Types of Conflict in Literature: Handout and Illustrating Examples Activity

If you are teaching your students about the different types of conflict in plays, novels, short stories and movies, check out this visual assignment to add to your teaching toolkit!

It includes a handout which reviews the parts of a story (exposition, the rising action, climax, the falling action and the resolution) as well as the protagonist versus the antagonist.

Then you can teach your students about four distinct types of conflict in all kinds of literature:
1)  Character versus Character: A conflict between the main character and a villain or antagonist.

2)  Character versus Society: A conflict between the main character and parts of the specific society they live within.

3)  Character versus Nature: A conflict between the main character and nature including hunger, animals, or extreme weather.

4)  Character versus Self: A conflict between the main character and their desires, ethics, or thoughts.

Next, help your class brainstorm examples of each type of conflict from popular books, movies and plays they know. Students will illustrate each type of conflict on their graphic organizer.

This is an easy way to help your pupils find meaning in and recall their learning. The completed illustrations can make a wonderful bulletin board display.
An Answer Key is Included!

Grades to Use With:

This lesson could easily work in grades 5-10 or high school special education classrooms. The majority of the student work is illustrating scenes from books, plays, movies, or short stories to demonstrate each type of conflict.

What's Included:

4 Page PDF:

Title Page and Instructions

Handout (Vocabulary and Brainstorming)

4 Types of Conflict Illustrating Activity

Sample Answer Key

Standards:
CCSSRL.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.

CCSSCCRA.R.10

Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.