The PRIMALS Compendium of Teaching Resources

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Literacy Compendium Kit

E N G L I S H L E S S O N P LANS F I L I P I N O L E S S O N P LANS L ITE RAC Y STRATEGIES

Literature Study

Teaching Plot Structure:

Freytag’s Pyramid
Literary texts, such as stories, This guide describes
poems, a n d dr am a s are a ut he n t i c strategies in using
m ater ial of t e n r ic h in multiple layers Freytag’s Pyramid
o f meaning. Literature expands for studying the plot
la nguag e awareness, encourages structure of
interaction, a n d c a n b e effectively narratives.
m ined f or discussions a n d sha r ing
feelings o r opinions. Literature
is m ot ivating a n d is of t en more
interesting t h a n t h e texts f o u n d in
coursebooks. Also, by examining
values in literary texts, teachers
en cour age learners t o develop
values a n d at t i t ud es t h a t relate t o
t he world out side t he classroom.

Table o f Contents:

Background/Research Base 2
LIT ERAT URE S T U D Y

Purpose/Benefits 3
Description/Procedure 3
How Teachers Can Make
t h e Strategy Work 7
Applications Across
t he Cur riculum 7
 Literature Study

Teaching Plot
Structure: Freytag’s
Pyramid

Background / Research Base

Some stories are difficult t o understand. Whether you

are reading a novel o r watching a play o r film, there
are times when you have t o a pp l y cert ain met h o ds t o
bet t er und er s t an d what you are reading o r watching.

In his book Poetics, the Greek internalize the pattern described

philosopher Aristotle presented
the classic model of unified plot
structure of a drama in the form
of a basic triangle (Quick Base,
2019).
The German novelist Gustav
Freytag modified Aristotle’s
structure by transforming the
triangle into a pyramid (see Figure
1) and adding two other levels—
the rising action (or complication)
and the falling action. Freytag used
these five
parts to analyze the structure:
lowest left - exposition, left middle
- rising action, highest - climax,
right middle - falling action and
right lowest – resolution, or
denouement
Freytag's (Campbell,
Pyramid 2014).
is a tool for
mapping plot structure, which
allows readers to visualize the key
features of stories. Students
whose experience with text is
limited can
by Freytag's Pyramid through
oral storytelling and television
viewing. They need help seeing
that the patterns they are
familiar with are the same ones
writers use to construct a short
story, play, or novel (Gardner,
2019).
As Carol Jago (2004) explains,
"It's easy to ‘teach' literary
terminology and devise
quizzes on the terms, but to
make the language of
literature useful
to readers, students need
to practice using
academic
vocabulary in ways that deepen
their understanding of how
stories work" (p. 51). Jago
proposes using Freytag's
Pyramid to present and explore
plot because the graphic
organizer "allows readers to
visualize key features of stories"
(p. 51).

2 The PRIMALS C o m p e n d i u m o f Teaching Resources | LITERACY STRATEGY GUIDES

Purpose / Benefits

Freytag’s Pyramid (also known as plot
diagram) is an organizational tool
focusing on a pyramid or triangular
shape, which is used to map the
events in a story. This mapping of
plot structure allows readers and
writers to visualize the key parts of
stories
The plot diagram is essential for
building literary appreciation and
comprehension. It allows students
to pick out major themes in the
text, trace changes to major
characters
over the course of the narrative,
and hone their analytical skills.
The
concept not only gives students a
fuller understanding of classroom
texts, but also their favorite books
and movies (Docimo & Lupiani, 2019).
By plotting simple narrative arcs,
teachers can easily assess students’
understanding of important story
components. Combined illustrations
and text can enliven difficult
concepts like “rising action” and
“climax”.

Figure 1. Freytag's Pyramid (Campbell, 2014)

Description / Procedure Climax

Elements of Freytag's Pyramid

Fa
n
t io

llin
Ac

The five parts of Freytag’s

Ac
g
s in

Pyramid, referred to by Freytag

t
io
Ri

as the five “dramatic arcs” are

described by Campbell (2014)
and Quick Base (2019) thus: Exposition Denouement

Exposition: The part of the narrative structure in which the scene is set,
characters introduced, and the situation established. It usually falls
at the beginning of the book, but additional exposition is often
scattered throughout the work.

This dramatic arc enables the reader to know more about the
circumstances and the relationship of the characters with each other.
Then an exciting event happens leading to the conflict which impels
the story to move forward. In the drama, the exposition starts in
the first paragraph as Act I/ Scene 1; the circumstances may be
stated in a narration. In the pyramid, arc 1 is at the lowest left part.

