TRY THIS

Identifying Narrative Elements

in Literature: A Poster Project
by NICHOLAS GORDON

LEVEL: Lower Intermediate to Advanced found that giving students a chance to work
with the narrative elements of literature
TIME REQUIRED: Two or three 90-minute through creative poster projects improves
class periods. During the first class, you will their understanding of difficult texts and
clarify the task, form groups, and direct helps them visualize ways in which these
students as they begin planning and designing elements cohere to create a story. Having
their stories and posters. In the second class, students identify and give examples of each
students will finalize their posters and give element of literature for a simple story can
presentations. Depending on your class prepare them for the rigors of identifying
size or class length, you may need a third and analyzing those same elements in more
class period to complete the final project complicated texts (Vari 2020).
preparations and presentations.
Because poster projects require a variety
GOALS: To use writing, speaking, and of contributions from group members, the
listening skills while reflecting on and projects can address a range of learning styles.
analyzing narrative elements in a fictional Visual learners can benefit from arranging
text; to work cooperatively with groupmates the poster’s spatial layout, kinesthetic
to develop a fictional story that includes learners can benefit from the hands-on
specified narrative elements; to collaborate aspect of creating the poster, social learners
with groupmates to create a poster that can benefit from the teamwork involved,
identifies and depicts the narrative elements; and so forth. If students complete this
to present the story and poster to peers; poster-creation task virtually as described
to practice giving and receiving peer in the Variation section, they will also
feedback develop and use digital-literacy skills.

MATERIALS: Poster paper or large sheets Furthermore, this activity can be adapted
of paper; markers, crayons, or colored and used in diverse class contexts. I have
pencils; glue or glue sticks; scissors; completed this project with groups of
chalkboard and chalk or whiteboard and students who had a firm understanding of
markers; newspapers or magazines with the narrative elements of literature and with
images that can be used to illustrate the students who were just being introduced to
posters (optional); projector (optional); these elements.
photocopier or printer (optional)
In sum, assigning this flexible poster project
BACKGROUND: In my university and offers students a creative way to collaborate
secondary-school literature classes, I have with classmates and demonstrate their

americanenglish.state.gov/english-teaching-forum 2021 ENGLISH TEACHING FORUM 43

 understanding of narrative elements in action. • Character(s) – the people, animals,
Give it a try. Your students’ stories and or other beings in the story
posters might surprise and delight you—
mine did! • Setting – where and when the story
takes place
PREPARATION:
• Atmosphere – the feeling(s),
1. Collect and prepare poster-creation emotion(s), and mood created by the
materials. If possible, gather old setting and story
magazines, newspapers, and other print
media that students can cut up and • Conflict – the problem in the story;
use while creating their posters. Using the thing the character(s) must
print images can add colorful content struggle with
to the project and enhance student
creativity. My students often first find • Resolution – how the conflict plays
print images they like, then form their out and the story ends
fictional narratives around those images.
However, if you do not have access to For advanced classes, you might add
these materials or prefer not to use and review other literary elements and
print images, students can draw the devices such as protagonist/antagonist,
images on their posters. theme, symbol, tone, and imagery.

2 . The project directions in this article 3 . Depending on your aims, select either
assume students have received level- the Poster Presentation Survey
appropriate instruction on the narrative (Figure 1) or the Poster Presentation
elements of literature. If necessary, Rubric (Figure 2) to use as a peer-
prepare to review these concepts at feedback form during the presentations.
the start of the activity or during the Adapt the contents of either form to suit
class period prior to beginning the your desired project objectives. Make the
project. Terms to review include needed number of copies or printouts
the following: of the peer-feedback form you select, or
prepare to have students manually copy
• Plot – what happens in the story; the the form, based on an example you will
general sequence or outline of events draw or display on the board.

Story Title:

1. What is the story’s setting?

______________________________________________________________________
2. What is the conflict in the story?
______________________________________________________________________
3. What is the resolution of the story?
______________________________________________________________________
4. What is something you liked about this poster?
______________________________________________________________________
5. What is one question you have about this poster?
______________________________________________________________________

Figure 1. Poster Presentation Survey (for peer feedback)

44 ENGLISH TEACHING FORUM 2 02 1 americanenglish.state.gov/english-teaching-forum

 Story Title:
Question Yes No Somewhat

Did the presentation include the required narrative elements?

