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Set up 4-5 writing stations that students rotate through during class:
1. Grammar Focus Station
2. Peer Review Corner
3. Writing Process Station
4. Vocabulary Building Station
5. Publishing Station
Provide clear instructions and materials at each station. Students spend 15-20 minutes at each station.

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Create a digital writing workstation where students maintain their writing portfolios using Google Docs or Microsoft OneDrive. Students can track their progress, store drafts, and reflect on their writing growth throughout the year. Include a reflection template for students to complete after each major writing piece.

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Print various sentences on strips of paper. Have students sort them by pattern (Simple, Compound, Complex, Compound-Complex). For differentiation, color-code the conjunctions or dependent clause markers. Students can work in pairs to justify their sorting decisions.

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Create card sets with words that have similar denotations but different connotations (e.g., thrifty/cheap, confident/arrogant). Students work in groups to sort words by positive, negative, or neutral connotations and use them in original sentences.

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Select powerful sentences from grade-appropriate literature. Students analyze these sentences daily for one week:
Monday: Notice sentence structure
Tuesday: Identify parts of speech
Wednesday: Revise sentence
Thursday: Imitate sentence structure
Friday: Create original sentences

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Present students with basic sentences and have them enhance them using more precise vocabulary. Create a before/after comparison to show how word choice affects meaning. Example:
Basic: 'The dog walked.'
Enhanced: 'The exhausted golden retriever trudged home.'
Have students discuss how the meaning changes with different word choices.

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Use colored building blocks or magnetic tiles to represent different sentence parts. Students physically construct sentences, with each color representing different elements (subject, predicate, modifiers). Great for kinesthetic learners!

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Present students with 3-4 kernel (basic) sentences and challenge them to combine them into one fluid sentence. Example:
Kernels:
- The dog barked.
- The dog was large.
- The dog was brown.
- The dog was in the yard.
Combined: 'The large, brown dog barked in the yard.'

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Create a set of simple sentences on note cards. Students draw two cards and must combine them using appropriate coordinating or subordinating conjunctions. Award points for varied and sophisticated combinations.

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Start with a basic sentence and expand it by answering Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How questions. Example:
Base: 'The student wrote.'
Expanded: 'The dedicated freshman student wrote her research paper diligently in the library yesterday because it was due today.'

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Start with a simple sentence. Each student adds one modifier (adjective or adverb) to create a longer, more detailed sentence. Continue until the sentence becomes too unwieldy or amusing. Discuss the point where adding more modifiers stops improving the sentence.

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Display an interesting image. Students write different types of sentences about the image:
1. Statement (declarative)
2. Question (interrogative)
3. Command (imperative)
4. Exclamation (exclamatory)
Share and compare sentences as a class.

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Create dice with different subjects, verbs, and complements. Students roll the dice and create grammatically correct sentences using the words they roll. Challenge them to add appropriate modifiers and maintain proper syntax.

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Students use different colored highlighters or pens for various aspects of revision:
Red: Strong verbs
Blue: Sentence beginnings
Green: Descriptive words
Yellow: Transition words
Purple: Areas needing improvement
This visual approach makes revision more manageable and systematic.

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Set up revision stations focusing on different aspects:
1. Organization Station
2. Word Choice Station
3. Sentence Fluency Station
4. Grammar/Mechanics Station
Provide specific checklists for each station. Students rotate through stations with their drafts.

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Links to TWR Helpful Resources

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In 2022, a group of teachers and school leaders from 17 different primary schools across Australia participated in The Syntax Project, facilitated by Stephanie Le Lievre from Serpentine Primary School (WA).

Teachers were accepted into the project if they had experience with an explicit-instruction model and could demonstrate an understanding/experience with syntax level instruction.

All Lesson objectives were allocated to individuals based on experience/expertise and the grade they were currently teaching.

All lessons submitted went through a review process by one of our project moderators:

All lessons were created in teachers' own time. They are being shared freely to encourage professional collaboration amongst teachers and schools.

