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Activity Overview


Storyboarding is an excellent way to focus on types of literary conflicts.

Having students create storyboards that show the cause and effect of different types of conflicts strengthens analytical thinking about literary concepts. Have your students choose an example of each literary conflict and depict them using the storyboard creator. In the storyboard, an example of each conflict should be visually represented, along with an explanation of the scene, and how it fits the particular category of conflict.


Examples of Literary Conflict in Catherine, Called Birdy

MAN vs. MAN

Catherine has conflicts with a number of people around her on a daily basis. She consistently quarrels with her brother Robert when he is around. She insults him, and he generally responds by pinching her.


MAN vs. SOCIETY

Catherine frequently rebels against the expectations of her society. Catherine hates the limits that Medieval society placed on women and noblewomen in particular. Much of her unhappiness comes from the ladylike chores she must complete and the arranged marriage she is expected to accept.


MAN vs. NATURE

After Catherine's mother gives birth to a baby girl, she faces complications and nearly dies. Although Mother is the one facing death at the hands of nature, Catherine, too, is in conflict with nature since the illness also impacts her life negatively.


MAN vs. SELF

Catherine struggles to develop a sense of identity. She does not feel like she fits in with the life that is expected of her, so she tries to imagine alternative options. None of these seem to suit her, however, and she spends months feeling miserable and unsettled.



Template and Class Instructions

(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)



Student Instructions

Create a storyboard that shows at least three forms of literary conflict in Catherine, Called Birdy.


  1. Identify conflicts in Catherine, Called Birdy.
  2. Categorize each conflict as Character vs. Character, Character vs. Self, Character vs. Society, Character vs. Nature, or Character vs. Technology.
  3. Illustrate conflicts in the cells, using characters from the story.
  4. Write a short description of the conflict below the cell.

Lesson Plan Reference

Common Core Standards
  • [ELA-Literacy/RL/6/2] Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments
  • [ELA-Literacy/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
  • [ELA-Literacy/RL/7/2] Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text
  • [ELA-Literacy/RL/7/3] Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot)
  • [ELA-Literacy/RL/7/6] Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text
  • [ELA-Literacy/RL/8/2] Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text
  • [ELA-Literacy/RL/8/3] Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision

Rubric

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)


Types of Literary Conflict Rubric for Middle School
Create a storyboard that shows at least three forms of literary conflict from the story. Support your choices with evidence from the text.
Proficient Emerging Beginning
Conflict Identification
Student identifies conflicts as directed and labels them accurately in their correct categories.
Student misidentifies one conflict or includes it in an incorrect category.
Student misidentifies two or more conflicts or includes them in incorrect categories.
Conflict Explanation
The storyboard text describes the specific example depicted, not just a general problem. The text clearly explains how the example reflects its particular type of conflict.
The storyboard text describes the specific example depicted, but may lack clarity. Text may fail to fully explain how the example reflects its particular type of conflict.
Storyboard is missing text or contains only partial and/or inaccurate information.
Storyboard Image and Effort
Student clearly shows effort to convey the setting, characters and specific scene of the book. The scene is clearly identifiable based on the graphic depiction.
Student attempts to convey the setting, characters, and specific scene through use of graphics, but the depiction may be confusing, disordered, or lack some detail.
Student does not clearly convey the setting, characters, and scene.
Spelling and Grammar
Student uses exemplary spelling and grammar. There are no errors.
Student makes one or two minor errors in spelling and grammar.
Student makes multiple errors in spelling and grammar.





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