Have students create a plot diagram of the events from the Out of My Mind book. Not only is this a great way to teach the parts of the plot, but it reinforces major events and help students develop greater understanding of literary structures. Sometimes students will really have to think carefully about which events are major turning points in the plot.
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. For each cell, have students create a scene that follows the story in sequence using: Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution.
Melody is a very intelligent eleven year-old girl. She is wheelchair-bound because her cerebral palsy makes it difficult for her to control her muscles. Melody is also unable to speak. Her parents and Ms. V take care of her.
Melody enters an inclusion classroom. She gets the chance to interact with "normal" kids. Not all teachers and students welcome her into the school or treat her like everyone else.
Melody joins theschool's quiz team. She becomes the best on the team, despite what Mr. D and other students thought at first.
The Whiz Kids plan to travel to the national competition. When Melody arrives at the airport with her mother, she finds that flights have been cancelled because of bad weather. The other team members took an earlier flight and never called her. The quiz team loses without Melody.
When Melody is going to school, Penny runs out because she loves riding in the car. Her mother hits Penny. Melody tried to warn her mother, but could not communicate it. Melody fears Penny will also get brain damage and end up like her.
While Penny does get injured, she is fine. When Melody goes to school, the other students on the quiz team give Melody the plastic 9th-place trophy. Melody breaks it and leaves the inclusion classroom.
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Student Instructions
Create a visual plot diagram of Out of My Mind.
Create a character map charting relationships and traits for each major character. This visual helps students connect actions to motivations and track character growth throughout the story.
Write each character’s name on the board or a large poster. Draw lines to show how they are connected—family, friends, classmates, or teachers.
Ask students to find and note at least two key traits or qualities for each character, using text evidence when possible. This encourages careful reading and supports deeper analysis.
Have students draw simple faces or icons that represent how each character feels at the beginning, middle, and end of the story. This makes character development visual and memorable.
Lead a short classroom discussion on how characters’ choices affect the plot’s turning points. This links the character map to the plot diagram for a complete understanding.
A plot diagram for Out of My Mind visually maps the key events of the story, including the exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. It helps students identify and understand the structure and turning points of the novel.
To teach plot diagrams, have students break the story into six parts: Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution. Encourage them to draw or digitally create a storyboard, summarizing each section with images and short descriptions that follow the novel's sequence.
Making a plot diagram helps students visualize the narrative arc, identify major turning points, and deepen their comprehension of the book's themes and character development. It's an effective tool for reinforcing literary structure.
Major events include: Melody's background and challenges (Exposition), her inclusion in a mainstream classroom (Conflict), joining the quiz team (Rising Action), being left behind for the national competition (Climax), Penny's accident (Falling Action), and Melody's response at the end (Resolution).
Yes! Provide a six-cell storyboard template and guide students to fill in each part—Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution—using images and brief text. Digital tools or printable worksheets can make this process quick and engaging.