The Story Mountain

Worksheet Description

The worksheet, titled “The Story Mountain,” provides a visual representation of a story’s structure, likening it to a mountain climb. It illustrates the narrative arc, starting with the opening at the base, ascending through the build-up, reaching the climax at the peak, and then descending into the resolution and concluding with the end. This mountain metaphor effectively encapsulates the journey a story takes from beginning to conclusion, with the climax represented as the summit-the most exhilarating and pivotal point of the narrative.

Students are instructed to write what happens at each stage of the story, allowing them to conceptualize and articulate the progression of a plot. Starting with the ‘Opening,’ where the setting and characters are introduced, they move to the ‘Build-up,’ detailing the rising action and emerging conflicts. At the ‘Climax,’ they describe the turning point of the story where the main conflict reaches its highest tension. This is followed by the ‘Resolution,’ where the aftermath of the climax is dealt with, and finally, the ‘End,’ where the story is brought to a close. This exercise not only aids in understanding the elements of story structure but also engages students in crafting their own narrative outlines, fostering their skills in writing and analysis.