This lesson plan focuses on conflict—an essential narrative device that propels characters into action and elicits audience engagement. Using SoCreate, this lesson guides students in the art of writing engaging conflict, stimulating a deeper understanding of its role in compelling storytelling.

Objective

By the end of this lesson, students will understand the role of conflict in storytelling and be able to create engaging conflict in their stories using SoCreate.

Materials

A computer with internet access for each student/group, SoCreate accounts for each student/group, projector for teacher demonstrations.

Duration

1-2 class periods

Warm-Up

15 minutes

Start the lesson by discussing the concept of conflict in films and TV shows. Ask students to provide examples of memorable conflicts from their favorite movies or shows.

Explain that conflict is a struggle between opposing forces. This could be a character vs. character, character vs. self, character vs. society, or character vs. nature conflict.

Illustrate these points with examples from familiar films or TV shows, highlighting how conflict drives the plot.

Introduction to Developing Conflict with SoCreate (20 minutes):

Open up SoCreate, highlighting how it can be used to craft and track conflict in a script.

Show on the projector how to use SoCreate's scriptwriting features to create conflict, such as writing confrontational dialogue or challenging situations for characters.

Discuss how conflict creates tension, moves the plot forward, and develops characters.

Student Work: Developing Conflict with SoCreate

60 minutes

In their groups, have students start integrating conflict into their scripts. Using SoCreate, they should create scenes that introduce and escalate conflict.

Encourage students to consider how their conflicts relate to their characters' goals and obstacles. The conflict should make it more difficult for characters to achieve their goals.

Remind students that resolution of conflict should occur towards the end of their scripts, offering a satisfying conclusion to their stories.

Wrap-Up: Sharing and Discussion

15 minutes

Ask a few groups to share examples of the conflict they've created, presenting their SoCreate script to the class.

Discuss as a class how these conflicts drive the plot forward and develop the characters. Ask students how they plan to resolve these conflicts in a satisfying way.