Ideas for Teaching Plot: They're Quite Comical!

Start saving the comics from Sunday's paper! You're going to need those for several connected practice ideas in SF Unit 1. Comics are great little short stories that offer high-interest reading for almost everyone.

I've found a few connected practice ideas and resources for reinforcing PLOT. These are all for use after the concept has been practiced together. One way students can practice finding the plot elements is by using familiar text, such as fairy tales they have heard for years. They can always record the plot elements on a printed plot diagram, or they can record them in an online plot diagram. ReadWriteThink has an online plot diagram at this link: http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/plot-diagram/ Students can write the element, explain the element from the story, and then move it to the diagram. This would also be a fun whole class  or small group activity on the Promethean board.

Another idea I came across uses Fractured Fairy Tales and student made comic strips. The students can view the Fractured Fairy Tales from YouTube such as these: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB1EE-FDgMk or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAAkauRR-y4 and then create a comic strip plan based on the plot elements from the fairy tale. Here is a form for the comic strip: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pAyzjzc2RnSXNQ7D-LR0X2fzUCKIQrxykEaAmul--oc/edit?hl=en_US  You could take this a step further and have the students actually create their own Fractured Fairy Tale with a comic strip form and then actually make this comic strip online at: http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/comic-creator-30021.html I know that's a lot, but it might could be used during a lab time, for those early finishers, in a library class, or over an extended time period.

Also, I think a way to reinforce the concept with those needing a little extra help could be through the Sunday comics. Many comic strips have a full plot, and since it is not developed into a long story it is easier to pick out each element. You would have to select the comic to be used carefully. They could record these on a plot diagram also.

I know there are more ways to use the Comics to teach plot. Share yours!
More SF Unit 1 ideas to come!