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The Syntax Project - The Grammar Project

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In 2022, a group of teachers and school leaders from 17 different primary schools across Australia participated in The Syntax Project, facilitated by Stephanie Le Lievre from Serpentine Primary School (WA). Teachers were accepted into the project if they had experience with an explicit-instruction model and could demonstrate an understanding/experience with syntax level instruction.

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Using current reading materials, have students highlight different parts of speech in various colors. Create a competition where students find the most creative or effective uses of different parts of speech. Example:
- Nouns: yellow
- Verbs: green
- Adjectives: blue
- Adverbs: pink

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Webinar: Professional Learning Series - Syntax

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Webinar: Professional Learning Series - Syntax

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Join the Literacy How experts as we dive into the topic of Syntax and how it can be best used to teach reading and literacy skills. You'll learn: The role that syntax plays in reading fluency and comprehension An in-depth look at favorite Literacy How activities for teaching sentence building and meaning links *The importance of making a match between what the students know & what the text offers to support syntactic awareness.

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Webinar: Professional Learning Series - Syntax

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Additional resources to support the implementation of The Hochman Method Ⓡ

Book Resources

Free access to The Writing Revolution (Hochman & Wexler, 2017) Book Resources for all educators. Which includes:

Customizable Templates

Activities for Students

Tips with TWR Webinars

And more!

Resource Library

Access is only for TWR-trained educators. Includes everything in our free Book Resources and more! Check your eligibility for access.

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Online Resources - The Writing Revolution

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Additional resources to support the implementation of The Hochman Method Ⓡ Book Resources Free access to The Writing Revolution (Hochman & Wexler, 2017) Book Resources for all educators. Which includes: Customizable Templates Activities for Students Tips with TWR Webinars And more! Resource Library Access is only for TWR-trained educators.

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HANDOUT 2 - READING ROPE AND WRITING ROPE COMPARED

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HANDOUT 2 - READING ROPE AND WRITING ROPE COMPARED

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Melissa & Lori talk with Diana Leddy from Vermont Writing Collaborative about The Painted Essay, an easy tool to support students with expository writing.

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Narrative story mountain

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What is a Story Mountain template?

First, let's define a Story Mountain

So what is a story mountain? Narratives about hiking? Not quite. Let's nail down a definition for the term, before looking at some story mountain templates.

STORY MOUNTAIN DEFINITION

What is a Story Mountain?

A Story Mountain or story map helps visualize and understand the series of incidents in a plot. Represented visually as a mountain, these stories build to a climax or obstacle that needs to be overcome, before being resolved and 'ending' on the other side of the mountain.

Story Mountain Structure:

Exposition

Conflict/Rising Action

Climax

Falling Action

Resolution

As you can see, a story mountain is inextricably linked to plot. A plot is the organized pattern or sequence of events that make up a story. Every plot is made up of a series of incidents that are related to one another.

All those events can be illustrated in a story mountain. Here's a story mountain template:

Story mountain template

Let's take a closer look into each plot point, and see them more clearly with clips and examples from some of your favorite TV shows and movies. Learning about these different components of what makes up a plot will help you in crafting more compelling narratives.

Plot Mountain Example

Exposition in a Plot Mountain

Exposition usually occurs at the beginning of a story and is when the characters are introduced, and we usually learn about the setting of a story. Thus, most of it is located in the "background" section of a story mountain.

There are many different techniques filmmakers use to show exposition. The 5 main ones are:

Dialogue

Dialogue between two or more characters allows for simple and effective exposition in a single scene.

Narration

Narration, or voice over, is a way to communicate a character's true thoughts and desires, or give insight into what's happening.

Mise-en-scène

Mise-en-scène is the arrangement of scenery and stage properties in a play. Translated from French, it means "setting the stage" but, in film analysis, the term mise en scene refers to everything in front of the camera, including the set design, lighting, and actors. Mise en scene in film is the overall effect of how it all comes together for the audience.

