Starter quiz
- 'An intention or decision about what one is going to do' is the definition of which word beginning with 'p'?
- 'plan' ✓
- 'The overall mood of a story or poem' is the definition of which word beginning with 'a'?
- 'atmosphere' ✓
- 'The main idea or underlying meaning a writer explores in a novel, short story or other literary work' is the definition of which word beginning with 't'?
- 'theme' ✓
- 'Having a powerful effect on a situation or person' is the definition of which word beginning with 'i'?
- intentional
- impactful ✓
- incidental
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- 'The most intense moment within a story, marking a turning point for the protagonist(s)' is the definition of which word beginning with 'c'?
- 'climax' ✓
- Starting with the first, put these events from Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' in chronological order.
- 1⇔Audience learns about the Montague and Capulet feud.
- 2⇔Romeo and Juliet meet and fall in love.
- 3⇔Romeo kills Tybalt.
- 4⇔Juliet fakes her own death.
- 5⇔Romeo and Juliet both commit suicide.
Exit quiz
- Which of the following is the definition of the 'rising action' in a narrative?
- It sets up the setting, characters and atmosphere of the narrative.
- The story builds toward its central conflict. ✓
- The most intense moment in the narrative.
- The end of the story.
-
- Which of the following is the definition of the 'falling action' in a narrative?
- It sets up the setting, characters and atmosphere of the narrative.
- The most intense moment in the narrative.
- It can foreshadow the final outcome of the story. ✓
- The end of the story.
-
- Starting with the first, put the five stages of a narrative in chronological order.
- 1⇔Exposition
- 2⇔Rising action
- 3⇔Climax
- 4⇔Falling action
- 5⇔Denouement
- 'Sets up the setting, characters and atmosphere of the story' is the definition of which word beginning with 'e'?
- 'exposition' ✓
- 'The end of the story; the resolution of conflict' is the definition of which word?
- denouement ✓
- atmosphere
- climax
-
- The five distinct stages of a narrative are known as Freytag's ______.
- 'pyramid' ✓
Worksheet
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Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Stories might have an impact on someone's life by changing their perspective, or revealing something about humanity.
- All stories are composed of five different elements: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and denouement.
- In order to write an effective opening, we need to know the rest of the narrative to set up the atmosphere.
Common misconception
You can write the opening of a story without knowing the ending.
An effective opening builds up the atmosphere in order to lead the reader to the ending; therefore, you have to know what the ending is in order to create a cohesive atmosphere in the opening.
Keywords
Impactful - having a powerful effect on a situation or person
Atmosphere - the overall mood of a story or poem
Exposition - sets up the setting, characters and atmosphere of the story
Climax - the most intense moment within a story, marking a turning point for the protagonist(s)
Denouement - the end of the story; the resolution of conflict
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