Students can create and show a storyboard that captures the concept of a Five or Three Act Structure by creating either a three- or six-cell storyboard which contains the major parts of the diagram.
Aristotle believed that every piece of poetry or drama must have a beginning, middle, and end. These divisions were developed by the Roman, Aelius Donatus, and called protasis, epitasis, and catastrophe. The three act structure has seen a revival in recent years, as cinema blockbusters and hit TV shows have adopted it. The beginning (protasis) consists of setup, the middle (epitasis) contains conflicts, thwarted protagonist, or complications, and the end (catastrophe) is where fortunes are reversed and the protagonist meets their fate.
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Student Instructions
Create a visual plot diagram of Antigone.
Start your lesson by explaining the three-act structure using familiar stories or movies. Visual aids or simple storyboards help students quickly grasp the concept. This builds a solid foundation before they create their own diagrams.
Work through a well-known story as a class, identifying each act and summarizing key events. Use the board or projector to build a group plot diagram so students see the process step by step.
Have students choose a book, short story, or class text to analyze. Encourage variety to boost engagement and provide opportunities for sharing different perspectives.
Assist students in dividing their chosen story into the three acts. Prompt with guiding questions like, 'What kicks off the action?' or 'When does the turning point happen?'
Invite students to illustrate each act with drawings, symbols, or digital images. Visual storytelling deepens understanding and makes learning memorable.
The three-act structure is a classic storytelling framework that divides a narrative into three parts: the beginning (setup), middle (confrontation), and end (resolution). This helps organize plot events and character development for a clear and engaging story flow.
To teach the three-act structure with Antigone, guide students to identify key plot points in each act: the setup (Antigone’s decision), confrontation (her defiance and punishment), and resolution (the tragic consequences). Use storyboards to visually map these moments.
Engage students with activities like creating a visual plot diagram using storyboards, separating the story into exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, and matching major events to each part for hands-on learning.
The three-act structure has setup, confrontation, and resolution, while the five-act structure further breaks the story into exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement for more detailed analysis.
Understanding story structure helps high school students analyze literature, improve their writing, and recognize how narratives are crafted, making reading and creating stories more meaningful and accessible.