http://flocabulary.com/fivethings/
Elements of Story
 Plot
 Plot is the action, the quest for satisfaction,
What's going down, what's going to happen.
 Setting
 Setting gives us the where and the when,
Could be modern day, the future, or way back when.
 Character
 Knock knock, who's there? Oh, it's the characters,
The people in the story who carry out the action.
 Conflict
 Flick something in your eye, now you're conflicted,
What created drama? The conflict did.
 Theme
 The theme of the story is the main idea,
The central belief or the topic that’s in there.
Interaction of Elements
 Story elements interact with one another to
shape the story.
 If one were changed, it would affect all the
others, similar to a puzzle that shows a
different picture when you rearrange the pieces
 Thus, story elements have a cause/effect
relationship.
 These ideas are most easily stated in “if…then”
statements.
Interaction of Elements
 If Sundiata wasn’t strong and determined
(CHARACTER), then he wouldn’t have
overcome his disability (PLOT).
 If Helen didn’t live in the 1800’s (SETTING),
then she might not have become blind and
deaf and wild (CHARACTER/PLOT).
If…
 If a story element were





different…
a plot event were
different…
the setting was
different…
a character was
different…
the conflict was
different…
a theme was different…
Then…
 Then how would it
affect another story
element…
 how would it affect
something else about the
plot, setting, character,
conflict, or theme…
If…..
 Captain Keller wasn’t so
stubborn
(CHARACTER)…
 Anne and Helen hadn’t
left the cottage
(SETTING)…
 If Anne wasn’t so
determined
(CHARACTER)…
Then….
 How would that affect
the plot?
 How would that affect
the conflict?
 How would that affect
the theme?
ELEMENT
Plot
Setting
Character
Conflict
Theme
STORY
IF…THEN
EVIDENCE FROM
TEXT
Interaction of Elements Booklet
 Fold a blank sheet of paper in half like a small book.
 On each of the four pages:
 Label each page with an element of story.
 Describe ONE example in “The Veil” of that element.
 Draw a panel from the graphic novel showing that
story element.
 Write an “if…then” statement to explain how that
story element affects another.
ERQ
 Analyze how the setting of Persepolis shapes
the plot OR a character. Provide at least ONE
piece of key information from the text. Explain
how the key information from the text supports
you analysis.
Model ERQ
In The Miracle Worker, the setting greatly
affects the development of the plot. Because the
Keller family lives during the 1800’s (setting),
medicine was not available to cure Helen’s illness
before it damaged her sight and hearing (plot). If
Helen Keller had been born later in history, then
she wouldn’t have lived with these handicaps. In the
beginning of Act 1, the DOCTOR states, “Main
thing is the fever’s gone, these things come and go
in infants, never know why.” His misunderstanding
of Helen’s illness reveals a lack of knowledge about
the illness during that time period.