Mise en scene elements include:

Text or title cards

This is the most straightforward technique. Text or title cards can contain all the relevant information your audience will need to know, before the film even begins. What movies that use this technique come to mind? Here's one particularly famous example:

Star Wars opening titles

Flashback

There are multiple ways to show past events in a present narrative, but flashbacks are the most visual as they place your character in context (versus having the characters or narrator relate the event, also known as showing vs telling).

What famous movies or TV shows can you think of that use flashbacks to tell the character's story? is one of the most acclaimed shows to rely on flashbacks for plot development.

Let's look at the best movie example of exposition. The Up opening montage is deemed by film critics to be a masterclass in narrative exposition. The film opens with a series of images that guide us through main character Carl Fredriksen's relationship with his wife. In the span of just a few dialogue-free minutes, we experience Carl and Ellie's joy, love, and loss over the many years. It's devastating and memorable. Check it out below:

Up exposition opening montage

If you can still read through your tears, let's continue to our next plot points.

Plot Mountain Example

Conflict and Rising Action

In a story mountain template, conflict spurs rising action. A conflict and rising action are introduced and the protagonist 's journey begins. There is usually an inciting incident and rising action that takes place. A plot mountain literalizes "rising action"- the line rises to its peak.

Take a look at Little Red Riding Hood as a plot mountain example:

Story mountain example

In this story mountain example, the rising action is when Little Red Riding Hood meets the wolf- conflict is established.

One movie conflict and rising action that comes to mind is the scene from Finding Nemo where Marlin witnesses a scuba diver kidnap his son, Nemo. This moment of conflict set the stage for the rest of the story where Marlin painstakingly searches for Nemo.

Here's a 2 minute summary of Finding Nemo that narrates all the major plot points:

Finding Nemo plot explained

The story mountain is usually done as a basic diagram, but is useful in the early stages of writing to best organize your characters and motives.

Plot Story Mountain

Plot Mountain Climax

Climax is the term used to refer to the part of a story where the tension or action reaches its highest point. This follows the rising action and precedes the falling action. In story mountain examples, this is, as you might imagine, the peak.

You can probably think of some pretty great movie or TV show climaxes. Perhaps one of the most shocking in recent films is that of Shutter Island. At the climax, DiCaprio's character is revealed in a bait and switch twist to be the true villain of the story - and his entire character is a charade.

Check out the reveal in Laeta Kalogridis' screenplay, which we imported into StudioBinder's screenwriting software:

Shutter Islan Climax Scene

It's a masterful scene, where Teddy, along with the audience, slowly sees the entire story unravel. This reveal starts with Chuck's entrance, and Kalogridis emphasizes this by putting his name in all caps and underlining it.

Now, watch the scene below to see how it was translated onto the screen.

Shutter Islan Climax Scene

Falling Action

Story Mountain Falling Action

The falling action of a story is the section of the plot that follows the climax. It's the backside of the mountain.

The falling action decreases tension of the central conflict, moving the story forward toward its conclusion. Characters use falling action to settle into whatever has changed in the climax, and to slowly work their way to resolving internal and external conflicts.

The falling action helps resolve the problem in the climax and the resolution completes the story. Let's use Titanic as an example. In the film, the falling action is when Jack and Rose escape the sinking ship and find a floating door from the interior of the sinking ship, which helped them float together. There is still drama in the falling action, as Jack dies before the resolution, in which Rose is rescued.

If you're interested in learning about a more complex narrative structure, read about the Story Circle. Hollywood writer Dan Harmon describes his 8 step story structure of a protagonist's journey, sort of similar to a story mountain, but with more detail. Check it out a video explanation below:

No matter what shape you use, visualizing your story can help you make sense of how your plot is functioning.

Up Next

What is the Three Act Structure?

There are other forms of plot structure, like the Three Act Structure. This article goes into more about this narrative model that screenwriters use as an organizational tool to help build stories.

