Reading Literary Text 3 (RL 3):
Anchor Standard: Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of
a text.
Grade 6: Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the
characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
Grade 7: Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters
and plot)
Grade 8: Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal
aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
RL 3: Analyzing Story Elements: Character Development
Students explain how a character changes as a result of the story’s plot. Then they provide evidence to support
their analysis of the character’s development.
RL 3: Analyzing Story Elements: Plot Development
Students track the development of the plot by completing a plot triangle including the exposition, rising action,
climax, falling action, and resolution.
RL 3: Analyzing Story Elements: Character and Plot
For this organizer, students will analyze the plot according to a character’s reactions feelings to the events.
Students will describe the character at the beginning of the story as well as at the end.
RL 3: Analyzing Story Elements: the Effect of Setting
Students will begin this organizer by describing the story’s setting. The rest of the organizer asks students to
describe the impact of setting on mood, characters, and conflict.
Additional Items:
Plot Organizer
Plot Diagram: Three Pigs Example
Character Map
Character Traits and Evidence
Trait Chart
Vocabulary for Describing Characters
Story Map 1
Story Map 2
Setting Creates Conflict Poster
Setting Shapes Character Poster
Setting Creates Mood Poster
RL 3: Analyzing Story Elements: Character DevelopmentAnalyzing Story Elements: Character DevelopmentAnalyzing Story Elements: Character DevelopmentAnalyzing Story Elements: Character Development
DIRECTIONS: Use the following organizer to analyze how a character develops in response to conflict in a
story or drama. Provide excerpts from the text to support your analysis.
Title: ______________________________________________________________ Character: ______________________________________________
Your Words Evidence from the Text
Conflict the Character Faces
How the Character Changes
Meaning of the Change
RL 3: Analyzing Story Elements: Plot DevelopmentAnalyzing Story Elements: Plot DevelopmentAnalyzing Story Elements: Plot DevelopmentAnalyzing Story Elements: Plot Development Directions: A plot diagram helps you see how stories and dramas are organized. Use it to analyze the main
parts of a plot.
Name of Story or Drama: _______________________________________________________
Main Conflict: Explain the story’s main problem here____________________________________________
Exposition: Resolution:
Climax:
Rising Action
Falling Action
RL 3: Analyzing Story Elements: ChaAnalyzing Story Elements: ChaAnalyzing Story Elements: ChaAnalyzing Story Elements: Character and Plot racter and Plot racter and Plot racter and Plot
DIRECTIONS: Use the following organizer to analyze how a character develops in response to events in the
story or drama.
RL 3: Analyzing Story Elements: the Effect of Setting Analyzing Story Elements: the Effect of Setting Analyzing Story Elements: the Effect of Setting Analyzing Story Elements: the Effect of Setting Directions: In many stories, the setting greatly impacts the characters and events. Use the graphic organizer
below to analyze how the setting influences or impacts each of the other story elements. Use evidence from the
text to support your ideas.
Character:
Conflict:
Mood:
Setting:
Character Map Character Map Character Map Character Map
Character Traits and Textual Evidence Character Traits and Textual Evidence Character Traits and Textual Evidence Character Traits and Textual Evidence
Trait Chart Trait Chart Trait Chart Trait Chart
Vocabulary for Describing Characters Vocabulary for Describing Characters Vocabulary for Describing Characters Vocabulary for Describing Characters
able demanding hopeless restless
active dependable humorous rich
adventurous depressed ignorant rough
affectionate determined imaginative rowdy
afraid discouraged impatient rude
alert dishonest impolite sarcastic
ambitious disrespectful inconsiderate safe
angry doubtful independent satisfied
annoyed dull industrious scared
anxious dutiful innocent secretive
apologetic eager intelligent selfish
arrogant easygoing jealous serious
attentive efficient kindly sharp
average embarrassed lazy short
awkward encouraging leader shy
boastful energetic lively silly
bold evil lonely skillful
bored excited loving sly
bossy expert loyal smart
brainy fair lucky sneaky
brave faithful mature sorry
bright fearless melancholy spoiled
brilliant fierce messy stingy
busy foolish miserable strange
calm fortunate mysterious strict
careful forgiving naughty stubborn
careless fresh nerdy studious
cautious friendly nervous talented
charming frustrated noisy tender
cheerful funny obedient thankful
childish generous obnoxious thoughtful
clever gentle old thoughtless
clumsy giving peaceful tired
complex glamorous picky tolerant
concerned gloomy pleasant touchy
