Story Elements Study Guide
Test Date: October 2nd
Plot FYI: Students will identify the following elements in a story:
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exposition
initiating event
rising action
climax
falling action
resolution
Conflict FYI: Students will identify the main conflict of a story, as well as, the conflict
described in a passage.
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individual vs. individual
individual vs. nature
individual vs. technology
individual vs. self
individual vs. supernatural
individual vs. fate
individual vs. society
Setting FYI: Students must identify the four elements of setting and determine which
elements an author has used in a passage.
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place
time
weather
mood
Theme FYI: Students must identify the lesson or moral of a story.
Author’s Purpose: Students must identify if an author’s goal was to Persuade, Inform,
or Entertain.
Story Elements Practice- Answers can be found on the 8th Grade Webpage. Students who
complete the study guide and turn it BEFORE the test will receive 5 bonus points.
Exposition
The Phone Call
Paul looked out the window and sighed. The driveway was still empty and it was getting dark. He
checked the clock and sighed again, deeper this time. His dad had said that he would pick him up by
5:30, but it was almost seven and Paul hadn't heard a word from him. He walked up the stairs to his
room and put away his baseball glove. Paul figured that even if his Dad did miraculously show, it
wouldn't be much fun playing catch in the dark. Paul sat down on the couch and tried to do some of
his reading homework, but he couldn't get his dad off of his mind.
Rising Action
Initiating Event
The phone rang at about 8:00 and Paul let it go to the machine. It was his Dad: "Hey Paul, I'm so sorry
that I couldn't make it tonight. I had to finish up a big project at work. Maybe we can catch a baseball
game this weekend. Oh wait, this weekend’s no good. How about next weekend? That should work.
You and I are going to the stadium for sure, Paulie. I hope all is well…"
Paul listened to the machine in disgust. He knew that his dad had a job and a life, but he couldn't
understand why he was always flaking out on him. Paul thought to himself: Couldn't someone else
get one of these bad news speeches once in a while? Why does it always have to be me? Paul crashed
on the couch with his book opened to the first page and fell asleep.
The next day at school, Paul didn't turn in his math or science homework and he failed a pop quiz in
reading class. Paul’s homeroom teacher, Mr. Mathews, noticed Paul’s uncharacteristically poor
performance and asked him to stay after class. Paul sort of murmured a response that sounded like
“Ok.” When the bell rang, the other children filed out of class. Paul huffed and waited with his head
on his desk. Mr. Matthews pulled up a chair next to him.
“What’s up, Paul? You’re not doing your homework, you’re not studying for tests, and this isn’t like
you. Something must be bothering you. What is it?” Paul didn’t want to tell him. He knew that if he
started talking a flood of emotions would pour out of him. He just wanted to be alone with his pain,
so he sat there quietly, not even looking at Mr. Matthews. “Well Paul, if you don’t want to talk, I will.
I know that something’s bothering you and you’ve got to get it out. You don’t need to tell me, but
you need to tell someone or this thing is going to eat you up. Paul, you’ve got to feel your best to do
your best. The sooner you get this thing off of your chest, the sooner you can heal.”
As Paul walked home from school, he reflected on the things the Mr. Matthews had told him. He
knew that he hadn’t been himself recently. Maybe he stopped doing his work because he was looking
for attention from his father. He hadn’t really thought about it too much up until now, but as he
walked home that night he realized that he wasn’t just letting his dad spoil his plans: he was letting
him spoil his life. Paul figured that Mr. Matthews was right. He couldn’t do his best until he felt his
best. He decided to take his advice and talk to someone about it.
Falling Action
Resolution
That night when Paul got home from school, he called his Dad. The call went to voicemail after
ringing seven or eight times. Paul had heard his Dad’s answering machine message more times than
he cared to remember, but this time things were different. When it ended, he would say what he
really felt. When the phone beeped, Paul began talking: “Dad, it’s Paul. I can’t go to the stadium with
you next weekend. I’ve got a lot of homework to catch up on. Also, I don’t really want to spend
another day looking out the window and waiting. When you break plans with me, Dad, it hurts me,
and I’m sick of getting hurt. It’s not too late to rebuild our relationship, but we’re going to have to
start small. Maybe you can help me with my homework sometime or something. Dad, I love you, but
that’s how I feel.”
As Paul ended the call, he felt as though a tremendous burden had been lifted off of his shoulders. He
didn’t know whether his dad would change. He didn’t even think that he would, but it didn’t matter.
