Creating a plot diagram not only helps students learn the parts of the plot, but it reinforces major events and helps students develop greater understanding of literary structures, like five act structure. Students can create a storyboard capturing the narrative arc in a work with a six-cell storyboard containing the major parts of the plot diagram. In this activity, students will create a visual plot diagram of major events in New Kid. Students should identify major turning points in the novel such as the Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution.
Exposition: Jordan is a 12 year old boy who lives in Washington Heights and goes to a prestigious school in Upper Manhattan. He struggles to fit in at his new school as one of the only kids of color, while also trying to stay true to his neighborhood roots and his desire to go to art school someday.
Rising Action: Jordan meets Drew, another African American boy, with whom he has a lot in common. The two boys and Liam, Jordan’s “guide” turned friend, begin hanging out.
Climax: While Andy and Drew are arguing in the cafeteria, Andy slips on an apple and Ms. Rawle blames Drew. All that has bubbled up inside of the boys comes out, and they stick up for themselves.
Falling Action: Ms. Rawle finds Jordan’s sketchbook and goes through it, accusing Jordan of attacking the school by saying negative things. Jordan points out that everything he is writing and drawing about is true, and that’s the problem.
Resolution: Jordan’s artwork makes the cover of the yearbook, and he feels proud. Everyone signs each other’s yearbooks and says goodbye for the summer. Jordan is actually excited to return next year.
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a visual plot diagram of New Kid.
Student Instructions:
Invite students to write brief journal entries about how they relate to the characters or events in New Kid. This reflection encourages personal connections and deepens comprehension.
Demonstrate how to list significant story moments before choosing which to include in the plot diagram. This helps students focus on what truly drives the narrative.
Have students share their chosen events with a partner or small group and explain their reasoning. This builds analytical skills and helps them see different perspectives.
Encourage students to use color, symbols, and facial expressions in their storyboard cells to capture emotions and themes from the story. Visual detail can make their understanding clearer and more memorable.
Allow students to present their plot diagrams to the class or in small groups. Use positive feedback to highlight strong choices and suggest improvements for future projects.
A plot diagram activity for New Kid guides students to visually map out the novel's key events, including Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution, helping them better understand story structure and character development.
To create a visual plot diagram for New Kid, separate the story into its main parts, then draw or select images for each section—Title, Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution—using scenes and characters from the novel, and write a brief description for each part.
Major events to include are: Jordan starting at a new school (Exposition), forming friendships (Rising Action), the cafeteria conflict (Climax), the sketchbook incident (Falling Action), and Jordan's yearbook achievement (Resolution).
Making a plot diagram helps students visualize the story's structure, identify turning points, and deepen their understanding of themes and character growth in New Kid.
Start by explaining each plot element, model a sample with one event, encourage students to use visuals and brief text, and discuss the importance of each story part to support comprehension for grades 4-6.