Creating a plot diagram not only helps students learn the parts of the plot, but it reinforces major events and helps students develop greater understanding of literary structures. 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. In this activity, students will create a visual plot diagram of major events in The Night Diary. Students should identify major turning points in the novel such as the Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution.
Exposition: The story takes place in 1947 in India, after it has become free from Britain. Tensions between the Hindus and the Muslims are high. Twelve-year-old Nisha, her twin brother Amil, their Papa, and their Dadi must flee from their home amidst the riots and violence, leaving behind their home and the lives that they once knew.
Rising Action: Nisha and her family pack up a small amount of their belongings and supplies and set out on foot towards Jodhpur, leaving Kazi behind for everyone’s safety.
Climax: After almost not surviving due to lack of food and water, the family finally arrives at uncle Rashid’s home to stay for a while.
Falling Action: Nisha befriends a Muslim neighborhood girl, and tells her that they are Hindu and staying with their Muslim uncle. Papa fears for their safety and the family must leave immediately.
Resolution: The family arrives at their apartment in Jodhpur and settles into their new life. Kazi makes the journey by himself and finds the family, and they are all together again.
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a visual plot diagram of The Night Diary.
Student Instructions:
Boost understanding by diving deeper into characters' motivations, feelings, and growth throughout The Night Diary. Character analysis helps students connect with the story and build empathy.
Give students a main or supporting character from the novel. Ask them to focus on this character's actions, emotions, and development as they read.
Encourage students to jot down important moments, quotes, and changes related to their character using a notebook or digital document. This promotes close reading and reflection.
Organize groups by character or scene. Invite students to share journal entries and discuss how their characters respond to the story's major events. Collaboration builds deeper insights!
Work together to chart character traits, relationships, and changes on the board or in a digital tool. Visualizing connections helps everyone see the bigger picture.
A plot diagram for The Night Diary is a visual tool that helps students map out the story’s key events, including the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. It aids in understanding the narrative structure and main turning points of the novel.
To teach students to create a visual summary of The Night Diary, guide them in dividing the story into plot diagram parts, then have them illustrate each section—like exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution—with brief descriptions and images representing important events.
The main events in The Night Diary include the family’s escape from their home during the 1947 India Partition, their journey to Jodhpur, facing hardships, finding shelter with relatives, making new friends, and eventually reuniting and settling into a new life.
Using a storyboard helps students visually organize and better understand the plot structure by breaking down complex narratives into manageable parts, reinforcing comprehension, and aiding memory through images and concise descriptions.
Tips include: breaking the story into clear sections, using simple language, encouraging students to pick the most important moments, letting them use drawings or digital images, and guiding them to write short, descriptive summaries for each plot element.