Creating a plot diagram not only helps students learn the parts of the plot, but it reinforces major events and help students develop greater understanding of literary structures. Students can create a storyboard capturing the narrative arc in a work with a six-cell storyboard containing the major parts of the plot diagram. In this activity, students will create a visual plot diagram of major events in Elijah of Buxton. Students should identify major turning points in the novel such as the Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution.
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a visual plot diagram of Elijah of Buxton.
Student Instructions:
Ask the students to carefully read the book and try to analyze each and every small detail. Teachers can conduct daily study and discussion sessions in class where students can share the insights and perspectives they gained after reading a particular section of the book. This will make the reading more interesting and students will look forward to daily discussions.
Help the students analyze the story by engaging them in chapter-by-chapter or section-by-section discussion and analysis. Ask the students to highlight the major events present in each chapter, track character development and progress, and analyze how the narrative is being shaped by the themes. Students can also write a short paragraph summarizing their analysis.
Condense the story into its most important moments. Find the story's main turning points and have students identify them. In light of the overarching theme and the character development, talk about the relevance of each occurrence. Teachers can also use the structure of a plot diagram for this activity.
Set up groups of students, then give each group a specific topic or event to research and bring to the class. Encourage artistic endeavors like character diaries, different conclusions, or illustrations of important situations. Students can also propose any particular projects they would like to do for an enhanced learning experience.
Encourage the students to actively participate in each discussion in order to keep up with the class and the lessons and gain different insights and perspectives through discussion with their classmates. Teachers can also guide the students to different note taking techniques which can help them learn more effectively and efficiently.
The climax is followed by the falling action, which depicts the fallout from the characters' decisions. It could have to do with Elijah's choices and how they affect the neighborhood in this book. The resolution is the part of the ending that ties everything together. The resolution and the climax are connected by the falling action. In the narrative, Elijah's choice to save the enslaved woman's baby shapes both his personality and his personal development.
The tole of Buxton as a settlement for escaped slaves in Canada plays an important role in the story. These historical events played a major role in shaping the themes and ideas of the narrative and also helped in somewhat realistic creation of the characters.