Lesson plan - Study Island



|ELA Lesson: Plot |Grade Level: 9 |

|Lesson Summary: In the Pre-Assessment, the teacher will project the Rising Action/Falling Action graphic on the board. Students will review favorite stories and |

|note points of development. Students will read a selection from “Evil Robot Theory” and review characters. They will develop a skit that speculates on the |

|Sugarbaker family’s previous relationship with Mrs. Gretsky to get at central conflict in the story. Students will brainstorm words and phrases that show the |

|effect of this conflict on Lautrec, the central character. The teacher will return to note Skyler’s offer as a resolution and note how it changes Lautrec’s |

|thinking. The teacher will emphasize that sometimes a plot changes based upon how a central character thinks in a new way. |

|Lesson Objectives: |

| |

|The students will know… |

|the role of Exposition, Conflict, Climax, and Resolution in the development of plot. |

|the role of perception in the Resolution of plot. |

| |

|The students will be able to… |

|identify the points of development of a plot. |

|recognize the role of a central character’s perception in the resolution of conflict. |

|Learning Styles Targeted: |

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|x |

|Visual |

|x |

|Auditory |

|x |

|Kinesthetic/Tactile |

| |

|Pre-Assessment: Project Rising Action/Falling Action graphic*, noting Exposition, Conflict, Climax, and Resolution. Remind students that Exposition is the opening |

|of the story where we learn about key characters and learn something about the conflict. Have students review recent stories that they have read and mark the |

|points of development for each. |

|Whole-Class Instruction |

|Materials Needed: 1 Copy of Selection “Evil Robot Theory”* per student; notebooks; pens and pencils. |

|Procedure: |

|Have students read the passage silently. |

| |

|When they are finished, ask for general reaction to the story. Ask if students found the story realistic. Ask if the characters seemed like people that they know. |

| |

|Ask what we know about the characters: |

| |

|Lautrec: creative, seems to be popular and leader of the band |

|Urbana: the bass player |

|Indio: spirited, calls Lautrec “Big L” |

|Skyler: we know very little, only speaks when she has to |

| |

|Point out that a key element of the plot is the conflict between Lautrec’s family and Mrs. Gretsky, a character we never see, yet one who remains a powerful |

|presence in the scene. Break students into groups and challenge them to brainstorm ideas about an additional scene that happened prior to the scene they just read |

|involving Mrs. Gretsky. Scenes might include: |

| |

|Mrs. Gretsky calling the police |

|Mrs. Gretsky arguing with the Sugarbakers |

|Mrs. Gretsky writing to or calling an imaginary relative to complain about the Sugarbakers |

| |

|Challenge students to assign roles and then improvise the scene they have brainstormed. Ask for reactions about which portrayal of Mrs. Gretsky seemed the most |

|realistic. |

| |

|Ask how Mrs. Gretsky has influenced Lautrec in particular. Ask for words and phrases that sum up how Mrs. Gretsky influences his actions after the police arrive to|

|interrupt the rehearsal. Write those words and phrases on the board. Words and phrases might include: “makes him angry,” “makes him bitter,” makes him want to give|

|up the band,” and ”makes him feel trapped.” |

| |

|Challenge students to point to passages in the story that support their views. Students might point to Lautrec’s response that “She never answers her door” when |

|it’s suggested he approach Mrs. Gretsky, or his “bitter smile” when he suggests that his group perform The Sound of Music at the school talent show. |

| |

|Return to the Rising Action/Falling Action graphic and guide students to indicate where on the slopes key moments in the scene might fall. Place events up to the |

|arrival of the police under Exposition, the dialogue up to Lautrec’s “bitter smile” as Conflict, and note the “bitter smile” as the Climax. Indicate Skyler’s offer|

|to move rehearsals to her house as the Resolution. |

| |

|Draw a circle around Skyler’s offer and ask why it is particularly significant. Elicit that it solves the problem of where to have rehearsals and saves the band. |

|Ask what effect it has on Lautrec in particular. |

| |

|Return to the words and phrases that students proposed earlier. Point out phrases such as “feels bitter,” and “feels trapped.” Ask if Skyler’s offer might make |

|Lautrec think differently. |

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|Elicit that Lautrec probably never imagined the possibility that Skyler could help, that life sometimes has surprises, and that people really can surprise you. |

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|Point out that Resolutions sometimes occur when a character perceives or understands something in a new way. |

|Advanced Learner |

|Materials Needed: notebooks; pens and pencils. |

|Procedure: |

|1) Ask students to review stories they heave read in the past where the plot turned on a moment of perception. Ask each to choose a favorite story and write a |

|paragraph that briefly summarizes the plot and then explains the significance of the moment of resolution. |

|Struggling Learner |

|Materials Needed: 1 Copy of Selection “Evil Robot Theory”* per student; notebooks; pens and pencils. |

|Procedure: |

|1) Ask students to choose a favorite character from the story and list reasons that explain his or her significance to the plot of the story. |

*see supplemental resources

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