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What is a Story Mountain - How to Tackle Story Structure

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A Story Mountain or story map helps visualize and understand the series of incidents in a plot that builds to a climax.

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This post may contain affiliate links. You pay the same, but I make a small commission. Please, see my full disclosure for further information.
I love teaching fiction! I find that my students are always so engaged in the reading and excited to participate during our mini-lessons. However, just because they are engaged and excited, it doesn't mean that they instantly "get" it. Plot can be one of those skills that seems so simple, but then an assessment comes, and you are not sure why your students failed it. I have found that the best way to teach about plot is to use the plot mountain.

I have included free interactive notebook pages and printable anchor charts to teach plot in English and Spanish in this blog post. Click here to get them! You can also read more about how I use anchor charts in my classroom by clicking here.

What is a plot mountain?

A plot mountain is a visual model that helps students understand how a fictional story unfolds. All fictional stories follow a predictable pattern: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and conclusion. This pattern can be easily demonstrated to students through a plot mountain diagram.

Parts of the plot mountain

Exposition

During the exposition, the author is introducing the reader to the characters and setting. This lays the foundation for the story that is about to unfold.

It is like being at the base of a mountain. You are looking around and assessing where you are and who is with you. You are asking yourself, "What is the terrain like? How long will be climb be? Do we need any special equipment?" You are gathering all the information you need as you get ready to begin your climb.

Rising Action/Problem

During the rising action, the author introduces the problem or conflict. The conflict is what drives the story. There is no story without a conflict - at least not a good one! And once that problem is introduced, the characters must push through until they find a way to solve it.

Now let's compare this to climbing a mountain. As you go up the mountain, you begin to encounter problems: you are tired, your legs hurt, you are thirsty... you don't yet see the other side (i.e. the solution.) But you must push through in order to reach your destination.

Climax

The climax of a story is the turning point! I like to tell my students that the climax is when the character has reached his "breaking point." He has lost all hope - nothing seems to work! And then, suddenly, something happens in the story that changes its trajectory. The character can begin to see a way to solve his problem.

Using our mountain analogy, this would be the peak. Although your problem is not yet solved (your legs still hurt, you are still tired and thirsty), you now have hope. You can begin to see the end of the journey (i.e. the solution to your problems!)

Falling action/resolution

The falling action is the journey towards solving the problem. It is when the character takes the actions that will bring an end to the conflict. Maybe the character apologizes for what he did. Maybe he changes his attitude about something. Maybe he confronts his greatest fear. Whatever it is, the character is finally able to solve his problem.

In our mountain plot, this would be the descent. As we move down the mountain, we are walking towards the solution (reaching the bottom of the mountain.) We are taking the necessary steps to bring our problem to an end.

Conclusion

The conclusion is what happens after the problem is solved. It is the "and they lived happily ever after" of the story. The author will often go beyond the solution to show how the problem has impacted and changed the characters.

Going back to our mountain analogy, the conclusion is when we reach the bottom of the mountain. We are now on the other side. We can look back at all we went through and everything we learned along the way. More often than not, we will be able to identify lessons that were learned throughout the journey.

Why should you teach students to use the plot mountain?

The plot mountain is, in my opinion, the best visual model to use with your students. The analogies I mentioned earlier in the blog post are the same analogies I use with my own students. This visual model makes it easy for students to see how each part of the text fits together to create one cohesive storyline.

I know many teachers use the model of a rollercoaster to teach their students about plot. I have used that model many times in the past, and don't get me wrong, it is a great one. However, I find it easier to make connections between the plot of a story and climbing a mountain than plot and riding a rollercoaster.

Riding a rollercoaster implies that the character is just "along for the ride." But the reality is that characters make choices throughout the story. Those choices lead to the development of the story. Choosing to climb a mountain and what you do in the process is much more in line with that development.

I know this may seem silly but think about it. Using the plot mountain visual model gives you more opportunities to discuss characters and their choices. More importantly, you get to talk about how those choices affect the story. This is why we study plot! We want students to understand how the story elements interact with one another. I especially want my students to see how character interactions and choices impact what happens next. And the plot mountain is just perfect for that!

