Name _____________________________________________________________

IDENTIFYING ELEMENTS OF A PLOT

Ayden’s Day at the Lake Read the short story “Ayden’s Day at the Lake”. Briefly describe the plot
elements of the story in the boxes below.
“Finally... a hot day!” thought Ayden. He had been waiting for a hot summer day Climax:
to conquer his goal of learning to water ski. He had attempted the feat countless
times last year, but had never succeeded. This summer, he was determined to get up
out of the water and actually ski! He had convinced his parents to hitch up the boat
and head to Brown's Lake, a short 15-minute drive from their house.
Now he was out floating in the water. His life jacket was secured, and he gripped
the rope. “Okay, you can do this!” Ayden whispered to himself. He nodded to his dad in
the boat, and soon felt the rope tighten up as the boat pulled forward. Before he
knew it, though, his skis were behind him, and he knew there was no hope of getting
up. He let go of the rope, and slapped the water in frustration.
The boat circled around, his dad returning the rope to him to try again. “Okay,
now you remember what it feels like when I take off. Keep those skis in front of you
and the boat will take it from there,” his dad said.
“Okay,” Ayden replied.
Soon he was ready for his second attempt. Ayden nodded to his dad. The boat
pulled forward as he focused on keeping the skis in front of him. Up…up…up… WOAH!
Too far! He had risen out of the water, but then fell back into the water on his
back. He was excited, though, as this was the first time he had actually gotten out
Conclusion/Resolution:
of the water! He cheered and pumped his fist in the air.
“You were up!” Ayden’s mom exclaimed as they circled around him again.
“I know!” Ayden shrieked, grinning from ear to ear. “Get ready… I’m going to nail
it this next time!”
He was right. On his third attempt, he got out of the water and stayed up! In Introduction/ Exposition:
fact, he skied for almost two minutes before his skis hit a wave and he fell.
The boat circled around. “You did it! Congratulations!” His parents told him.
“Thanks! That was so much fun!” Ayden exclaimed. “Am I ever exhausted now,
though. I’m ready for a break.”
At home that night, he recalled his three attempts, and the two minutes he spent
skiing atop the water. “What an incredible feeling,” he thought, “I can't wait to go
skiing again!”
 Name _____________________________________________________________
IDENTIFYING ELEMENTS OF A PLOT
Read the short story “Stranded in Wyoming”. Briefly describe the plot
Stranded in Wyoming elements of the story in the correct boxes below.
This seemed like the longest road trip ever to Kristen. She couldn’t wait to arrive
at Yellowstone National Park. Her friends had told her about all the fascinating Climax:
natural wonders she would see there. They had also warned her about the long car ride
to get there, but she still felt like she had been in the car with her parents forever! To
make matters worse, her dad decided to “help” by taking a shortcut he had found on a
map, but the rough country road was making her carsick.
Suddenly the car made a loud clunking sound. Then it slowed to a stop. “What’s
going on, Mark?” Kristen’s mother asked her father.
“I don’t know, but it’s not good,” her father replied. He pulled to the side of the
road, popped the hood, and stepped out to look at the engine. A minute later he
returned to the driver’s seat. “We’ll need to call a towing service.”
Kristen’s mom groaned. “I was afraid you were going to say that. We lost cell phone
service about 15 miles back.”
“You mean we’re stranded here in the middle of nowhere?!” Kristen exclaimed.
“Kristen, we’re not in the middle of nowhere, we are simply in rural Wyoming,” her
dad said. “Someone will drive by soon.”
Two hours later, a cow in the pasture was the only moving thing they had seen.
Suddenly, a pickup came barreling up the road behind them. They all waved their arms
wildly. They were overjoyed when the vehicle slowed to a stop.
They told the man about the situation that had left them stranded along the Conclusion/Resolution:
desolate road. It turned out that this man owned a ranch nearby. He fixed his own
ranch equipment all the time and knew exactly what needed to be done to fix their car!
He promised he would return shortly with the tools necessary to repair the engine.
Minutes later, not only did the rancher return, but his wife as well. While he fixed
Introduction/ Exposition:
the car, she shared a snack of cookies and lemonade with them while telling them what
life on a ranch in rural Wyoming was like.
Before long, the rancher closed the hood. “You’re all set,” he said.
“I can’t thank you enough!” Kristen’s father told him. “What do I owe you?”