Did each group member speak during the presentation?
Did the group members speak clearly?
Was the presentation easy to understand?
Did the presentation have a good pace, and was it interesting?
Comments:

Figure 2. Poster Presentation Rubric (for peer feedback)

PROCEDURE: 3 . Next, explain the requirements of the

poster project. Using level-appropriate
1. To activate students’ prior knowledge, language, tell students that, in groups,
hold a discussion in which students they will do the following:
describe essential elements of literature in
a text the class is reading together, a book a. Make a poster that uses a
most students are likely to have read, or a combination of print images
popular movie. On the board, write a list from magazines or other sources
of the narrative elements you will include (optional), drawings, and written
in the poster project, filling in examples text to create and share an original
and details that students supply for each fictional story. The poster must
item. For instance, many of my students depict six narrative elements: plot,
have seen the movie Titanic and can character(s), setting, atmosphere, conflict,
describe elements such as these: characters and resolution. (Add more-complex
= Jack, Rose, Rose’s parents, Rose’s suitor narrative elements for advanced
(Caledon, a villain); setting = in 1912, classes, if desired.)
a magnificent new ship in the Atlantic
Ocean with elegant upper-class decks b. Make sure that their group’s
and crowded, plain lower-class decks; poster includes the following, at a
conflicts = the ship is sinking, class divisions minimum:
between the main characters; and so on.
• a story title
2 . To make sure students have a clear
understanding of the required elements, • at least one image or drawing for
discuss them in as much depth as each narrative element
your students’ ability levels allow. For
instance, using the Titanic example, with • two or three sentences
regard to the setting, you might ask describing each image or plot
students for descriptive adjectives about point
the ship in the beginning of the story, as
well as adjectives to describe the ship as c. Present their poster to the class
the story progresses. Then, have students by telling the fictional story it
describe how the shifts in the setting represents. Each group member
affect the story’s atmosphere. must speak during the presentation,

americanenglish.state.gov/english-teaching-forum 2021 ENGLISH TEACHING FORUM 45

 reading the accompanying text and out of the house, his dog starts barking
describing what is happening, based and wakes his parents up.
on the poster’s images.
Fantastical poster-story example:
d. Give and receive feedback on
the presentations using a peer- Amina finds an old key that gives her the
feedback form. (At this point, ability to fly. She flies to Paris for a visit
share and review the feedback but loses the key and struggles to get
form you selected in Step 3 of the back home.
Preparation section to make sure
the learners understand the 5 . Draw or project a basic plot chart
assessment process). (Figure 3) on the board.

As you provide the instructions, 6 . Review the parts of the chart to help
emphasize the creative nature of the students understand the narrative
task, reminding students to have fun movement or flow of stories and to
with their story and strive for surprises visualize how they might describe their
as they use the narrative elements. story posters during the presentations.
Each story is a work of imagination, For example, they will first explain
and there are no rigid rules that the who is in the story and where it is
stories must follow, as long as they taking place (introductory events).
include the required poster elements. Then, they will describe what the
problem is and what is happening
4 . Further explain that each group’s (conflict and rising action), and so on.
story can be realistic, fantastical, Remind students that the chart and the
or some combination of the two. two example stories are stripped down
To clarify, give two examples of to a basic plotline. For their fictional
possible fictional poster-story plot stories, students should add details
outlines, writing or projecting each related to the plot, setting, and other
on the board: narrative elements.

Realistic poster-story example: 7. Based on your class composition and

aims, put students into mixed-ability,
Carlos wants to go to the carnival, but similar-ability, or random groups of four
it’s on a school night, and his parents to six students. Have students sit with
won’t let him. When he tries to sneak their groupmates.

Figure 3. Plot chart

46 ENGLISH TEACHING FORUM 2 02 1 americanenglish.state.gov/english-teaching-forum

8 . Discuss group roles with the class. story development and poster creation
On the board, write or project a list and 15 minutes for presentation
of the roles and responsibilities that preparation.
each group member might contribute:
1 1 . Circulate and make sure groups are
• Timekeeper – makes sure the team including the required project elements,
stays on task in the allotted time offering support and suggestions
as needed. To check, you might ask
• Illustrator – draws the imagery on prompting questions:
the poster
• Where does this story take place?
• Imagery finder – supervises finding
the magazine/newspaper/website • Do you have an image or drawing for the
imagery setting?

• Scribe – writes the group-developed • How does the setting affect the mood of
descriptions on the poster your story?

