“By using the product, they were so excited and they learned so much...”–K-5 Librarian and Instructinal Technology Teacher
Storyboarding is an excellent way to focus on types of literary conflict. Have your students choose an example of each literary conflict and depict them using the Storyboard Creator. In the storyboard, an example of each conflict should be visually represented, along with an explanation of the scene, and how it fits the particular category of conflict.
Beneatha is vehemently against acknowledging her mother’s faith, and denies God’s existence. This goes against her mother’s very strict Christian beliefs, and Mama strikes her daughter in the face.
Walter feels like no one understands him or his dream, and he feels stuck. He wonders if there is anything to look forward to in his future, and he feels like a failure to his family.
The Younger family is segregated because of their race, and they make a bold move to buy a house in an all-white neighborhood. Karl Lindner, as a representative of the Clybourne Park Association, tries to convince the Youngers to find a house in another neighborhood.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows at least three forms of literary conflict in A Raisin in the Sun.
Grade Level 9-10
Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)
Type of Assignment Individual or Partner
Type of Activity: Types of Literary Conflict
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | Try Again | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conflict Identification | Student identifies correct major conflicts and uses strong, clear textual evidence to support choice. | Student identifies correct major conflict and uses few or unclear details to support their choice. | Student identifies incorrect major conflict, and uses some details from the text to support their choice. | Student does not attempt to identify major conflict or identifies incorrect major conflict with no explanation. |
| Understanding Outcome | Student clearly shows the outcome of the conflict and its effects on the protagonist with evidence from the text. | Student shows the outcome of the conflict and its effect on the protagonist, but some evidence is unclear. | Student shows the outcome of the conflict, but does not examine its effect on the protagonist and uses some vague textual evidence. | Student does not clearly show the outcome of the conflict or use textual evidence. |
| Character | Storyboard includes all required characters and clearly names them. Goes above and beyond by adding additional details. | Storyboard includes all required characters and clearly names them. | Storyboard includes protagonist and antagonist but leaves out other required characters. | Storyboard does not include the names of required characters. |
| Storyboard | Student clearly shows effort to convey the setting the scene of the book | Student attempts to convey setting and scene of the book, but lacks some clarity. | Student does not clearly convey the setting and scene. | Student makes little or no attempt to convey the setting or scene. |
| Spelling and Grammar | Student uses exemplary spelling and grammar. There are no errors. | Student makes a minor error in spelling and grammar. | Student makes several minor errors in spelling and grammar. | Student makes many errors in spelling and grammar; little attempt at spellchecking. |
Storyboarding is an excellent way to focus on types of literary conflict. Have your students choose an example of each literary conflict and depict them using the Storyboard Creator. In the storyboard, an example of each conflict should be visually represented, along with an explanation of the scene, and how it fits the particular category of conflict.
Beneatha is vehemently against acknowledging her mother’s faith, and denies God’s existence. This goes against her mother’s very strict Christian beliefs, and Mama strikes her daughter in the face.
Walter feels like no one understands him or his dream, and he feels stuck. He wonders if there is anything to look forward to in his future, and he feels like a failure to his family.
The Younger family is segregated because of their race, and they make a bold move to buy a house in an all-white neighborhood. Karl Lindner, as a representative of the Clybourne Park Association, tries to convince the Youngers to find a house in another neighborhood.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows at least three forms of literary conflict in A Raisin in the Sun.
Grade Level 9-10
Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)
Type of Assignment Individual or Partner
Type of Activity: Types of Literary Conflict
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | Try Again | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conflict Identification | Student identifies correct major conflicts and uses strong, clear textual evidence to support choice. | Student identifies correct major conflict and uses few or unclear details to support their choice. | Student identifies incorrect major conflict, and uses some details from the text to support their choice. | Student does not attempt to identify major conflict or identifies incorrect major conflict with no explanation. |
| Understanding Outcome | Student clearly shows the outcome of the conflict and its effects on the protagonist with evidence from the text. | Student shows the outcome of the conflict and its effect on the protagonist, but some evidence is unclear. | Student shows the outcome of the conflict, but does not examine its effect on the protagonist and uses some vague textual evidence. | Student does not clearly show the outcome of the conflict or use textual evidence. |
| Character | Storyboard includes all required characters and clearly names them. Goes above and beyond by adding additional details. | Storyboard includes all required characters and clearly names them. | Storyboard includes protagonist and antagonist but leaves out other required characters. | Storyboard does not include the names of required characters. |
| Storyboard | Student clearly shows effort to convey the setting the scene of the book | Student attempts to convey setting and scene of the book, but lacks some clarity. | Student does not clearly convey the setting and scene. | Student makes little or no attempt to convey the setting or scene. |
| Spelling and Grammar | Student uses exemplary spelling and grammar. There are no errors. | Student makes a minor error in spelling and grammar. | Student makes several minor errors in spelling and grammar. | Student makes many errors in spelling and grammar; little attempt at spellchecking. |
Invite students to share their storyboard conflicts during a class discussion. This encourages active participation and lets students explain their reasoning, deepening understanding for the entire group.
Ask students to reflect on a time they faced a similar conflict as a character in the play. This makes the lesson personal and helps students relate the literature to their own lives.
Assign students different character roles from the play and have them act out conflict scenes. This builds empathy and helps students understand each character's motivations.
Have students work in small groups to identify additional conflicts or debate which type each conflict fits best. This promotes teamwork and critical thinking skills.
Ask students to write a brief description or draw a quick sketch of a new conflict from the story as an exit ticket. This reinforces learning and gives you immediate feedback on their comprehension.
A Raisin in the Sun features several types of literary conflict, including man vs. man (characters in direct opposition), man vs. self (internal struggles), and man vs. society (characters facing societal pressures). Each conflict drives the story and reveals important character growth.
To teach literary conflict with A Raisin in the Sun, have students identify examples of different conflict types in the play, then illustrate and explain them using tools like storyboards. This visual approach helps students analyze and categorize conflicts as character vs. character, character vs. self, and character vs. society.
In A Raisin in the Sun, a key man vs. society conflict occurs when the Younger family faces racial segregation. Their decision to move into an all-white neighborhood and the resistance from Karl Lindner highlights their struggle against societal prejudice.
Conflict is important in lesson plans for A Raisin in the Sun because it helps students understand character motivations, themes, and social issues. Analyzing conflict deepens comprehension and encourages critical thinking about the play’s messages.
The best way is through creative activities like storyboarding. Students can visually depict scenes of conflict, categorize them, and write brief explanations. This engages different learning styles and reinforces understanding of literary conflict.
“By using the product, they were so excited and they learned so much...”–K-5 Librarian and Instructinal Technology Teacher
“I'm doing a Napoleon timeline and I'm having [students] determine whether or not Napoleon was a good guy or a bad guy or somewhere in between.”–History and Special Ed Teacher
“Students get to be creative with Storyboard That and there's so many visuals for them to pick from... It makes it really accessible for all students in the class.”–Third Grade Teacher