The Monsters are Due on Maple Street Plot Diagram Activity

The Monsters are Due on Maple Street Plot Diagram Activity. A hands-on activity for the story The Monsters are Due on Maple Street. After learning that the plot is the sequence of events, and having been introduced to a plot diagram with the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, have your students work in small groups or individually to cut and paste this list of 11 events from the story onto their own plot diagram and label what part of the story they belong to. Blank plot diagram included, or have them create their own on a large piece of colored construction paper using the blank diagram as a guide.

You can also use the larger event cards (included) and challenge your students to do a human plot line.
1. Print out the 11 separate plot event cards. Laminate for durability.
2. Have some students hold up the cards and put themselves in the correct order in a kinesthetic activity.
3. Allow the rest of the class to help decide which is the correct sequence of events.
They will have to think critically to put the events in the correct order. I liked to do this before my students went to small groups, so that everyone could have a good understanding of the sequence of events before doing it on their own.

The story is not included...but is available free online. I have included links to the story and the video.