Plotby John Leggett

Page 2, Elements of Literature Textbook

(The Purple Book)

Plot

• In the “Classwork” section of your binder, label your page with the title above and today’s date. Next, define the following words.

• Plot• Conflict• Basic Situation, or

Exposition• Complication• Climax• Resolution, or

Denouement

What is chronological order?

Chronological order is…..the order in which events happen.

What is a flashback?

• When a writer interrupts the flow of events to present an episode from the past.

What is a flash-forward?

• A flash-forward is when a writer jumps ahead days or years into the future.

What is foreshadowing?

• Foreshadowing is when writers give hints or clues that suggest what is to come in the story.

• Draw a diagram like the one on page 3 in your notebook.

Choose a children’s story or a fairy tale that is familiar to you. On your plot diagram, describe the key parts of the story’s plot.

Plot Diagram Example

Objectives for “The Most Dangerous Game”

• We will…– Determine the author’s purpose– Summarize the story using supporting

details– Use literary terms to describe and

analyze this story– Make predictions, draw conclusions, and

connect what we already know

“The Most Dangerous Game”by

Richard Connell• Label your paper with the title above

and today’s date.

• Write down the vocabulary words and their definitions from page 4 on your paper.

• Complete the Quickwrite:

Quickwrite• Some of the most exciting narratives

(stories) pit villain against hero in a life or death struggle. The tension in such stories often depends as much on the character of the bad guy or gal as on that of the hero.

• Write a few sentences describing a villain from a novel, story, or movie. Why does the character fascinate you?

Pre-Reading

• Look at the images on page 5, and read the quote. Think about what you just wrote about villains.

• Make a prediction about this story. What is it going to be about? What do you think the setting will be? Conflict? Resolution??

“The Most Dangerous Game”

• Answer the following questions in your notebook. These will be graded (along with your vocabulary and Quickwrite) at the end of the story. Use them to study for the test.

• Page 6: • 1. The island has an evil reputation.

What role do you think this setting will play in the story?

Answer These Questions In Your Notebook

• Page 9: • 2. What do Zaroff’s remarks about

Cosacks suggest about how he will behave later in the story?

Answer These Questions In Your Notebook

• Page 10:• #3. What do you predict the most

dangerous game will be?

• Page 14: • #4. Think about the information

presented at the beginning of the story. How might Zaroff find men to hunt?

Answer These Questions In Your Notebook

• Page 17: • #5. Who will be the general’s next

victim?

• Page 18:• #6. Will Zaroff spot Rainsford in the

tree?

Answer These Questions In Your Notebook

• Page 22:• #7. Trapped between his deadly

pursuer and the sea, Rainsford jumps. Is the game over? Who has won?

Page 24, Response and Analysis

• Answer the following questions on your own paper and hand in for a quiz grade.

• Page 24, #1-6. You may choose between #7 and #8.

Let’s Review Our Objectives for “The Most Dangerous Game”

• We will…– Determine the author’s purpose

• What IS the author’s purpose in writing “TMDG”?

– Summarize the story using supporting details• Can YOU summarize this story in one

paragraph?

Let’s Review Our Objectives for “The Most Dangerous Game”– Use literary terms to describe and

analyze this story.• Can YOU identify the literary elements of

this story? (Plot, setting, conflict, complications, resolution)

– Make predictions, draw conclusions, and connect what we already know

Were YOUR predictions correct? Explain.

Did the conclusions you drew during the story turn out to be correct? Explain.

Vocabulary Development, Page 25

• Complete #1-10 on Page 25 when finished with your review.

Study Guide for “The Most Dangerous Game” Test

• Know your story vocabulary and definitions.

• • Highlight all your vocabulary words in

your notebook.

• Complete your study guide.

• What is the setting for most of the action in this story?

• Ship-Trap Island• Other settings?

General Zaroff first comes to his island after —

• Buying it, and building a home there.

Rainsford comes to the island because he —

• Falls overboard and swims to the island to save himself.

3. What is Zaroff’s main reason for preferring to hunt human beings rather than animals?

• He is bored by hunting animals. It isn’t challenging enough.

4.Zaroff especially welcomes

Rainsford because the general —• knows about hunting, and has even

written a book about it that Zaroff has read.

5. Rainsford first realizes he is going to be the prey when —

• Zaroff asks if he would like to go hunting, or meet Ivan.

6.

The best evidence that Zaroff is aware of his own viciousness

and cruelty is that he —

• says that all Cossacks are savage and that he, Zaroff, is a Cossack

Test Practice