An exceptional way to help your students follow a story is to have them track the events from it. Not only is this a great way to teach the parts of a plot, it also reinforces major events, and helps students develop greater understanding of literary structures. For a novel that has multiple plots, this is an excellent way for students to keep them all straight. At the elementary level, there are numerous ways to plot the parts of a story.
Teachers can ask students to create a storyboard that captures the concept of the narrative arc in a novel by using any of the examples which come with templates found on the Parts of a Story article.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Use This Assignment With My Students", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a visual Event Arch of Holes.
Grade Level 4-5
Difficulty Level 2 (Reinforcing / Developing)
Type of Assignment Individual
Type of Activity: Parts of a Story
Common Core Standards
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design | Cells include images that help to tell the story and do not get in the way of understanding. Descriptions match the images. | Descriptions do not always match the images. | Descriptions are missing or do not match the images. |
| Plot | Each of the six cells represents a different part of the story. The cells are in order from beginning to end. | Two cells or fewer are out of order, or the storyboard is missing important information. | Important information is missing and/or three or more cells are out of order. |
| Spelling and Grammar | Spelling and grammar is mostly accurate. Mistakes do not get in the way of understanding. | Spelling is very inaccurate and hinders full understanding. | Text is difficult to understand. |
