Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes: Literary Conflict

Q: What are the main types of literary conflict in Johnny Tremain?

Johnny Tremain features both internal and external conflicts . Internal conflicts involve Johnny’s struggles with his own feelings and identity, while external conflicts include disagreements and confrontations with other characters, such as Dove, Mr. Lyte, and the British soldiers.

Q: How can I teach literary conflict using Johnny Tremain?

Have students identify and categorize conflicts as internal or external from the story. Ask them to create a storyboard that visually depicts each conflict and includes a brief explanation. This helps students analyze and understand literary concepts in context.

Q: What is an example of internal conflict in Johnny Tremain?

An example of internal conflict is Johnny’s struggle after burning his hand. He feels uncertain about his future, becomes angry and depressed, and must come to terms with his new identity.

Q: What is an example of external conflict in Johnny Tremain?

A key external conflict is the incident between Johnny and Dove, where Dove gives Johnny a cracked crucible, leading to Johnny’s injury. Other examples include Johnny’s confrontation with Mr. Lyte and the battle between the colonial militia and the British.

Q: What’s the best way to visually represent literary conflict from Johnny Tremain in the classroom?

Using a storyboard creator allows students to illustrate scenes of conflict, label them as internal or external, and provide brief descriptions. This visual approach encourages deeper understanding and engagement with the text.

Johnny Tremain Internal and External Conflicts

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Lesson Plan Overview

Template and Class Instructions

Student Rubric

Lesson Plan Overview

Storyboarding is an excellent way to focus on types of literary conflicts.

Having students create storyboards that show different types of conflicts strengthens analytical thinking about literary concepts. Have your students choose examples of internal and external conflicts 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.

Johnny Tremain Internal and External Conflicts

Internal Conflict	External Conflict
Johnny is filled with inner turmoil after he burns his hand. He doesn’t know what to do with himself or how to create a new future. As a result, he becomes angry and depressed.	Johnny has a number of external conflicts with Dove. Every time they bicker, they are in conflict. The most important conflict between them is when Dove gives Johnny the cracked crucible which leads to Johnny’s burn.
As time goes on, Johnny is unsure how he feels about Cilla. At first he rejects her along with the rest of the Lapham family and is bored with her company. But when Rab walks her home, Johnny feels jealous. He must decide how much her friendship means to him.	Johnny has an important external conflict with Mr. Lyte when Mr. Lyte accuses Johnny of stealing his silver cup and has him arrested.
Johnny is unsure how to feel about Lieutenant Stranger. He knows that he should view him as an enemy, but he can't bring himself to imagine fighting him in battle.	One of the most obvious external conflicts is the fight between the colonial militia and the British soldiers at the Battle of Lexington and Concord.

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Template and Class Instructions

(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 Johnny Tremain.

Identify conflicts in Johnny Tremain.
Categorize each conflict as Internal or External.
Illustrate conflicts in the cells, using characters from the story.
Write a short description of the conflict below the cell.

2 Column T-Chart Worksheet Template for Internal and External Conflict

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Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 6-8

Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)

Type of Assignment Individual, Partner, or Group

Type of Activity: Types of Literary Conflict

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Student Rubric

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)

Types of Literary Conflict Rubric for Middle School

Create a storyboard that shows at least three forms of literary conflict from the story. Support your choices with evidence from the text.

	Proficient	Emerging	Beginning
Conflict Identification	Student identifies conflicts as directed and labels them accurately in their correct categories.	Student misidentifies one conflict or includes it in an incorrect category.	Student misidentifies two or more conflicts or includes them in incorrect categories.
Conflict Explanation	The storyboard text describes the specific example depicted, not just a general problem. The text clearly explains how the example reflects its particular type of conflict.	The storyboard text describes the specific example depicted, but may lack clarity. Text may fail to fully explain how the example reflects its particular type of conflict.	Storyboard is missing text or contains only partial and/or inaccurate information.
Storyboard Image and Effort	Student clearly shows effort to convey the setting, characters and specific scene of the book. The scene is clearly identifiable based on the graphic depiction.	Student attempts to convey the setting, characters, and specific scene through use of graphics, but the depiction may be confusing, disordered, or lack some detail.	Student does not clearly convey the setting, characters, and scene.
Spelling and Grammar	Student uses exemplary spelling and grammar. There are no errors.	Student makes one or two minor errors in spelling and grammar.	Student makes multiple errors in spelling and grammar.

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Lesson Plan Overview

Storyboarding is an excellent way to focus on types of literary conflicts.

