Storyboarding is an excellent way to focus on types of literary conflicts.
Having students create storyboards that show different types of conflicts strengthens analytical thinking about literary concepts. Have your students choose examples of internal and external conflicts and depict them using the storyboard creator. In the storyboard, an example of each conflict should be visually represented, along with an explanation of the scene and how the conflict is resolved.
| Internal Conflict | External Conflict |
|---|---|
| Due to their racial differences, Phillip struggles to accept Timothy as an equal. He views Timothy negatively, but needs him to survive. Eventually, this conflict is resolved when Phillip asks Timothy to be his friend. | Phillip comes into conflict with Timothy many times. During their last major conflict, Phillip insults Timothy and Timothy responds by slapping him. Their conflicts are resolved when Phillip realizes Timothy is trying to help him, and the two become friends. |
| Phillip struggles to accept his blindness. When he first loses his sight, he is angry and afraid. He lashes out at Timothy and cries when he is alone. He refuses to do much of anything, even though his attitude may hurt his chance of survival. This problem is resolved when Phillip decides to work to overcome his limitations and accepts Timothy's survival training. | When Phillip is bitten by an eel, he experiences an external conflict. He resolves the conflict by deciding never again to dive for langosta in that hole. |
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows literary conflict in The Cay.
Encourage students to share their thoughts on internal and external conflicts in The Cay. This promotes critical thinking and helps students understand the impact of conflict on character development.
Ask questions like, "How did Phillip’s attitude change throughout the story?" or "Why are both internal and external conflicts important in literature?" These questions foster deeper discussion and personal connections to the text.
Divide the class into small groups and assign each group a specific conflict from the novel to analyze. This encourages collaboration and ensures all students participate in the activity.
Have each group share their analysis with the class. This practice builds communication skills and helps students learn from each other's perspectives.
Ask students to write a brief paragraph on what they learned about literary conflict in The Cay. This solidifies understanding and provides insight into their learning process.
Internal conflicts in The Cay include Phillip's struggle to accept Timothy and cope with his blindness. External conflicts involve arguments between Phillip and Timothy and challenges like the eel bite. These conflicts drive character growth and the story's resolution.
You can have students identify and categorize conflicts from The Cay as internal or external, then use storyboards to illustrate and explain each one. This visual activity strengthens analytical thinking about literary concepts.
The best way is to select key scenes showing conflict, label each as internal or external, visually represent the characters and situation, and add a short description explaining the conflict and its resolution.
Identifying both types helps students understand character motivation and story development, fostering deeper comprehension and critical thinking about the text.
Try activities like storyboarding conflict scenes, group discussions, or having students role-play conflicts from The Cay. These approaches engage different learning styles and make the concept memorable.