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Making Mountains Out of Mole Hills
Using Shapes to Teach Story Structure
Would you say your favorite book is a mountain climb of little moments adding up to an epic ending, or more of a cycle of recurring events? These metaphors illustrate the different styles of stories involved; similar methods can be used with your learners to open their eyes to the type of story they're reading.
1. Create three charts.
2. Show the story chart that looks like a mountain.
3. Show the second chart in the shape of a circle.
4. Show the third chart that looks like a staircase.
5. Say, "each chart shows a different sort of story structure."
6. Brainstorm the setting, characters, obstacle and plot events of the story.
7. Avoid adding too much detail. Focus on the main story points.
8. Ask the students to choose the map that best represents the story!