“Not a thing,” the rancher said, “Just pay it forward someday. When you find
someone in need, help them out and don’t ask for anything in return.”
“You have my word,” Kristen’s father replied. Soon, they were back on their way,
thankful for the kindness of strangers.
 Name _____________________________________________________________
IDENTIFYING ELEMENTS OF A PLOT
Read the short story “The Unforgettable Hike”. Briefly describe the plot
The Unforgettable Hike elements of the story in the correct boxes below.
Jenna was hiking with her mom in the mountains outside of her hometown of Climax:
Santa Fe, New Mexico. They often enjoyed a Sunday afternoon hike during the
summer months. They had learned from experience, though, to always check the
weather forecast before they set out, as weather could change quickly in higher
altitudes. There was a slight chance of late afternoon storms, but they decided
to risk it, thinking they would be back home before any storms would hit the
area.
They set out for their 5-mile hike amid sunshine and mild temperatures.
About an hour into their hike, the wind picked up slightly and clouds spread
overhead. They knew this was not a good sign. They turned around immediately
and quickened their pace to get back to their vehicle as soon as possible. Ten
minutes later, they heard rumbles of thunder… then drops of rain began to fall.
Before they knew it, the rain was coming down in sheets, and booms of
thunder and flashes of lightning were nearly constant. Jenna and her mom were
now running as fast as they could to get down the mountain trail and back to
the safety of their car.
Out of the corner of her eye, Jenna spotted a huge rock with an area below
it where they could take cover. “Mom! Over there!” Jenna yelled. Conclusion/Resolution:
They ran to the rock and crouched under it. “That was terrifying!” Jenna’s
mom gasped as she worked to catch her breath. “I can’t believe how quickly that
storm came over the mountain!”
Ten minutes later, the storm had passed, and the sun was beginning to peek Introduction/ Exposition:
out behind the clearing clouds.
“Well, I think I’m ready to get back to the car so we can get home and
change out of these soaking clothes,” Jenna’s mom said.
“Me, too!” Jenna agreed.
Jenna and her mom never forgot the terrifying experience they had shared
that day. Every time a summertime storm came over the mountain, one would
say to the other, “Remember that day…”
 Name _____________________________________________________________
IDENTIFYING ELEMENTS OF A PLOT
Read the short story “What to Do with Fido”. Briefly describe the plot
What to Do with Fido elements of the story in the correct boxes below.
A-CHOO!! Mario couldn’t stop sneezing.
“I’m so glad we have that doctor appointment tomorrow,” his mother said, “You Climax:
must be allergic to something in this house. We need to figure out what’s going on.”
The next afternoon, Mario and his mother returned home after the doctor
appointment. “It’ll be okay, Mario. There’s nothing you can do about it.”
“I can’t believe I’m allergic to Fido!” Mario was near tears. “What are we going to
do?”
“Well, we need to figure that out with the rest of the family,” his mother replied.
There was a knock at the door. Mario’s mother opened the door. “Hi Sheila,” she
greeted their neighbor, “Come on in.”
Sheila stepped in. Fido ran to greet her in true form, barking, wiggling, and
jumping around her. Sheila loved Fido. She bent over to pet Fido. She looked up and saw
Mario’s sad face. “What’s wrong, Mario?”
Mario’s mother answered. “Mario is having a rough day. We just found out that he
is allergic to Fido, so unless we choose to have Mario get special shots to combat the
allergy, we will have to find somewhere else for Fido to live.”
“Well, why don’t I take Fido?” Sheila asked. “You know how much Fido loves my dog,
Rusty, and then anyone in your family can stop by to visit and play with him
whenever they want!”
Conclusion/Resolution:
“Wow, what a generous offer, Sheila. It sounds like a great solution! Let me talk it
over with the family, and I’ll get back to you soon!” Mario’s mother said.
The family discussed the situation at dinner that night. Everyone agreed that it
was the perfect solution. They could walk next door to see Fido anytime, Fido would
have Rusty for a companion when no one was home during the day, and of course, Introduction/ Exposition:
Mario would stop sneezing at home. It was a winning solution any way they looked at
it!
After dinner, they packed up Fido’s things and took him to Sheila’s house. Sheila and
Rusty answered the door, and Fido and Rusty greeted one another enthusiastically.
Mario sneezed. Everyone looked at one another and laughed. Mario’s mother
exclaimed “How appropriate! It’s as if your sneeze said ‘And they all lived happily ever
after!’”