Introduction – 45 to 60 seconds Audio Sarah has just written her first short story and is now in the editing phase. Her story is about a school field trip to the holocaust museum.
In the beginning of the story the two main characters are pretty self-centered. They often ridicule and criticize others while building themselves up. During the field trip they learned about how the critical attitude of one man killed thousands of innocent people. As they learned more about those who died senselessly during the holocaust they were overwhelmed with guilt. At the end of the trip they silently rode home on the school bus reflecting on what they have just seen. Over the next couple of weeks they personally apologize to peers that they have offended the most. Sarah’s story contains a plot that has tension and internal conflict, which causes the two main characters to make a change for the better. Tension and conflict are a part of all plots. It leads to the story climax which creates life changing situations for the characters.
Build on Introduction – 25 to 35 seconds In Sarah’s story she selected a specific moment during the trip as the climax of the plot. During their time at the museum they learned about a girl who was their age. She died in a concentration camp. She was bullied by Nazi’s and constantly criticized just before her entry into the concentration camp. It was the first time the main characters had seen what those actions could do to someone; so they decided to change. Usually the climax of a story provides a situation or experience that motivates characters to change.
Build on Clip B – 25 to 35 seconds Audio Sarah’s story ends with the main characters apologizing to those they have offended. This is the resolution of her story. By the end of the story, the two main characters experienced a clear inward change since the beginning of the text. As the events of the plot unfolded, the characters encountered people and experienced situations that changed them. Usually the change occurs because of a new, life altering experience. This is different for every story, but for Sarah’s story, it was the trip to the museum.
Build on Clip C – 25 to 35 seconds Audio As you consider Sarah’s short story, think about the development of the characters compared to the development of the plot. As the events of the plot unfolded, the characters were affected by them. This caused the characters to change. Usually, plot and character development occur simultaneously. The plot has a direct effect on character development. As you read and analyze other literature, think about how the events in the plot affects the lives and thoughts of the characters.
Remediation for Clip A – 25 to 35 seconds Audio Tony shares a room with his brother and he is a little frustrated with him at the moment. Tony’s brother has been lazy about cleaning his side of the room. At first, Tony chose not to say anything, but the situation is getting worse. Finally Tony confronted his brother who broke down and cried. Tony was shocked. His brother confessed that he may have injured his arm during baseball practice. He didn’t want to say anything because he didn’t want to get kicked off of the team. Anyway, he’s been in a lot of pain, which is why he didn’t clean the room. Tony apologized to his brother and told his parents about the injury. The conflict Tony experienced made him have a change of heart about his brother.
Remediation for Clip B – 25 to 35 seconds Audio Karen and her friends are writing a novel together. They each are taking turns alternating writing one chapter at a time. As part of the planning process, Karen is tasked with defining what the climax of the story will be. She knows that the climax features a major event that changes the characters in some way. She is currently deciding what the life altering event should be. Because the story is a mystery, she decided to have the character find a major clue that leads to unexpected results.
Remediation for Clip C – 25 to 35 seconds Audio Donna’s family moved across country over the summer, so she is attending a new school this fall. She was really nervous at first, but as she went through the schedule on the first day she encountered a lot of nice people. By the end of the day, Donna was happy to get a fresh start in her new neighborhood. When you read literature, your characters will have experiences like Donna. These experiences change a character’s outlook and perspective by the story’s resolution.
Remediation for Clip D – 25 to 35 seconds Audio Thomas is analyzing a novel that he read for English class. The novel had a lot of twists and turns with a surprise ending. He really enjoyed it. One of the things that Thomas noticed was that as the events of the plot unfolded, the characters changed. He remembered writing in his notes during class that character development and plot development occur together. In his analysis paper, he discussed the connections between the plot changes and the changes that occurred within the characters.
