Where the Red Fern Grows Summary

Activity Overview

Creating a plot diagram not only helps students learn the parts of the plot, but it reinforces major events and helps students develop a 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 Where the Red Fern Grows. Students should identify major turning points in the novel such as the Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution.

Where the Red Fern Grows Plot Diagram Example

Exposition: Young Billy has always dreamed of having two hunting dogs, but his family cannot afford it. Billy works odd jobs for two years in order to save enough money to buy his dogs. When he has enough money, he walks into town and purchases two pups, who he names Old Dan and Little Ann.

Rising Action: The dogs are natural hunters and become well known in the area. Billy enters the dogs in a raccoon hunting contest and they win money as a prize.

Climax: After the contest, Billy and the dogs are hunting and come across a mountain lion. The dogs save Billy’s life by fighting off the mountain lion, and Old Dan is very badly injured.

Falling Action: Old Dan dies from his injuries, and Billy is devastated. Little Ann is heartbroken and refuses to eat. She loses her will to live and dies while lying across Old Dan’s grave.

Resolution: The family is able to move further into town due to the money the dogs won from the hunting competition. Before they move, Billy visits the dogs’ graves and sees that a sacred red fern has grown in between them.