A common activity for students is to create a plot diagram of the events from a story. Not only is this a great way to teach the parts of a plot, but to reinforce major events and help students develop greater understanding of literary structures.
Students can create a storyboard that captures the concept of the narrative arc in a story by creating a six-cell storyboard which contains the major parts of the plot diagram. For each cell, have students create a scene that follows the story in a sequence using Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution.
In the story of “The Birthmark”, the narrator introduces Aylmer, a brilliant scientist, and his wife Georgiana.
Aylmer loves his wife, but she has a small birthmark on the side of her left cheek that he despises.
Aylmer becomes obsessed with Georgiana’s birthmark. He seems to be the only person who finds the mark disturbing. His wife along with the rest of the townspeople find Georgiana to be beautiful. Yet, Aylmer says that her almost perfect face is what makes the mark so shocking. Eventually he wears Georgiana down and she agrees to allow him to attempt removing it.
The couple moves to his apartment where he performs his scientific experiments. As Georgiana studies the various aspects of her husband's profession she finds herself captivated by what he can do. Although, she reads his journals and finds out that all his experiments never quite reach their full goal.
Without hesitation Almyer comes up with a potion which he believes will cure Georgiana and make her perfect.
She drinks the potion and the mark fades; however, she too fades with the mark. Upon her death the reader is left with the blunt reality that man is flawed and the sin of perfection leads to death.
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Student Instructions
Create a visual plot diagram of "The Birthmark".
Start by preparing open-ended questions to encourage critical thinking and student engagement. Focus on themes like perfection, science vs. nature, and the consequences of obsession.
Establish clear expectations for active listening and respecting diverse opinions. Remind students to wait their turn and respond thoughtfully to classmates.
Give students specific roles such as questioner, summarizer, or connector to maintain focus and ensure everyone participates during the discussion.
Encourage students to support their ideas with quotes or examples from the story. Model how to reference the text and explain its relevance to the theme.
Conclude by having students write a quick reflection or share a takeaway about how the story’s themes connect to real-life experiences or their own views.
A plot diagram for "The Birthmark" outlines the story’s major events: Exposition (Aylmer and Georgiana introduced), Conflict (Aylmer’s obsession with the birthmark), Rising Action (Aylmer convinces Georgiana to remove it), Climax (the experiment), Falling Action (Georgiana drinks the potion), and Resolution (the birthmark and Georgiana both fade away, leading to her death).
Students can make a six-cell storyboard by illustrating and describing each key part: Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution. Each cell should show an important moment from the story, helping visualize the narrative arc.
The main events include: Aylmer’s introduction, his obsession with Georgiana’s birthmark, convincing her to remove it, conducting the experiment, Georgiana drinking the potion, and the tragic outcome where she dies as the birthmark fades.
Teaching the plot diagram helps students understand story structure, analyze key events, and improves comprehension. It’s especially useful for visual learners and reinforces the sequence of events in literary analysis.
The story’s moral is that human imperfection is natural, and the pursuit of perfection can lead to tragedy. This sparks thoughtful discussion about the dangers of obsession and the meaning of flaws in human life.