Activity Overview
Literary conflicts are important for students to be able to identify as they read stories. The conflicts that the main character faces help drive the story forward. In this activity, students will create a storyboard illustrating examples of literary conflict in A Long Walk to Water. Having students choose an example of each literary conflict is an excellent way to reinforce the lesson, and gives the students a chance to creatively show what they have learned.
A Long Walk to Water Conflict Examples
Character vs. Character: Salva is constantly interacting with others who either abandon him or try to hurt/kill him.
Character vs. Self: Salva often doubts his ability to persevere.
Character vs. Nature: Salva must walk for a very long time in sweltering heat.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a 3 cell storyboard that describes and illustrates the literary conflicts in A Long Walk to Water.
Student Instructions:
- Write a conflict in each heading.
- Create an illustration that represents each heading using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
- Write a short summary of each conflict in the space below the illustration.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient 5 Points | Emerging 3 Points | Beginning 1 Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | The descriptions of the conflicts are clear and at least two sentences. | The descriptions of the conflicts can be understood but it are somewhat unclear. | The descriptions of the conflicts are unclear and are not at least two sentences. |
| Illustrations | The illustrations represent the descriptions using appropriate scenes, characters and items. | The illustrations relate to the descriptions, but are difficult to understand. | The illustrations do not clearly relate to the descriptions. |
| Evidence of Effort | Work is well written and carefully thought out. | Work shows some evidence of effort. | Work shows little evidence of any effort. |
| Conventions | Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are mostly correct. | Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are somewhat correct. | Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are mostly incorrect. |
How To Analyze the Internal and External Conflicts Present in “A Long Walk to Water”
Introduce Internal and External Conflicts
Introduce students to the concept of internal and external literary conflicts. Further, categorize the types of conflicts after explaining the general idea by using real-life examples that students can relate to. For instance, to explain character vs character conflicts teachers can ask students if they ever argued with a friend or a family member or to explain character vs nature teachers can have a general discussion regarding nature and how it can disturb human life.
Understand the Characters
In order to understand the literary conflicts present in the book, it is very important to understand and analyze the characters. Students can try and create a character map for the primary characters or use the one they had made for the “Character Map” activity to analyze the characters and their goals and lay the foundation for the literary conflicts.
Connect Conflicts and Themes
Link the highlighted conflicts to the novel's underlying themes of survival, resiliency, and the effects of war. Talk about the ways in which conflicts aid in the development of these ideas. Encourage the students to share their opinions and perspectives on how conflicts generally shape themes and conduct discussions and debates on this topic in class.
Analyze Character Growth
One of the main purposes of literary conflict is to aid character growth and development. Ask the students to examine how the characters change as the narrative progresses. Examine significant occurrences that have shaped their development and progress in terms of internal and external conflicts.
Analyze the Resolution of the Conflicts
Encourage the students to analyze how all the literary conflicts present in the book are resolved at the end of the story. Consider how these decisions have affected the growth of the characters and the narrative in broader terms.
Frequently Asked Questions about Frequently Asked Questions About Literary Conflict in “A Long Walk to Water”
What sort of external conflicts do the characters face that shape their journey and experience?
The journey Salva took through the war-torn Sudan, the physical risks he faced, and his adjustment to new surroundings are examples of external conflicts. Nya also deals with various external conflicts like family dynamics, cultural expectations, and water constraints. Both the characters, though in different timelines, are shaped by these conflicts and significantly impacted by their presence.
How do internal conflicts of the characters evolve throughout the narrative?
Throughout the book, characters go through changing internal conflicts. These internal conflicts evolve when the characters encounter new obstacles and situations, which is indicative of their development.
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