1. Teaching Text Structure Through Plot Diagrams (Fiction)
 In this workshop we will examine the narrative structure of short stories and will complete plot diagrams.  Teachers will participate in narrative structure lessons that teach students to see texts as having parts and provide them with the language needed to describe the parts.  We will share a variety of resources that can be used with 5th grade students. This is the work we are asking of 4th and 5th grade students; this workshop is intended to help us be able to do the work we are asking them to do.

2. Why are we teaching this?
RL.5.5 requires students to explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem
When students examine books that model effective plot development and conflict resolution, it encourages them to use these techniques as they write their own stories.

3. Where is this in our curriculum?
1st teaching point in Elements of Fiction
1st teaching point in Short Stories

4. What are we doing?
We are close reading through the lens of narrative structure (plot mountain)
It is about making careful observations of a text and then interpretations of those observations
It involves rereading; often rereading a short portion of a text that helps a reader to carry new ideas to the whole text

5. Because this is hard work! We need time to figure it out.
Why are we here?
Because this is hard work! We need time to figure it out.

6. How do we teach it? Start with simple and familiar stories
Model it for the students (I do)
Have them help you plot stories on a story mountain (we do)
Have them try it on their own (you do)

7. The Three Little Pigs by Paul Galdone
Let’s Practice: Talking about Genre as Structure & Locate parts within a larger whole
The Three Little Pigs by Paul Galdone
Re read The Three Little Pigs
Identify the genre & what we know about the structure of this genre
LENS: Traditional Plot Mountain
Locate different parts using location terminology (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution) to fill in a plot mountain
What kind of part is this?
Discuss the purpose of each part.
What did the author introduce?
What impact did this part have on the reader/story?
Talk about how this lens would require you to read multiple narrative texts through the lens of a traditional plot mountain to then notice patterns to lead to a new understanding

8. Groups: rising action

9. Have groups plot the rising action, climax, falling action and resolution