• Visuals supervisor – arranges and • Can you write another sentence

glues print images or illustrations describing the conflict to make sure it’s
clear?
• Story supervisor – makes sure
all the required narrative elements • Have you decided how to divide the
of literature are included in the speaking roles during the presentation?
poster
1 2 . After the poster preparations are
You might ask the class to suggest other complete, guide the class through the
roles and add them to the list. Tell the group-presentation process, with the
class they will decide the roles within “audience” groups using the peer-feedback
their groups. Students can volunteer for form to provide feedback to each
more than one role, and the functions presenting group. (Note: In large classes,
of some roles may overlap. Direct the for the sake of time, you may have several
groups to discuss and distribute the groups present simultaneously in different
roles—but tell students that everyone is areas of the classroom to sets of three or
expected to contribute to the creation of four audience groups.)
the story.
1 3 . After each group presents its poster
9 . Confirm that there are no additional and receives applause, comments, and
questions about the project, and then questions from you and the class, give
ask groups to begin working on their the audience a few minutes to complete
stories. Remind them that they can the feedback forms. At the end of class,
use print images to inspire their stories share the forms with the groups and
and that creating a plot chart can help then collect them so you can review and
them organize their narratives. evaluate the peer-feedback process.

1 0 . Based on the available time in your EXTENSION

schedule for this project, set and
communicate the time limits for story Follow-up Writing Task
development and poster creation as well For homework after the poster presentations,
as for practicing the group presentation. ask each student to write a three-paragraph
I usually provide about 30 minutes for reflection on the project:

americanenglish.state.gov/english-teaching-forum 2021 ENGLISH TEACHING FORUM 47

 • Paragraph one: Summarize your group’s students that they will collaborate on
fictional-story poster, including the basic the presentation by using your learning
plot, character(s), setting, conflict, rising management system’s virtual meeting
action, and resolution. software, Zoom meeting breakout rooms,
or another free online meeting tool
• Paragraph two: Describe your role within selected for your context.
your group and your experience with the
project. What did you contribute to the • When meeting virtually with your
story and the poster? What did you talk class, share an example digital-poster
about during the presentation? What did presentation file, highlighting the required
you like or dislike about the project? assignment components and reviewing
technical features your students may not
• Paragraph three: Describe the peer be familiar with (how to insert images,
feedback your group received. What did shapes, and drawings; how to change text
your classmates write about your group’s color and font size; and so on). Suggest
poster and/or your presentation? Was it or demonstrate how to use open-access
helpful? Why or why not? image databases such as Pixabay.com or
Unsplash.com to locate graphics for their
VARIATION posters. If you prefer, you could create a
short screencast video that explains the
Digital-Poster Project instructions and demonstrates key project
components.
Modify the procedures described above to
use this project idea in virtual or flipped • Support student groups as they meet
classroom settings: virtually. Visit each group’s meeting room
to make sure that the group is on track to
• Instead of creating a physical poster, each complete the project; ask guiding questions
group will create a digital poster or brief such as those listed in Step 11 of the
e-slideshow. For each group of students, Procedure section.
create a Google Slides presentation (or a
similar digital-presentation format that • Share and evaluate the presentations
supports collaborative editing), giving each during a whole-class virtual meeting. As

GPS Designed, produced, and printed by Global Publishing Solutions (A/GIS/GPS) © (21-20713-E-1.0)
student in the group editing permission. an alternative, student groups can record
Name each presentation “Group 1,” “Group their presentations, and “audience” students
2,” and so on for now; ask the groups to can watch and provide peer feedback on a
add their story’s title when they know selection of the presentation videos.
what it is (for example, “Group 1 – Lost in
Osaka”). Set a limit on the number of slides REFERENCE
each group can use; this can help students
keep their presentations focused (a total of Vari, T. J. 2020. Teaching the elements of literature
four to six slides works well). Whichever using stories from infancy to age-appropriate.Yale
digital tools and apps you decide to use— National Initiative to strengthen teaching in public
and these days, there are many to choose schools. https://teachers.yale.edu/curriculum/
from—be sure to streamline the process viewer/initiative_06.03.02_u
and resources so that students don’t get
“digital tool overwhelm.” Nicholas Gordon is an Outreach Coordinator with
English Language Programs. He has taught in South
• When sharing the assignment instructions, Korea, Saudi Arabia, New York City, and Ukraine. As
explain that students will be working an English Language Fellow in Ukraine, 2017–2019, he
together on one digital slide presentation served as the Director of the English Writing Center at
for their fictional-story presentation. Tell the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

48 ENGLISH TEACHING FORUM 2 02 1 americanenglish.state.gov/english-teaching-forum