Paul had changed. He had expressed his feelings to the right person, rather than just bottling them up
inside of himself and he had a clear head as he worked though his assignments that night.
Mark up the text. Use your Highlighter:
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Highlight the Exposition: Yellow
Highlight the Initiating Event: Blue
Highlight the Rising Action: Orange
Highlight the Climax: Green
Highlight the Falling Action: Pink
Highlight the Resolution: Yellow
What elements of setting are found in paragraph #1? (More than one may apply.)
a. Time
b. Place
c. Weather
d. Mood
What is the main type of conflict found in The Phone Call?
a. Individual vs. Individual
b. Individual vs. Nature
c. Individual vs. Self
d. Individual vs. Fate
The author wrote this story to: (More than one may apply.)
a. To Inform the reader about how to answer phone calls.
b. To Persuade the reader to make phone calls.
c. To Entertain the reader with a story they could relate to.
d. To Persuade kids to talk to someone and not bottle up their feelings.
The theme, or message, in The Phone Call is:
a. Don’t answer the telephone.
b. Always keep your thoughts and feelings to yourself.
c. Don’t keep your feelings bottled up; express your feelings to the right person.
Which of the following statements would the main character agree with?
a. Mothers don’t follow through with their promises.
b. Expressing your feelings appropriately to the right person can make you feel better.
c. Answering machines deliver great messages.
d. Teachers don’t give very good advice.
What first alerts the reader to the fact that Paul’s dad was often late?
a. He checked the clock and sighed again, deeper this time.
b. The phone rang at 8:00.
c. You and I are going to the stadium for sure.
d. Paul listened to the machine in disgust.
What is the main idea of the boxed paragraph?
a. Paul’s dad is always late.
b. Paul did not have a good day at school so his teacher was concerned.
c. Paul decided he had to talk to his dad.
d. Paul felt relieved after he left a message for his dad.
Match the following conflicts with the scenarios below (Each answer is used once). Refer to your
FYI if needed.
a. Individual vs. Self
e. Individual vs. Technology
b. Individual vs. Individual
f. Individual vs. Supernatural
c. Individual vs. Nature
g. Individual vs. Fate
d. Individual vs. Society
__A__ 1. After breaking his mother's favorite vase, Casey struggles to decide whether he should tell
his mother the truth and face the consequences, or whether he should attempt to hide his mistake and
blame the family dog.
__B__ 2. Kiko is a ninja warrior trained by Mountain Master Yoho Mahrati. When Master Mahrati is
slain by Shan Bhutan of the Lotus Clan in the most cowardly of fashions, Kiko lays it all on the line to
avenge the death of his master. Will Kiko overcome Shan Bhutan and the powerful Lotus Clan?
__E__ 3. It's the year 3030 and society is completely dependent on computers and robots. A young
boy named Domino is flying his hover board to school when all of the machines start acting up due
to a powerful computer virus. What will Domino do now that the machines have turned against him?
__G__ 4. Angela is having the time of her life on a cruise ship with food and fun all around her.
Suddenly, the ship crashes into an iceberg, which punctures the hull and causes the ship to sink. Now
she and a group of strangers must fight for survival on a life raft deep in the ice-cold ocean waters
with limited supplies. Can she stay alive until a rescue team arrives?
__D__ 5. Everything was going just fine for Mae found out that her eyes were turning green. In Mae's
world people discriminate against those with green eyes. Green-eyed people cannot vote or hold
public office. Mae parents want her to have surgery to change her eye color, but her green-eyed
grandma encourages her to fight for her rights. With her grandma behind her, Mae joins a resistance
movement and becomes the poster child for green-eyed rights. How will all of this affect Mae's
family, especially her parents who wanted her to hide who she was?
__F__ 6. Greg is just a regular boy who tries to do his best in school and just so happens to have a
magical unicorn. When he's not studying and playing baseball, Greg is riding his unicorn through the
enchanted land of Harmonia. One day a secret gate is unlocked and the muck-muck monsters are
unleashed, causing terrible pollution in Harmonia. Can Greg stop the muck-muck monsters?
___C__ 7. Zachary was playing in the biggest golf tournament of his career. He was in the lead
heading into the last four holes. As he stepped onto the fifteen tee the skies opened and rain began to
drench the greens and fairways. Rain would not stop the tournament, only thunder and lightning.
Thunder was never heard, or lightning seen. Puddles formed on the greens and rivers ran across the
fairways. Could Zachary conquer the elements and hold on to his lead?