Activities

1. What are the main parts of a story?
   
   
2. What are the main elements of a drama/play? 
   
   
3. What are different types of poetry?

4. Interpret why a character might behave the way he/she does based on the setting.
   
   
5. Identify the conflict in the story.
   
   
6. Identify the main idea or theme in a poem.

7. Analyze how the characters in the literary text develop the conflict in the story.
   
   
8. Analyze how the type of the poem affects the tone of the poem.

Answer Key/Rubric

1. Students correctly identify the main parts of a story:
   
   
   1. Characters –

• Protagonist – main character
• Antagonist – the character who is in conflict with the protagonist
• Minor characters – characters we don’t hear much from during the story but contribute to the development of the plot, conflict, or characters
• Dynamic character – a character who changes throughout the story
• Static character – a character who stays the same throughout the story

2. Setting – the time and place in which the story takes place
3. Plot – the events that happen in a story
4. Conflict – the problem that occurs in the story
5. Resolution of conflict – the result or conclusion of plot events

2. Students correctly identify key elements of a drama/play:
   
   
   1. Exposition – introduces important background information such as events that occurred before the play starts, information about characters, information about prior events in the characters’ lives
   2. Rising action – events that lead the actors and audience to the most important event
   3. Climax – the turning point for the characters; the story has reached the top point in terms of conflict and now must be resolved
   4. Falling action – the conflict between characters starts to unravel
   5. Denouement or resolution – the conflict between characters is resolved and, depending on whether the play is a comedy or tragedy, can end happily or tragically.
      
      
3. Students correctly identify grade-appropriate types of poetry:
   
   
   1. Sonnet – a very formal poem that is always 14 lines long and follows a specific rhyme scheme
   2. Free verse – a poem with no set rhyme scheme and often does not follow the rules of writing poetry
   3. Elegy – a poem written in honor of someone who has died
   4. Ode – a poem written in honor of someone who has not died or some object
   5. Ballad – a poem written to tell a story (sometimes called a narrative)
   6. Epic – an extremely long poem about a serious event usually featuring a hero

4. Student demonstrates an understanding of how setting, conflict, and plot development make a character behave in a particular way.  Students should recognize how setting, conflict, and plot change a character or make him/her make decisions.  Students should also be encouraged to explore how the character makes an impact on setting, conflict, and plot development.
   
   
5. Student demonstrates an understanding of the meaning of conflict (the problem that exists between characters or within the story).  Using textual evidence and details, students identify the conflict and can discuss how each character is adding to the conflict.
   
   
6. Students demonstrate an ability to read poetry, which involves using figurative language to make sense of the poem.  They will come to a central idea or theme (what is the poem trying to teach us about how to live) and can find evidence within the poem to support that main idea or theme.
   
   
7. Student recognizes how characters play a part in the development of conflict.  Students identify how characters either further the conflict or work to resolve it.
   
   
8. Student recognizes that poetry form plays a major role in the tone of a poem.  For example, a sonnet, with its rigid structure and formal rhyme scheme rules, tend to add a certain formality to poems.  A free verse poem, on the other hand, can develop a more light-hearted tone because it does not follow such a strict structure.  Depending on the type of poem studied, student responses will vary but will always demonstrate an understanding of the type of poetry and how that type of poetry might develop a certain “feel” or tone.