The Sunflower Plot Diagram Activity

A common use for Storyboard That is to help students create a plot diagram of the events from a book. Not only is this a great way to teach the parts of the plot, but it reinforces major events and help students develop greater understanding of literary structures.

Even true stories, like memoirs, can have a plot arch. Students can create a storyboard capturing the narrative arc of The Sunflower with a three-cell storyboard, containing the major parts of the plot diagram: the Exposition, the Climax, and the Resolution or a six-cell storyboard with Exposition, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution. For each cell have students create a scene that shows their understanding of that part of the book and summarize their understanding.

The Sunflower Plot Diagram Example

Exposition

Simon and his friends Arthur, Josek, are prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp. They work cleaning up medical waste at a converted army hospital for wounded German soldiers. One day, on his way to work, Simon is stopped by a nurse, and taken to the bedside of a dying, young Nazi soldier.

Climax

Confused why he is there, Simon asks Karl what he wants with a Jew. Karl proceeds to tell him a story about atrocities he committed during his time serving as an SS soldier, primarily, how he set a building on fire with over many Jewish families inside, then shot them as they attempted to jump out the windows to escape the flames.

Resolution

After telling Simon what he had done, Karl asks for Simon’s forgiveness. Karl felt that the only way to die in peace was to clear his conscious and ask forgiveness from a Jew. However, Simon leaves the room without answering him. That night, Simon discusses the moral issue with friends in his barracks. The next day, when he returns, Karl is dead.