Mrs. SampleLanguage Arts

7th Grade

Elements of a Short Story

Plot

Theme

Setting

Character

Conflict

Plot: How Stories Happen

What is plot?

The structure

of a story

Parts of Plot

Exposition

Rising Action

Climax

Falling Action

Resolution

What is Exposition?

• Beginning of story• Introduces characters, setting, and tone

• Beginning of story• Introduces characters, setting, and tone

What is Rising Action?

• Plot becomes increasingly complicated

• Various problems arise

• Plot becomes increasingly complicated

• Various problems arise

What is Climax?

The high point of a story

The high point of a story

What is Falling Action?

• Action following the climax

• Leads to the end

• Action following the climax

• Leads to the end

What is Resolution?

• Problems are solved

• Action comes to an end

• Problems are solved

• Action comes to an end

What is the high point of action in a story?

A. Exposition

B. Resolution

C. Climax

D. Falling action

What is Theme?

• Message about life • What the work is about• What the main character learns

• Message about life • What the work is about• What the main character learns

What is Tone? • Tells us what the author thinks about his/her

main character. • The author’s attitude toward the story and

readers.

• Tells us what the author thinks about his/her main character.

• The author’s attitude toward the story and readers.

What is Mood?

• The effect of the writer’s words on the reader.

• How the writer’s words make us feel.

• The effect of the writer’s words on the reader.

• How the writer’s words make us feel.

What is Setting?

• Place• Time

• Place• Time

The setting answers the question, “What is the work about?”

True

False

What is a Character?

A person or animal in a story A person or animal in a story

Character

• Main character• Hero of the story

• Main character• Hero of the storyWhat is a

protagonist?

Character

• Opposes protagonist

• Bad guy

• Opposes protagonist

• Bad guyWhat is anantagonist?

Dynamic vs. StaticDYNAMIC

• Character changes throughout a story. They either do something differently or make a choice they would not have normally made.

STATIC

• Character stays the same through the whole story. This person does not change. They are actually very predictable through the whole story.

Who is the hero or central character of a story?

A. Protagonist

B. Climax

C. Exposition

D. Antagonist

What is Conflict?

A struggle between

opposing forces in a story

A struggle between

opposing forces in a story

What is Conflict?

• Person against person• Person against self• Person against society• Person against nature

• Person against person• Person against self• Person against society• Person against nature

Congratulations!

You know the Elements of a Short Story!!!

` PlotThemeSettingCharacterConflict