Types of Conflict in Literature PDF
- Grades
- Grades 5–10, Elementary, Middle School, High School
- Pages
- 7
- File type
- Answer key
- Included
- Subject
- ELA, Reading, Reading Comprehension, Literature, Literary Devices
- Topic
- types of conflict, conflict
- Resource types
- Activities, Worksheets & Printables, Worksheets
- Answer key
- Included
- Standards
- CCSS.RL.6.3 CCSS.RL.7.3
About this resource
What's inside this resource
Teach the types of conflict in literature with a one-page handout and four pages of practice built around short stories and scenes. The handout labels the five points of a plot mountain, defines protagonist and antagonist, and gives four conflict cards (Character vs. Character, Society, Nature and Self), each marked external or internal and paired with a quick example.
In the activity pages, students first read "Fog on the Crossing," a short story about a girl steering a mail boat through fog, and place five events on a mini plot mountain before naming the protagonist, antagonist and conflict type. Five mini-stories follow for students to label by type and as external or internal, then they plan a story of their own. In "One Camper, Four Conflicts," they sort four camp scenes by type, copy the words that prove each answer, and retell one scene so it becomes a different type. A closing prompt asks what would be left of a familiar story without its conflict.
- Grades 5–9 ELA: about 20 tasks across 1 handout page and 4 activity pages
- Teacher pages: answers with likely mix-ups, sample responses for open items, teacher tips and an optional scoring guide for the rewrite task
- Formats: print it in color or in ink-saving black and white
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In the classroom
Teaching tips & learning objectives
Learning objectives
Identify the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution of a short story
Name the protagonist and antagonist in a story
Classify a conflict as Character vs. Character, Society, Nature or Self, and as external or internal
Teaching tips
Read the handout together, then work through "Fog on the Crossing" as guided practice before students try Name the Conflict on their own
Before the camp scenes, have pairs say who or what Kai is up against in each one
For students who need support on the retelling, point them to the canoe race or the bunkmate scene, which change type most easily
Skills covered
Plot structure: students place five story events on a plot mountain and explain why the turning point is the climax.
Conflict types: students label mini-stories and scenes as one of four conflict types and decide whether each is external or internal.
Text evidence: for each camp scene, students copy the exact words that prove the conflict type.
Good to know
Questions teachers ask about this resource
Which types of conflict does the handout cover?
Four: Character vs. Character, Character vs. Society, Character vs. Nature and Character vs. Self. The first three are marked external and the last internal, and each card has a short example.
Do students need to have read a particular book?
No. The stories and scenes students analyze are printed on the pages. Only the final prompt asks them to think of a story they already know, and any story works.
Is there a drawing or illustrating task?
No. The practice is written: mapping plot events, labeling conflict types, copying evidence and retelling a scene.
Is an answer key included?
Yes. Two pages give answers for the plot map, labeling and camp scenes, sample responses for the open items, teacher tips and an optional scoring guide for the retelling.
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Curriculum
Standards, concepts & topics
Standards
Standards
- CCSS.RL.6.3 — Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
- CCSS.RL.7.3 — Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
Core concepts
Core concepts
types of conflict
plot structure
protagonist and antagonist
external and internal conflict
text evidence
Topics
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