Story elements and the plot mountain

I have been talking about story elements throughout this blog post. Story elements are the important pieces that make up a fictional story. These parts include characters, setting, problem, and solution. So how do these two things go together? Here is how I teach and reinforce story elements using the plot mountain model.

Teach each story element in isolation first

In order to use a plot mountain diagram, students must know what characters, setting, problem, and solution are. I take one week to teach each of these story elements. (I teach problem and solution together in the same week.)

Use the plot mountain to show students how the elements fit together

Once students have learned about these elements in isolation, we begin to talk about plot. Plot is when all of these elements come together to form a story. Using the plot mountain mental model, we dive deep into the text. We talk about the importance of the setting, and how it affects the story. We discuss the characters, and how they interact. We look at how a character's actions and motivations drive the problem and the solution. Without knowing what these elements are in isolation, it would be nearly impossible for students to put this all together.

Diving deep into the story and understanding why the story unfolds as it does is the ultimate goal. Therefore, it is important to take the time to bring the elements together using the plot mountain model. We want students to see how each one of these parts fits together to create a great story.

My five-step plan to teach plot using the plot mountain

What I am about to share with you is a five-step plan to teach plot. Please, keep in mind that this does not mean the plan can be done in five days. I often spend more than five days in my own classroom. Depending on your students, how much time you have, and even your grade level, you may need to break these down into smaller steps or spend more than one day in each step. Some steps can even be combined and done on the same day. These are just five things I want you to consider as you prepare your lessons.

Step 1: Introduce the mental model

The first thing I do when teaching plot is to introduce the mental model: the plot mountain. This is the star of the show! I explain the model and how it relates to a story using the analogies I mentioned earlier in this blog post.

As I introduce the model, we create a plot mountain anchor chart together. My students also take notes in their interactive notebooks. I always use anchor charts and interactive notebooks when teaching a new reading skill. (Click here for FREE printable anchor charts and interactive notebook pages to teach plot in English and Spanish.) I think it is crucial to create anchor charts with your students and teach them about notetaking.

When I first introduce the mental model, we do not look at any stories. At this point, I am explicitly teaching them about the parts of a story, how they go together, and how they relate to the plot mountain.

Step 2: Plot a story together

Once my students know what the plot mountain is and how it relates to fictional stories, we begin plotting a story together. For this lesson, you have many options. You can use a picture book, a short passage, or even a PIXAR short film. The key word is short! When I first introduce plot, I look for simple, short stories with one problem and solution. We will talk about more complicated stories in the future, but right now I want to keep it short and simple.

We use the plot mountain anchor chart to plot our story together. I use sticky notes to write down each part of the story and sticky it onto the anchor chart in the appropriate place. This is a whole group collaboration, so I give students lots of opportunities to turn and talk to a partner.

Step 3: Hand it over to your students

Try it out with a group

Once we have plotted a story (or two) together, it is time for my students to take the wheel. I like to start by putting students in groups of three. Each group gets a copy of a short story. You can give the same story to every single group, or you can give different stories for differentiation. I have done it both ways depending on the needs of my students.

I like to give each student in the group a specific job. One is the reader, one is the writer, and one is the captain. Assigning jobs helps me make sure that everyone is actively engaged in the activity.

To make things a little more fun, I give each student a large piece of bulletin board paper or an anchor chart paper. They draw a plot mountain and label each part. If they are not sure how to label it, they can look at their notes or the plot mountain anchor chart we created together. The students then read the story and identify each part by writing it onto the plot mountain graphic organizer they created.

Pair it up!

To give my students another chance to practice plotting a story using the plot mountain, I like to give them another day to work with a partner. This time, I give each student a printable plot mountain graphic organizer. Students take turns reading the story and filling out the graphic organizer. At this point, I like to have each student fill out their own graphic organizer even though they are working with a friend. Sometimes, I will even add a couple of questions about the story for students to answer.

