1. Plot Notes
6th Grade ELA

2. Plot Diagram
Climax
Falling Action
Rising Action
Resolution
Exposition

3. Exposition Exposition
Situation: The basic situation at the start of the story. (Meet the characters. How the story starts)
Setting: The time, place, and location a story takes place
Exposition

4. Rising Action
A series of events that lead to the climax
Rising Action

5. Climax
The turning point in the story
Climax

6. Falling Action The events that happen after the
climax and before the resolution
Falling Action

7. Loose ends may be tied up
Resolution
How the story ends.
Loose ends may be tied up
Resolution

8. Point of View 3 kinds of point of view
1st person POV: story teller is IN the story
personal pronouns: I, me, us, mine, etc
2nd person POV: story teller talks to audience
personal pronouns: you
3rd person POV: story teller is OUTSIDE the story (narrator, author)
personal pronouns: he, she, they, them, etc

9. Characters Protagonist Antagonist The main character of a story
The character or force that works against the main character (usually “the bad guy”)
Be sure to explain why you think he/she is the antagonist (How do they work against the protagonist?)

10. Characterization
Direct: The author comes right out and tells you what a character looks like or the type of person he/she is.
Becky is a nice girl.
Indirect: The writer reveals information about a character and his or her personality through that character's thoughts, words, and actions. Think STEAL: speech, thoughts, effects on others, actions, looks.
Billy pushed Sam down in the hall.

11. Theme
Central message
Lesson learned
Main idea of the story

12. Types of Conflict External (outside)
Person vs. Person: fight, argument
Person vs. Nature: tornado, storm, bear
Person vs. Society: go against an organization, group, or societal “norm”
Internal (inside)
Person vs. Self: making a decision

13. Symbolism When an object or character represents something else
The object or character usually represents an abstract idea.
Look at examples
Its still the object/character but it also stands for something bigger.

14. Irony The opposite of what you expect to happen occurs Examples
A teacher cheats on a test
A murder detective turns out to be the killer
The Titanic, which was said to be “unsinkable”, sunk on its maiden voyage

15. Foreshadowing
The author hints at something that will occur later in the story
Many times we discover foreshadowing AFTER we have finished a story
Example:
He felt a cold chill as he walked through the dark alley ( foreshadowing something bad will happen).