A common use for Storyboard That is to help students create a plot diagram of the events from a story. Not only is this a great way to teach 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. For each cell, have students create a scene that follows the story in sequence using: Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution.
Sixteen people are recruited to live in Sunset Towers, a new apartment building adjacent to the estate of the elderly millionaire, Sam Westing. The new residents have little in common and keep to themselves as they deal with the various stresses of their lives.
Shortly after the residents move in, Sam Westing dies and the residents of Sunset Towers are called to a meeting. There, they learn that they have been named as potential heirs in Westing’s will. In order to win the inheritance, they must solve the mystery of his death. The will splits the residents into pairs, each of which receives four cryptic words as clues.
As the Westing heirs rush to solve the mystery, they begin to work together. The heirs learn about each other’s lives and form unlikely friendships. In the process, they discover the identity of Sunset Towers’ bookie, bomber, thief, and mistake.
The heirs come together with Westing’s lawyer to submit their guesses for Westing’s murderer. When they learn they are all incorrect, they pool their clues and discover that the missing letters of “America the Beautiful” spell out Berthe Erica Crow. Crow turns herself over to the police just as Sandy McSouthers mysteriously drops dead. When the heirs review the strange events, they realize that Sandy was Westing himself.
Turtle leads the heirs in a review of Westing’s will in order to sort out its true meaning. During the review, Turtle alone realizes that Sandy is still alive and the true quest is to seek Westing’s fourth identity. The rest accept that they have lost the game. They receive shares in Sunset Towers and watch Westing’s estate go up in fireworks.
Turtle identifies Julian Eastman, the chairman of Westing Paper, as Westing’s fourth identity. She shows up at his address, greets Sandy/Westing, and wins the Westing empire. As the years progress, the residents of Sunset Towers pursue their dreams and find happiness. Turtle marries Theo and takes over Westing Paper.
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Student Instructions
Create a visual plot diagram of The Westing Game.
Start your lesson by sparking curiosity with a quick, mystery-themed discussion related to The Westing Game. Pose questions about secrets, riddles, or famous mysteries to connect students' prior knowledge and build excitement for the plot diagram activity.
Introduce essential terms such as heir, will, inheritance, and clue before reading. Clarifying vocabulary supports comprehension and helps students confidently tackle the plot diagram.
Demonstrate how to design the exposition cell using a sample scene from the book. Think aloud as you select images and draft a description, so students see the creative and analytical process in action.
Encourage students to work in pairs or small groups to discuss possible images and key moments for each plot part. Collaborative brainstorming sparks new ideas and deepens understanding.
Remind students to reference specific passages from The Westing Game when justifying their scene choices. Text evidence strengthens their storyboard and builds analytical skills.
A plot diagram for The Westing Game visually breaks down the story into key parts: Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution. It helps students understand the narrative structure and major events in Ellen Raskin's mystery novel.
To teach The Westing Game plot diagram, have students create a six-part storyboard. Guide them to illustrate and summarize each plot stage, then discuss how each event builds suspense and reveals character motives. This hands-on activity deepens literary understanding.
The six parts are: Exposition (introduction of characters and setting), Conflict (main problem), Rising Action (events leading to climax), Climax (turning point), Falling Action (events after climax), and Resolution (conclusion).
A storyboard helps students visualize each stage of the plot, reinforcing comprehension and recall. It encourages creativity, supports visual learners, and makes complex story elements more accessible in the classroom.
An example includes: Exposition—Residents move into Sunset Towers; Conflict—Sam Westing's will challenges them to solve a mystery; Rising Action—Clues and alliances form; Climax—Guesses are made about the murderer; Falling Action—Turtle uncovers the real quest; Resolution—Turtle wins and the heirs find happiness.