Step 4: Dig deeper - How does each individual event in the story impact the next?

This is my favorite step when teaching plot using the plot mountain model! As I mentioned earlier, the main goal is for students to understand how each story element interacts within the story. This is really tricky! Students are not used to thinking about the "what ifs" of a story.

What if the character didn't behave this way?

What if the problem was different?

Why is it important to the story that __________ behaved this way?

How does __________'s actions affect the story?

However, this is the type of deep thinking we want our students to achieve when they read. When our students begin to interact with the text in this way... that's when the magic happens!!!

But how can we make this happen in our classroom? How do we teach our students to think about the "what ifs?"

Movies to the rescue!

My secret weapon to guide my students to this type of deep, focused thinking is to use a movie they are familiar with. At this point, I want to remove the obstacle of reading. I am asking students to think very hard right now, so I want to level the playing field. When I choose a movie they have all watched multiple times, there is familiarity. And with familiarity comes comfort and automaticity.

In the past, I have always used the movie Frozen. I only use a section of the movie - from the beginning until the point when Elsa runs away to the North Mountain after revealing her magical powers. I print out still shots from key events in the story. Then, I randomly tape each picture to the board.

How did it happen?

I choose one volunteer to come to the board. With the help of the class, this student moves the pictures around to sequence the story correctly. Once the student is done, we review it. Chances are, the story is perfect. If it is not, go ahead and make changes. Now, get ready for the magic.

What would happen if...?

Now that the story is sequenced, I go to the board and remove one of the pictures. I explain to students that by removing one key event, the rest of the story will change. Depending on the class, I may model this entire process the first time with a think-aloud. I can see my students' eyes open wide as I do this. They immediately get it!

I repeat this process with them at least five times. Turn-and-talks are a must during this process. As my students are talking to their partners, I am walking around and listen in. If I hear any misconceptions, I address them immediately. By the time we are done with this activity, my students have a solid understanding of how events in a story are interconnected.

Step 5: Give it a new twist!

Now that my students understand how events in a story are interconnected, it is time to practice with some writing. Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives places "creating" at the highest point in the hierarchy. When students create, they are employing higher-order thinking skills. For this reason, I like to end any unit of study with an activity that gives my students the opportunity to create something new, often through writing.

To solidify students' understanding of the plot mountain, I like to give them a final activity in which students will be required to reimagine the problem in a story they have recently read.

How does it work?

We begin this lesson by choosing a story students want to work on. I allow my students to work with a partner for this activity. That means they must agree on the same story. Then, students use a plot mountain graphic organizer to identify the different parts of the story.

Once students are done plotting the story, I ask them to brainstorm ideas for a new problem. After choosing their best idea, students work on rewriting the rest of the story. I remind students that the events must line up in a way that makes sense and moves the story towards a resolution. Once students are done, they share their stories with the class.

Connect it to writing

This activity is a great opportunity to teach students about fiction writing. After all, reading and writing go together. In fact, students could continue working on these stories during your writing block even after you are done teaching them about plot in reading. They could work on revising, editing, and publishing their reimagined stories. There are so many opportunities for learning with this simple but effective activity.

To sum up...

Teaching students to use the plot mountain visual model is a highly effective way to help your students master story elements. More importantly, the plot mountain will help students understand the pattern of fictional stories and its predictability. But best of all, students will be able to gain a greater understanding of the story if they can see how each event is interconnected. I just can't say enough good things about it!

Will you be trying the plot mountain mental model in your classroom? Let me know in the comments. And don't forget to grab your FREE plot mountain anchor charts and interactive notebook pages in English and Spanish.

Happy teaching!

You may also like:

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How to Use the Plot Mountain to Help Students Master Story Elements - The Dual Language Hero

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This post may contain affiliate links. You pay the same, but I make a small commission. Please, see my full disclosure for further information. I love teaching fiction! I find that my students are always so engaged in the reading and excited to participate during our mini-lessons.