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.