What Part Is It?
Lena and her dog, Max, are playing in their fenced yard. We learn where they are and who is in the story. What plot part is this?
Exposition. It introduces the characters and setting.
Fix: the students read the story
The students read the story.
I held the flashlight… We both heard something move.
First person or third person? Name a clue word.
First person; I or we.
Which sentence is the strongest topic sentence for a paragraph arguing for after-school library hours? Why?
A. The library is open on Tuesdays.
B. Our school should keep the library open after classes because students need a quiet place to study.
C. Many books are on the shelves.
B. It clearly states a claim and a reason: students need a quiet study place.
Name the part that introduces characters and setting.
Exposition
The gate swings open, and Max runs away. Lena checks the yard and calls his name, but he does not return. What plot part is this?
Rising action. The problem has begun, and Lena is trying to find Max.
Make “Because the character was nervous.” a complete sentence.
The character spoke quietly because she was nervous.
Mia zipped her coat. She ran to catch the bus.
First person or third person? Name a clue word.
Third person; the clue word is she.
Claim: A school garden can help students learn science.
A. The garden fence is green.
B. Students record soil temperature and compare plant growth each week.
C. The garden is near the parking lot.
B. Recording soil temperature and comparing plant growth involves observing and using data, which are science skills.
Name the part where Lena’s missing-dog problem grows.
Rising action
Lena asks a neighbor for help and follows paw prints toward the park. She hears barking but still cannot see Max. What plot part is this?
Rising action. The search continues, and the problem is not yet solved.
Fix the run-on: “Maya read the text she found a clue.”
Maya read the text. She found a clue.
I waved at Mira. She looked away. I thought she was mad at me.” Is this first or third person? What did the narrator see, and what did the narrator guess?
First person; the clue is I. The narrator saw Mira look away but guessed that Mira was mad.
Write one explanation sentence that connects the evidence to the claim.
Claim: Working in a group can improve a design. Evidence: Each student tested the model and suggested one change.
Because each student noticed a different problem, the group could revise the model in more ways than one person could alone.
Name the turning point when Lena finds and catches her dog.
Climax
Lena spots Max beside the road. Just as he starts to run into traffic, she calls his name, and he races into her arms. What plot part is this?
Climax. This is the turning point: Lena finds and catches Max at the moment of greatest tension.
Combine “The narrator was nervous. The narrator spoke to the group.”
The narrator was nervous, but she spoke to the group.
“Alex heard thunder and told the team to go inside. Bea wanted to finish the game.” Is this first or third person? Which character wanted to keep playing? How do you know?
Third person; the clues include Alex and Bea. Bea wanted to keep playing because the passage says she wanted to finish the game.
Put the sentences in a logical paragraph order. Name the role of the first three parts.
A. This shows that a simple plan can reduce confusion during an emergency.
B. Families should make an emergency communication plan.
C. For example, family members can agree on one meeting place and an out-of-town contact.
D. With a plan in place, people know how to reconnect when phones do not work.
B → C → A → D.
B- is the topic sentence or claim (TTQA)
C- gives evidence or an example (DS)
A- explains the example (EDS)
D- concludes the idea. (Conclusion)
Identify what happens after the turning point, before the problem is fully settled.
Falling action
After Sam finds his lost bike, he rides it home and tells his family what happened. The next day, he begins locking it in the shed. Which event is falling action, and which is resolution?
Riding home and telling his family is falling action. Locking the bike in the shed is the resolution because it shows how the problem is settled going forward.
Combine these three sentences into one clear sentence. Do not repeat “Maya.”
Maya read the article. Maya found a fact. Maya used the fact to support her claim.
Maya found a fact in the article and used it to support her claim.
“I blamed my brother when my snack went missing. Then I saw the dog with crumbs on its face.” What point of view is this? Why does the reader learn what happened to the snack only when the narrator does?
First person; the clue is I. The reader knows what the narrator knows. The narrator realizes the dog took the snack after seeing crumbs on its face.
Revise the last sentence so it explains the evidence and concludes the paragraph. Keep the original claim.
Reading two accounts of the same event is useful. One witness noticed the loud noise. Another described where people went. This is good.
Together, these different details give readers a fuller picture of what happened, which is why comparing accounts matters.
Lena’s dog goes missing. Put these events in story order and name each plot part: A. Lena finds and catches her dog. B. Lena and her dog are playing in the yard. C. The dog runs off, and Lena searches the neighborhood. D. Lena brings the dog home and makes sure the gate is closed. E. Lena carries the dog back toward her house.
B — Exposition; C — Rising action; A — Climax; E — Falling action; D — Resolution.