Activity Overview
Literary conflict is often taught during ELA units. Building on prior knowledge to achieve mastery level with our students is important. An excellent way to focus on the various types of literary conflict is through storyboarding. In this activity, students will choose a type of literary conflict and illustrate examples from the text.
In the example storyboard above, each cell contains a particular type of conflict. The type of conflict is displayed, and visually represented with an explanation of the scene, and how it fits the specific category of conflict. To scaffold or tailor this activity, teachers might ask students to identify multiple examples of one type of conflict, or one example for each type. They may also provide guidance on which types of conflict are present in the story. Be sure to update student instructions as necessary!
Some Examples of Conflict in Literature
- PERSON vs. PERSON
- PERSON vs. SELF
- PERSON vs. SOCIETY
- PERSON vs. NATURE
- PERSON vs. TECHNOLOGY
Don't forget to check out our graphic novels examples for even more inspiration!
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a storyboard that shows at least three forms of literary conflict in the story.
Student Instructions:
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Identify conflicts in the story.
- Categorize each conflict as Person vs. Person, Person vs. Self, Person vs. Society, Person vs. Nature, or Person vs. Technology.
- Illustrate conflicts in the cells, using characters from the story.
- Write a short description of the conflict below the cell.
Lesson Plan Reference
- [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/8/5] Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style
- [ELA-Literacy/W/8/6] Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type of Literary Conflict | The type of literary conflict(s) is correctly identified as Character vs. Character, Character vs. Self, Character vs. Society, Character vs. Nature, or Character vs. Technology. | The type of literary conflict(s) is incorrectly identified as another type of conflict: Character vs. Character, Character vs. Self, Character vs. Society, Character vs. Nature, or Character vs. Technology. | The type of literary conflict(s) is incorrectly identified or is missing. |
| Illustration of Literary Conflict | Images clearly illustrate the conflict(s) and enhance meaning. | Images relate to the conflict, but do not show meaning. | Images are hard to understand or are missing. |
How To Help Students Incorporate Literary Conflicts to Enhance the Overall Structure of Their Stories
Explain Types of Conflicts
Introduce students to the concept of literary conflicts and help them identify the different types of conflicts present in literature. Ask the students to differentiate between external and internal conflicts and then further explain the different categories of internal and external conflicts such as character vs character or character vs self, etc.
Use Relatable Examples
Explain these different types of literary conflicts to students with the help of relatable examples and making connections with real life. For instance, for character vs character conflict, teachers can ask students to recall any fight they have had with each other and reflect on the consequences of that fight such as how it impacted their relationship, the reason behind the fight, and how they made up.
Brainstorm Creativity
Once the students have a storyline for their creative writing projects, ask them to incorporate elements of literary conflicts to give their stories and characters more depth and add multiple layers for analysis. Help the students brainstorm ideas most suitable according to their storylines and the direction they want to give to their characters and stories.
Focus on Character Growth and Progress
Encourage the students to consider the ways in which conflicts help shape the personalities of their characters. Talk about the ways that overcoming obstacles can result in personal development and transformation. Ensure that the students are aware that conflicts are present to aid the resolution of the story.
Connect With Themes
Talk about the ways that conflicts in the story can be related to its larger themes. Help students see how the literary conflicts they incorporate in the story should reflect the overall theme of the story. Students can also understand better with the help of examples of literature.
Frequently Asked Questions About Identifying and Analyzing Literary Conflicts Present in a Story
How can students recognize a story's main conflict?
Students can focus on determining the primary issue or challenge that the protagonist encounters within the story. The plot is advanced by this core conflict, which is usually established early in the narrative. Teachers can give more practice to students which can help improve their critical thinking and fasten the process.
What distinguishes internal conflicts from external conflicts?
Internal conflicts refer to internal challenges or obstacles faced by a character, such as emotional difficulties or moral conundrums. Struggles involving external forces, such as other characters or the surroundings, are referred to as external conflicts. There are many different types of these conflicts that students can identify and use in their stories.
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