L i t e r a t u r e S tu d y | Te a c h i n g Pl o t S tr u c t u r e : Fr e y t a g ’s Py r a m i d 3
 Rising Action: The part of the plot structure in which events complicate or
intensify the conflict, or introduce additional conflict

Rising action is the second arc where the basic conflict is brewing
and the reader is beginning to feel the rising tension associated with
this conflict. At this juncture, complications may arise, frustrating
the protagonist and other characters to reach their objectives.
Secondary conflicts are probably coming from the antagonist, or
adversaries, of lesser importance. In a drama, rising action is
another act/scene and
punctuated to be distinct from the climax. In the pyramid, rising action
is located in the middle left portion just above the exposition and
below the climax.
Climax: The turning point in fiction; the transition from rising to falling action

This third arc effects a change either for the better or for the worse
in the protagonist’s situation. In a comedy, the protagonist
positively
faces his obstacles and there is a great chance that things will turn
out well; but in a tragedy, the conflict of the protagonist is worsening
which will ultimately turn disastrous for him. The climax is the
beginning of another act/scene and punctuated to separate it from
the rising and falling action. It occupies the highest point in the
pyramid.
Falling Action: The portion of plot structure, usually following the climax, in which
the problems encountered during the rising action are solved

A reversal happens in this fourth arc where the conflict between the
protagonist and the antagonist is beginning to resolve. The protagonist
either wins or loses to the antagonist. There are unexpected incidents
which make the final outcome suspenseful. The falling action designates
that the main action (the climax) is over and the story is heading
towards the end. This fourth arc is located at the middle right side of
the triangle just below the climax and above the conclusion. In drama,
it appears as a separate act/scene and is distinct from the other arcs.

Denouement: Resolution or conclusion

The conclusion is the end of the story which is sometimes called

dénouement, resolution, or catastrophe. If at the end of the story
the protagonist achieves his goal, the story is a comedy; however, if
the protagonist fails, the story is a tragedy. After conflicts are
resolved, the characters resume their normal lives. The conclusion
makes way for the catharsis—an event or events allowing the
tension or anxiety to loosen. The denouement is an event that
happened before or after
the conclusion or is simply explained as untying the complexities of
the plot. The conclusion is found at the lowest right side of the
pyramid following the falling action. It is the beginning of another
act/scene and punctuated as distinct from the other parts of the
dramatic structure.
4 The PRIMALS C o m p e n d i u m o f Teaching Resources | LITERACY STRATEGY GUIDES
Using Freytag’s Pyramid to Teach Plot
Structure
The explicit teaching of plot structure story. As students make suggestions,
using Freytag’s Pyramid described write the events on the board.
below has been culled from mini- Review the suggestions and have
lessons developed by Gardner (2019), students look for any items which
Payne (2014), and Schulze (2019). have been omitted or items which
should be combined.
Introduction/Presentation
Modeling/Teaching
1. Introduce students to plot structure,
using slides, overheads or handouts 3. Discuss the difference between
to accompany the introduction. significant events and the other
Explain that plot structure is used for events in the story. Demonstrate
more than just the literature that how to chart these events in the
they read in class. It is used in oral Freytag’s Pyramid using the relevant
storytelling, television, movies, and events from the students’
more. brainstormed list.
2. Choose a story that all students are A charted Freytag’s Pyramid for The
familiar with and ask the class to Three Little Pigs is shown in Figure
brainstorm the significant events in 2.
the CLIMAX:
Wolf decides t o sneak

Fa
down the chimney t o
Event # 5
get the pigs.
n

The Big Bad Wolf tries

lli
tio

several times, b u t
he can't blow down ng
Ac

the brick house.

Wolf falls
Event # 4
into boiling
Big Bad Wolf blows the
ng

Ac
p o t of soup.
stick house down a n d Pig
#1 a n d #2 escape t o Pig
si

tio
#3's house.
Ri

Event #3
n

Event #2
Big Bad Wolf blows
the straw house down The
Thre
a n d Pig #1 escapes
Pig #1 builds a house t o Pig #2's house.
of straw, Pig #2
builds a house of
sticks, Pig #3 builds
a house of bricks.
e RESOLUTION:
The Big Bad Wolf is so

Little
scared of the 3 pigs
Event #1 t h a t he runs off in the
woods never t o be seen

Pigs
The pigs came across
a beautiful clearing again. The 3 little pigs
they think will be a live happily ever after.
perfect spot t o build
their homes.

EXPOSITION:
Three little pigs
leave home t o find
adventure in the big
world.

