This document provides instruction on identifying plot structure in stories. It begins with an introduction to the five main stages of plot: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Examples are used to illustrate each stage. Students are then asked to read a short story and create a plot diagram identifying the elements of the story's plot. The overall summary is that the document teaches students how to analyze plot structure by learning the typical stages and creating diagrams to map how specific stories unfold.

1. Today’s Warm-Up
• Study the action and dialogue in each comic
strip panel.
• Look for clues that would help you
determine the correct order of the panels.
• Arrange your comic strip panels in order.

2. Today’s Warm-Up

5. How the Action Unfolds in a Story

6. Today’s Standards
LA.6.2.1.2
Students will locate and analyze the
elements of plot structure, including
exposition, setting, character
development, rising/falling action,
conflict/resolution, and theme.

7. Today’s Learning Goals
• Recognize how plot structure helps
readers understand the action in a story.
• Identify the five stages of a plot:
– Exposition
– Rising Action
– Climax
– Falling Action
– Resolution

8. Out of Order?
The Story Lady was on her way to
the library when she dropped all of
her pages.
She tried to pick them up
and put them in order.
She was in a hurry and
may have made mistakes.

9. He couldn’t do it, so he told her
about the queen’s evil plan. He
warned her not to return home.
Out of Order?
Snow White found a cottage with
seven dwarfs living there. They
said she could stay with them.
Once there was an evil queen, so
jealous of her stepchild’s beauty
that she ordered the girl killed.

10. He couldn’t do it, so he told her
about the queen’s evil plan. He
warned her not to return home.
Out of Order?
Snow White found a cottage with
seven dwarfs living there. They
said she could stay with them.
Once there was an evil queen, so
jealous of her stepchild’s beauty
that she ordered the girl killed.

11. Out of Order?
• If the events in a story are told out of
order, they don’t make sense.
• Every story follows a pattern, a specific
sequence of events.
• In elementary school, you probably
learned that the usual story sequence is:
beginning, middle, and end.

12. Sequence of Events
BEGINNING
END

13. Sequence of Events
A more sophisticated way to discuss how
events occur in a story is to talk about the
story’s plot.
Copy this definition :
Plot – The series of events in a story.

14. Stages of a Plot
Think of plot structure as a mountain.

15. Stages of a Plot
Most plots have five stages, detailed in the
plot diagram below.
Exposition
Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action
Resolution

16. Copy this definition :
Exposition – introduces the
story’s characters, setting, and
basic situation.
Stages of Plot
Exposition

17. Stages of Plot
Exposition
Rising Action
Copy this definition :
Rising Action – events that
develop and build the conflict;
increase reader interest.

18. Stages of Plot
Exposition
Rising Action
Climax
Copy this definition :
Climax – the turning point;
where tension is the greatest

19. Stages of a Plot
Exposition
Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action
Copy this definition :
Falling Action – events that
result from the decision or
action of the climax

20. Stages of a Plot
Exposition
Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action
Resolution
Copy this definition :
Resolution – the final
outcome in the story
…And they
lived happily
ever after.

21. Guided Practice
Once upon a time there was a frog.
One day when he was sitting on his
lily pad, he saw a beautiful princess
sitting by the pond. He hopped in the
water, swam over to her, and poked his
head out of the weeds.
“Pardon me, beautiful princess,” he
said in his most sad and pathetic voice.
“I wonder if you could help me.”
(Continued)

22. Guided Practice
The princess was about to jump up
and run, but she felt sorry for the frog
with the sad and pathetic voice.
She asked, “What can I do to help
you little frog?”
“Well,” said the frog, “I’m not really
a frog, but a handsome prince who was
turned into a frog by a wicked witch’s
spell. The spell can only be broken by
the kiss of a beautiful princess.”
(Continued)

23. Guided Practice
The princess thought about this for a
second, then lifted the frog from the pond
and kissed him – right on his warty, green
frog lips.
“I was just kidding,” said the frog.
The frog jumped back into the pond
and the princess wiped the frog slime off
her mouth.


24. Guided Practice
Once upon a time there was a frog.
One day when he was sitting on his
lily pad, he saw a beautiful princess
sitting by the pond. He hopped in the
water, swam over to her, and poked his
head out of the weeds.
“Pardon me, beautiful princess,” he
said in his most sad and pathetic voice.
“I wonder if you could help me.”
(Continued)

25. Guided Practice
Once upon a time there was a frog.
One day when he was sitting on his
lily pad, he saw a beautiful princess
sitting by the pond. He hopped in the
water, swam over to her, and poked his
head out of the weeds.
“Pardon me, beautiful princess,” he
said in his most sad and pathetic voice.
“I wonder if you could help me.”
(Continued)
Exposition
• Introduces the characters
(frog and princess)
• Introduces the setting
(once upon a time, pond)

26. Guided Practice
Once upon a time there was a frog.
One day when he was sitting on his
lily pad, he saw a beautiful princess
sitting by the pond. He hopped in the
water, swam over to her, and poked his
head out of the weeds.
“Pardon me, beautiful princess,” he
said in his most sad and pathetic voice.
“I wonder if you could help me.”
(Continued)
Conflict
The frog says he needs help

27. Guided Practice
The princess was about to jump up
and run, but she felt sorry for the frog
with the sad and pathetic voice.
She asked, “What can I do to help
you little frog?”
“Well,” said the frog, “I’m not really
a frog, but a handsome prince who was
turned into a frog by a wicked witch’s
spell. The spell can only be broken by
the kiss of a beautiful princess.”
(Continued)
Rising Action
• The princess discovers the
frog’s problem

28. Guided Practice
The princess thought about this for a
second, then lifted the frog from the pond
and kissed him – right on his warty, green
frog lips.
“I was just kidding,” said the frog.
The frog jumped back into the pond
and the princess wiped the frog slime off
her mouth.

Rising Action
• The princess discovers the
frog’s problem.
• She decides to help him.

29. Guided Practice
The princess thought about this for a
second, then lifted the frog from the pond
and kissed him – right on his warty, green
frog lips.
“I was just kidding,” said the frog.
The frog jumped back into the pond
and the princess wiped the frog slime off
her mouth.

Climax
The frog reveals the truth.

30. Guided Practice
The princess thought about this for a
second, then lifted the frog from the pond
and kissed him – right on his warty, green
frog lips.
“I was just kidding,” said the frog.
The frog jumped back into the pond
and the princess wiped the frog slime off
her mouth.

Falling Action
The frog makes a quick getaway.

31. Guided Practice
The princess thought about this for a
second, then lifted the frog from the pond
and kissed him – right on his warty, green
frog lips.
“I was just kidding,” said the frog.
The frog jumped back into the pond
and the princess wiped the frog slime off
her mouth.

Resolution
• The frog goes back to life as usual.
• The princess deals with the fact
that she kissed a frog.

32. Stages of a Plot
Let’s map the story on a plot diagram.
Exposition
Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action
Resolution
Exposition:
A frog and a princess
meet at a pond. The
frog has a problem.
Rising Action:
The princess
learns the frog’s
problem and
decides to help.
Climax:
The frog reveals
the truth. Falling Action:
The frog makes a
quick getaway.
Resolution:
Frog gets on with
life, while the
princess deals
with kissing him.
Conflict:
The frog says he needs help.

33. Individual Assignment
• Read “The School Play” by Gary Soto
(page 24).
• Identify its parts of plot.
• Create a plot diagram like the ones we
working on together in class.
• If you need help, look at the example and
definitions on pages 22-23.