ACTIVITY
Novel Structure: Conflict and Plot
3.23
SUGGESTED LEARNING STRATEGIES: Double-Entry Journal, Graphic
Organizer, Notetaking, Predicting, Think-Pair-Share, Word Map
Activity 3.23
Novel Structure:
Conflict and Plot
Materials:
1. A novel is composed of many conflicts and plots. The major
conflict involves the main character and drives the main plot. In the
graphic below, state the main conflict of Tangerine, and detail the
components of that conflict.
Main Conflict
LITERARY TERMS
A conflict is a struggle
between opposing forces;
for example, man versus
self, man versus man, man
versus nature, or man
versus society.
Individual vs. Self
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2. In Tangerine, each of the other types of conflicts is represented in a
subplot. Give specifics that characterize each type of conflict.
Additional Conflicts
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Man vs. Nature
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Man vs. Society
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Unit 3 • Our Choices and Life’s Lessons 209
4
Point out that in Part 3 the
© 2011 College Board. All rights reserved.
Purpose:
•To analyze the structure of the
novel
•To differentiate between major
and minor conflicts and plots
•To categorize conflicts
Steps:
1
This activity provides an
Man vs. Man
© 2011 College Board. All rights reserved.
•Tangerine, by Edward Bloor,
Monday, November 20 - Thursday,
November 23, Thanksgiving
•Vocabulary Notebooks
conflicts will be resolved. Ask
students to predict how these
conflicts will work out. Urge
students to be attentive to the
resolutions.
5
Direct students to revisit the
plot graphic organizer (Unit 1)
in their Vocabulary Notebooks
and expand on their ideas to include
the concept of conflict.
opportunity for students to
synthesize insights and questions
about the elements of conflict
and plot. Before beginning Part 3,
review conflict and the major
types of literary conflicts: man vs.
self, man vs. man, man vs. nature,
and man vs. society. Ask students to
note these on the left side of their
double-entry journals. Then have
students work in a think-pairshare arrangement to review the
main conflicts in Tangerine, and, on
the right side of their journals, to
take notes detailing examples of
each type of conflict (e.g., Paul vs.
self; Paul vs. Erik; Paul vs. family; Lake
Windsor Housing development vs.
nature; Erik vs. the residents of Lake
Windsor; Erik vs. other ethnicities).
2
Guide students to recognize
and differentiate between major
conflicts driving the main plot (the
main sequence of events) and minor
conflicts within the main plot or
various subplots (secondary story
lines that may connect to the main
plot at points and may also involve
secondary characters) of the novel.
3
Once students have
brainstormed conflicts, discuss
the major and minor conflicts
within each type of conflict. Then
ask students to categorize their
conflicts further using the graphic
organizer.
Unit 3
• Our Choices and Life’s Lessons 209