Activity Overview
When studying literature, an important element to go over with students is foreshadowing. Whether in a short story, play, or novel, the literary device causes the students to act as detectives while they are one the edge of their seats trying to guess what will happen next.
Foreshadowing can be a difficult element to pick up. It takes a skilled reader to be able to see the subtlety that the author uses to keep the reader aroused. Foreshadowing, however, is not as cut and dry as many people assume; sometimes the author uses foreshadowing as a red herring, something that is meant to distract the reader or lead them in the wrong direction.
Five Basic Types of Foreshadowing
- Concrete, or commonly referred to as "Chekov's Gun"
- Prominent, or also known as the "Prophecies"
- Evocative, or the "Flashback/Flashforward"
- Abstract, or known as "Symbolic"
- Fallacy, or "The Red Herring"
The storyboard is an example of three types of foreshadowing from the text. Looking at the specific instances and their outcomes helps students to understand the type of foreshadowing used. Each example of foreshadowing is centered around a particular character.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that illustrates the types of foreshadowing and their outcomes in Lord of the Flies
- Use the template your teacher provided.
- Define each type of foreshadowing.
- Identify events or scenes that fall under each type of foreshadowing (concrete, prominent, evocative, abstract, and fallacy)
- Describe the scene and the outcome of the foreshadowing.
- Illustrate the scene and outcome with appropriate characters, scenes, and items.
- Click "Save & Exit" when done.
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 each type of foreshadowing (abstract, concrete, and prominent) are clear and at least two sentences. | The descriptions of each type of foreshadowing (abstract, concrete, and prominent) can be understood but it are somewhat unclear. | The descriptions of each type of foreshadowing (abstract, concrete, and prominent) are unclear and/or incomplete. |
| 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 Explore Different Types of Literary Elements Used in Lord of the Flies
Introduce Literary Elements
Introduce the most common literary elements used in literature. Give simple definitions of elements like themes, setting, and foreshadowing. Teachers can explain why these elements are significant in literature and how using literary elements can enhance the context and meaning of the writing.
Give Simple Examples
After students are clear on the basic concept, give them simple and interesting examples to enhance their understanding. Settings and characters can be easy to understand but a bit difficult to analyze. Foreshadowing can be a bit difficult to explain and understand hence teachers should focus on every single detail while giving examples.
Exercise Critical Thinking
Give students a text that includes the use of some literary elements. Students can identify these elements and highlight them with different colors. For instance, using pink highlighter for themes, yellow for Irony, and green for foreshadowing. This exercise will improve critical thinking and help in the identification process.
Analyze the Narrator's Perspective
Ask the students to think about the viewpoint from which the tale is told. The third-person restricted point of view in "Lord of the Flies" mostly follows Ralph's viewpoint. Examine how the reader's comprehension of the events is affected by this choice of narrative voice. Students can also discuss how the use of literary elements would change if the story was written from the perspective of a different character.
Work According to Students’ Pace
Each student has their own pace of understanding new concepts, so teachers can customize the lectures a bit according to the proficiency level of students and adjust the activities for different students.
Frequently Asked Questions About Foreshadowing in Lord of the Flies
What role does foreshadowing have in creating the mood and tone of the story?
By evoking a sense of dread and anxiety, foreshadowing in "Lord of the Flies" adds to the mood. It raises the island's general sense of dread by implying that more sinister occurrences or conflicts are imminent. Students can reflect on the relationship between the atmosphere of the story and the use of foreshadowing to get a deeper understanding of the topic.
What additional passages in "Lord of the Flies" include foreshadowing?
The repeated allusions to the youngsters' deepening gloom and ferocity are another instance of foreshadowing. Their actions presage the catastrophic events that take place later in the novel as they get more aggressive and disorderly. For instance, one of the boys talking to the head of the beast or Piggy getting hit by a rock and later meeting his tragic ending also because of another rock.
More Storyboard That Activities
Lord of the Flies
This Activity is Part of Many Teacher Guides
Pricing for Schools & Districts
Limited Time
Introductory School Offer
- 1 School
- 5 Teachers for One Year
- 1 Hour of Virtual PD
30 Day Money Back Guarantee • New Customers Only • Full Price After Introductory Offer • Access is for 1 Calendar Year
© 2024 - Clever Prototypes, LLC - All rights reserved.
StoryboardThat is a trademark of Clever Prototypes, LLC, and Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
