Imagine yourself strapped into a seat on the world's tallest roller coaster. Your car slowly climbs up to the top of the ride's largest peak, then down you go! Did you scream?
The series of events that make up a story, called a plot, are a lot like a roller coaster ride: smaller events lead up to a big dramatic event, then the story coasts to an ending.
Every story has a plot, whether it's a novel like James and the Giant Peach or your favorite TV show, and all plots have a common structure. A plot structure is made up of five main parts that happen in the same order: beginning, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
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Where should a story start? At the beginning, of course! This first part of a plot is all about how things are before the action starts. In the beginning of a story we learn about the story's characters and setting, or where it takes place. This beginning part of a story that introduces information about a story's characters and setting, as well as when it takes place, is called exposition.
Let's see how this works in the tale of the three little pigs:
Three little pigs build houses in the woods. The first pig built his house out of sticks. The second pig built his house of straw. The third pig built his house out of bricks.
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When you hear a ghost story, how do you usually know a spirit is about to appear? Lots of little mysterious events take place. The main character hears a strange noise, the lights go out, the floorboards creak. These spooky happenings are the rising action of a ghost story.
Rising action, the second part of a story's plot, is what we call all of the little events and actions that lead up to the main event of a story.
A big, bad wolf comes along and blows down the pigs' houses made of straw and sticks. He tries to blow down the house made of bricks, but it's too strong.
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Just like the very top of a roller coaster is the most intense and scary part of the ride, the climax of a plot is the most exciting part of a story. The climax is usually a problem or difficult situation the main characters have to find a way out of.
The big, bad wolf decides to sneak down the chimney of the brick house to eat the three little pigs!
Yikes, a hungry wolf heading down a chimney is definitely a problem!
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The fourth part of a plot, the falling action, is all of the events that take place after the climax and lead to the end of the story.
The big, bad wolf falls into a pot of boiling soup the pigs put in the fire place.
I bet you can guess what the last part of a plot is all about. The resolution is the final part of a plot where the solution to the main problem of the story is revealed and all of the action comes to an end.
Covered in soup and scared, the big, bad wolf ran out of the brick house never to be heard from again. The three little pigs lived happily ever after.
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Plot is the series of events that make up a story. Plots have five main parts that always take place in the same order: beginning (where exposition, or setting and characters are introduced), rising action, climax (the most exciting part), falling action, and resolution.
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This lesson taught you all about one of the most important elements of a story: the plot! Using these activities, you can learn more about what a plot is, why it is important, and how to identify different parts of the plot of a story.
Now that you know what a plot is, see if you can explain it in your own words. Write down your own definition of a plot based on what you learned in this lesson. Be sure to include the major elements of a plot and give examples. Now, imagine that you are a teacher. Find a student to explain plots to: a friend, a classmate, a family member, or a teacher. Tell your audience what a plot is in your own words, without copying what this lesson says. This is a great way not only to share what you have learned with others, but also to make sure that the information is solid in your brain.
Think about your favorite short story, novel, or movie. Can you pick out the important parts of the plot? See if you can identify all of the following elements in your favorite story:
Write a list of all of these elements. How do you think understanding the plot has helped you better understand the story? Did you find any elements harder to identify than others?
Now that you know how to identify the elements of a plot, try writing your own story. Create a chart that looks a little like a roller coaster with rising action, a climax, and falling action. Chart out the major elements of your story on your diagram before you start writing. This will give you a plan to follow. Make sure that you include all of the major plot elements that you have learned about in your new work. Share your finished story with your family or classmates.
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