Education Technology


NCTE: Exploring Conflict and Plot

Activity Overview

Students will review the terms conflict, plot, exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Using a set of criteria, the students will analyze the conflict and plot of a well-known work from popular culture.

Before the Activity

See the attached Activity PDF file for detailed instructions for this activity.

Print the appropriate pages from the Activity for your class.

Install the NoteFolio™ App on the students' graphing calculators following the attached instructions.

Select and obtain the movie to be used in plot analysis. Prepare a transparency of the "Plot and Conflict Diagram." Decide if the students will complete this file during the movie, during the class analysis, or after the class analysis is completed.

During the Activity

  • Distribute the appropriate pages from the Activity to your class
  • Distribute the NoteFolio file(s) to your class using TI Connect™ and the appropriate TI Connectivity cable
  • Follow the procedures outlined in the Activity


  • Students will:
  • Comprehend the terms plot, exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and internal and external conflict.
  • Analyze a short story to identify the conflict and label the parts of the plot.
  • Develop their own detailed plots for a story.
  • Identify and evaluate the literary element of plot in professional models and peer writing.
  • After the Activity

    The teacher should recap the main points of plot development and conflict, then ask the students if they have any questions about these concepts or the way in which the class analyzed the plot of the movie.