouped with model
students.
- Natia will receive an
enlarged worksheet.
Teachers walk around to
monitor and assist
groups.
- ELL students will
receive a typed up copy
of the text. This copy will

Students read the story at

their table. They fill out the
exposition, rising action,
climax, falling action, and
resolution within that story
on their chart.

have difficult words

highlighted and the
definitions will be on the
bottom of their copy.
Formal

Homework plot
structure for a
short story

- Haley will receive a

scaffolded worksheet
with additional questions
on the plot structure (For
example, in the
exposition box, it will say
Which characters do we
meet? What is the
setting?) to guide her
answers.
- ELL students will
receive an additional
vocabulary sheet that
they can take home.
This vocabulary sheet
will have the difficult
words that we went over
in this lesson.

Students read a short story

and correctly identify the
exposition, rising action,
climax, falling action, and
resolution within that story.
Students submit their
finished work to
blackboard.

Resources: Attached guided notes and worksheets.

http://www.online-stopwatch.com/full-screen-stopwatch/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h4AuIWSq2Q
Analyzing Teaching: To be completed after the lesson has been taught
What worked?
What didnt? For whom?

I feel that everything went pretty well our

team was very solid and after running through
the lesson a few times before teaching it, we
knew what we were doing and we were familiar
with the material.

Adjustments
What instructional changes do you need
to make as you prepare for your next
lesson?

Next time, I would go over what guided notes

are with my students, and then do the first few
together. I felt like a few students were lost in
this section.

Proposed Changes

Whole class: I think it would have been better to

If you could teach this lesson again to this

group of students what changes would
you make to your instruction?

have had more whole class time in the lesson. It

almost felt like we were too focused on small
groups when it might have been better to do
whole class instruction, for example, when we
were reading the Breakaway story, and working
on the plot structure, it might have been better to
make that whole class instruction rather than
small groups.
Groups of students: I think that our small groups
worked well together, but maybe we should have
used less small group time in the beginning in
order for us to have had stronger small group
time in the end of the lesson.
Individual students: As a team, we could have
been more aware of each of our students, instead
of more focused on how the lesson was running.

Justification

I believe these changes would have made the

lesson feel more fluid and it would have made it
easier for the students to follow along.

Why will these changes improve student

learning?
What research/theory supports these
changes?