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A plot profile combines a timeline and a rating scale. Each major incident is summarised and listed and then rated for excitement/tension.
To
develop the children's story sense.
To
demonstrate how episodes add excitement/tension to a story in order to
hold the reader's interest and attention.
To
reinforce the top level structures of problem/solution; cause/eefect.
To
develop meaningful comprehensiom.
To
assist children develop the skill of narrative writing.
To
develop the ability to select main ideas.
To
make judgements.
To
allow literary terms such as dilemma and climax to be introduced.
To
realise mant stories in our culture use patterns established by folk tales.
To
appreciate the unlimited possibilities of re-interpreting basic plot structures.
List
the major events in the story in summary format.
Ensure
the list is in sequential order.
Explain
the grid to children. It is like a graph. The horizontal axis represents
the sequence of events and the vertical axis represents the excitement
level.
Label
the events in sequence along the horizontal axis.
Ask
the children which of the incidents was the most exciting. It is rated
10. Mark it.
Find
the lowest point of excitement. (Usually the beginning.) Plot it on the
chart as 1. Note: The lowest point of excitement could be termed the "calm
before the trouble", "the normal before something upset it".
Continue
through the episodes plotting the excitement level for each.
Join
the points with a flowing line.
Reflect
on what the profile tells about the story's structure and the author's
arrangement of events.
It
is more important for children to justify their choices rather than produce
"the correct" profile.
It
is important that the climax of the story receives the highest rating.
Plot
profiles should have a "jagged" appearance as tension eases with
each "solution" to a problem.
Plot
profiles of the same story can vary from child to child?group to group.
This
strategy is not as easy for children to grasp as it sounds. Children must
be proficient with constructing timelines. Modelling by the teacher from
well known simple stories, e.g. The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding
Hood, should be done on several occassions prior to children collaboratively
working on their own.
When
modelling be prepared for differences of opinions. Do not let this "bog"
down the lesson. When modelling, you have the right to either acccept or
reject their advice as you prefer.
Share
profiles when they are finished. Each group should justify their decision.
Children
require prior knowledge of climax before attempting this strategy.
It
is better to use with short stories or chapters of a novel.
"The picture tells a story"
Created by Cherrol McGhee, Book Rap Manager,
Updated 1 November 1998.
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