confident graceful polite trusting
confused grateful poor trustworthy
considerate greedy popular unfriendly
cooperative grouchy positive unhappy
courageous grumpy precise upset
cowardly guilty proper useful
creative happy proud warm
cruel harsh quick weak
curious hateful quiet wicked
dangerous healthy rational wise
daring helpful reliable witty
dark honest religious worried
decisive hopeful responsible young
Story Map 1Story Map 1Story Map 1Story Map 1
Story Map 2Story Map 2Story Map 2Story Map 2
Setting
from “All Summer in a Day”
“It had been raining for “It had been raining for “It had been raining for “It had been raining for seven years; thousands seven years; thousands seven years; thousands seven years; thousands upon thousandupon thousandupon thousandupon thousandssss of days of days of days of days compounded and filled compounded and filled compounded and filled compounded and filled from one end to the other from one end to the other from one end to the other from one end to the other with rain, with the drum with rain, with the drum with rain, with the drum with rain, with the drum and gush of water, with and gush of water, with and gush of water, with and gush of water, with the sweet crystal fthe sweet crystal fthe sweet crystal fthe sweet crystal fall of all of all of all of showers and the showers and the showers and the showers and the concussion of storms so concussion of storms so concussion of storms so concussion of storms so heavy they were tidal heavy they were tidal heavy they were tidal heavy they were tidal waves come over the waves come over the waves come over the waves come over the islands. A thousand forests islands. A thousand forests islands. A thousand forests islands. A thousand forests had been crushed under the had been crushed under the had been crushed under the had been crushed under the rain and grown up a thousand rain and grown up a thousand rain and grown up a thousand rain and grown up a thousand times to be crushed again. times to be crushed again. times to be crushed again. times to be crushed again. And this was the way life was And this was the way life was And this was the way life was And this was the way life was forever on the planforever on the planforever on the planforever on the planeeeet Venus t Venus t Venus t Venus and this was the schoolroom of and this was the schoolroom of and this was the schoolroom of and this was the schoolroom of the children of the rocket men the children of the rocket men the children of the rocket men the children of the rocket men and women who had come to a and women who had come to a and women who had come to a and women who had come to a raining world to set up raining world to set up raining world to set up raining world to set up civilization and live out their civilization and live out their civilization and live out their civilization and live out their lives.” lives.” lives.” lives.”
“Margot stood apart from them, “Margot stood apart from them, “Margot stood apart from them, “Margot stood apart from them, from these children who could never from these children who could never from these children who could never from these children who could never remember a time when there wasn’t remember a time when there wasn’t remember a time when there wasn’t remember a time when there wasn’t rain and rain and rain. They were all rain and rain and rain. They were all rain and rain and rain. They were all rain and rain and rain. They were all nine years old, and if there had been a nine years old, and if there had been a nine years old, and if there had been a nine years old, and if there had been a day, seven years ago, when the sun day, seven years ago, when the sun day, seven years ago, when the sun day, seven years ago, when the sun came out for an hour and showcame out for an hour and showcame out for an hour and showcame out for an hour and showed its ed its ed its ed its face to the stunned world, they could face to the stunned world, they could face to the stunned world, they could face to the stunned world, they could not recall.” not recall.” not recall.” not recall.”
Setting
from “Rattlesnake Hunt”
Setting
“The sun was bright overhead, the sky a translucent
blue, and it seemed to me that it was warm enough for
any snake to do as it willed. The sweat poured down my
back. Ross dropped the rattler in a crocus sack and
Will carried it. By noon, he had caught four. I felt
faint and ill. We stopped by a pond and went swimming.
The region was flat, the horizon limitless, and as I came
out of the cool blue water I expected to find myself
surrounded by a ring of rattlers.”
from Travels with Charley
“The night, far from being frightful, was lovely
beyond thought, for the stars were close, and although
there was no moon the starlight made a silver glow in the
sky. The air cut the nostrils with dry frost. And for pure
pleasure I collected a pile of dry dead cedar branches and
built a small fire just to smell the perfume of the burning
wood and to hear the excited crackle of the branches. My
fire made a dome of yellow light over me…”