Figure 2. Freytag's
Pyramid f o r the Three
Little Pigs (Payne,
2014)

L i t e r a t u r e S tu d y | Te a c h i n g Pl o t S tr u c t u r e : Fr e y t a g ’s Py r a m i d 5
 Guided Practice
4. In small groups, have students
chart the course of a story they
have recently read on the pyramid.
Assign each group a different
story so that you can make
comparisons later in the session.
Guide students’ discussion with
these questions:
• What did the author need
to explain to readers in
the exposition section?
• What inciting event causes
the action to begin to "rise"?
• Where does the story peak?
Is there a clear climax?
• Which events lead up to
the conclusion?
• How is the story resolved?
Encourage students to point to
evidence from the story to
support their choices.
5. Once students have completed
their work, ask them to share the
plot diagrams with the class.
Draw comparisons among the
different diagrams. In particular,
point out how the plot structure
compares to the overall text—
are the plot sections of equal
length? How and when are they
different?
6. Explain that the shape of the
pyramid suggests that the climax
always occurs in the middle of
the story. This is often not the
case. Particularly in short stories
and situation comedies, the
climax can occur relatively close
to the end. Falling action leads
swiftly to a resolution.
6 The PRIMALS C o m p e n d i u m o f Teaching Resources | LITERACY STRATEGY GUIDES
Independent Practice
7. For homework, ask students
to watch their favorite
situation comedy or
telenovella, and chart the key
events on the Freytag’s
Pyramid. They can
do this online if they have the
resources. (E.g., they can use
Plot Diagram interactive at
http://
www.readwritethink.org/files/
resources/interactives/plot-
diagram/.
8. In the next session, ask students
to share their completed
diagrams informally as class
begins. Then draw students
together for a class discussion.
Have students share their
observations of the plots
for the situation comedies they
watched, using the literary
terms for plot structure.
Student Assessment/ Reflections
Informal assessment works best
for this activity (Gardner, 2019).
Review students’ plot diagrams
to gauge their understanding of
plot structures. Read both for
specific details that indicate that
students understand and can
define the
literary terms and for students’
tone as an indication of their
confidence in their knowledge.
How Teachers Can Make The
Strategy Work

Teachers may consider the following in References

using Freytag’s Pyramid in their
literature classes: Campbell, J. (2014). Plo t diagram:
Freytag’s pyramid. Excellence in
• As a review at the end of a term, Literature.
divide the works that the class has Retrieved from https://excellence-in-
covered among individuals or small literature.com/plot-diagram-freytags-
pyramid/
groups. Have students return to the
pieces and create plot diagrams to Gardner, T. (2019). Plot structure: A literary
share with the rest of the class as a elements mini-lesson. In Read-Write-Think.
review of the ILA/NCTE. Retrieved from http://www.
readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/
works. The range of works that the lesson-plans/plot-structure-literary-
class has covered can provide an elements-904.html
opportunity to discuss the many
different ways
Jago, Carol. "Stop Pretending a n d Think
that plot structures can be varied abo ut Plot." Voices from the Middle
in narrative works. 11.4 (May 2004): 50-51.

• Have students extend their analysis of

popular cultural texts by analyzing Maine, H. (2015). Elements of a plot
diagram with 3 little pigs. Retrieved
the plot in a comedic movie that they from
have viewed recently or a longer
https://www.slideshare.net/sl
television comedy or drama. After ain007/elements-
analyzing ofaplotdiagramwith3littlepigs-54665381
the shows, ask students to draw Quick Base (2019). An online resource guide
comparisons between shorter situation to Freytag’s Pyramid. Retrieved from
https://
comedies and these longer texts. Ask www.quickbase.com/articles/an-online-
students to discuss how the length of resource-guide-to-freytags-pyramid
the text affects the plot structure of its
narrative. Payne, L. (2014). The benefits o f storytelling.
In K t o 5 Learning. Retrieved from
• Challenge students by asking them to https://
www.k5learning.com/blog/benefits-
analyze a dramatic television show, storytelling
such as a mystery or crime drama.
Once they have completed their Read-Write-Think (2019). Student interactive.
Plot diagram. ILA/NCTE. Retrieved
diagrams, ask students to compare
from
the plot structures of situation http://www.readwritethink.org/files/
comedies to the shows that they have resources/interactives/plot-diagram/
viewed. Ask students to draw Schulze, P. (2019). Teaching p lo t structure
conclusions about the plot structures t hrough short stories. In Read-Write-
Think. ILA/NCTE. Retrieved from
of differentAcross
Applications genres The
based on their
Curriculum http://www.
observations. readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/
lesson-plans/teaching-plot-structure-
Freytag’s Pyramid is used in the study of
through-401.html?tab=4
plot structure in literature and,
therefore, has limited use across the
curriculum.

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