Johnny Tremain Internal and External Conflicts

Internal Conflict	External Conflict
Johnny is filled with inner turmoil after he burns his hand. He doesn’t know what to do with himself or how to create a new future. As a result, he becomes angry and depressed.	Johnny has a number of external conflicts with Dove. Every time they bicker, they are in conflict. The most important conflict between them is when Dove gives Johnny the cracked crucible which leads to Johnny’s burn.
As time goes on, Johnny is unsure how he feels about Cilla. At first he rejects her along with the rest of the Lapham family and is bored with her company. But when Rab walks her home, Johnny feels jealous. He must decide how much her friendship means to him.	Johnny has an important external conflict with Mr. Lyte when Mr. Lyte accuses Johnny of stealing his silver cup and has him arrested.
Johnny is unsure how to feel about Lieutenant Stranger. He knows that he should view him as an enemy, but he can't bring himself to imagine fighting him in battle.	One of the most obvious external conflicts is the fight between the colonial militia and the British soldiers at the Battle of Lexington and Concord.

Copy Activity

Template and Class Instructions

(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 Johnny Tremain.

Identify conflicts in Johnny Tremain.
Categorize each conflict as Internal or External.
Illustrate conflicts in the cells, using characters from the story.
Write a short description of the conflict below the cell.

More options

Copy This Storyboard

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 6-8

Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)

Type of Assignment Individual, Partner, or Group

Type of Activity: Types of Literary Conflict

Copy Activity

Student Rubric

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)

Types of Literary Conflict Rubric for Middle School

Create a storyboard that shows at least three forms of literary conflict from the story. Support your choices with evidence from the text.

	Proficient	Emerging	Beginning
Conflict Identification	Student identifies conflicts as directed and labels them accurately in their correct categories.	Student misidentifies one conflict or includes it in an incorrect category.	Student misidentifies two or more conflicts or includes them in incorrect categories.
Conflict Explanation	The storyboard text describes the specific example depicted, not just a general problem. The text clearly explains how the example reflects its particular type of conflict.	The storyboard text describes the specific example depicted, but may lack clarity. Text may fail to fully explain how the example reflects its particular type of conflict.	Storyboard is missing text or contains only partial and/or inaccurate information.
Storyboard Image and Effort	Student clearly shows effort to convey the setting, characters and specific scene of the book. The scene is clearly identifiable based on the graphic depiction.	Student attempts to convey the setting, characters, and specific scene through use of graphics, but the depiction may be confusing, disordered, or lack some detail.	Student does not clearly convey the setting, characters, and scene.
Spelling and Grammar	Student uses exemplary spelling and grammar. There are no errors.	Student makes one or two minor errors in spelling and grammar.	Student makes multiple errors in spelling and grammar.

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How Tos about Literary Conflict in Johnny Tremain

Plan a class discussion around literary conflict themes

Invite students to share their storyboard examples and lead a conversation about the types of conflicts found in Johnny Tremain. This helps students deepen their understanding by hearing different perspectives and connecting conflicts to the novel's bigger themes.

Prepare discussion questions ahead of time

Write 3–5 open-ended questions that encourage students to analyze character motivations and outcomes of conflicts. Well-prepared questions keep the discussion focused and engaging for everyone.

Assign student roles for active participation

Designate students as discussion leaders, note-takers, or summarizers. Giving roles encourages all students to participate and helps structure the conversation.

Connect conflict examples to students’ own experiences

Ask students to relate a conflict from the story to something they've experienced or seen. Personal connections make literary concepts more meaningful and memorable.

Wrap up with a reflective writing prompt

End the discussion by having students write a short paragraph on how understanding conflict in Johnny Tremain can help them think about real-world situations. Reflection reinforces learning and encourages deeper thought.

Frequently Asked Questions about Literary Conflict in Johnny Tremain

What are the main types of literary conflict in Johnny Tremain?

Johnny Tremain features both internal and external conflicts. Internal conflicts involve Johnny’s struggles with his own feelings and identity, while external conflicts include disagreements and confrontations with other characters, such as Dove, Mr. Lyte, and the British soldiers.

How can I teach literary conflict using Johnny Tremain?

Have students identify and categorize conflicts as internal or external from the story. Ask them to create a storyboard that visually depicts each conflict and includes a brief explanation. This helps students analyze and understand literary concepts in context.

What is an example of internal conflict in Johnny Tremain?

An example of internal conflict is Johnny’s struggle after burning his hand. He feels uncertain about his future, becomes angry and depressed, and must come to terms with his new identity.

What is an example of external conflict in Johnny Tremain?

A key external conflict is the incident between Johnny and Dove, where Dove gives Johnny a cracked crucible, leading to Johnny’s injury. Other examples include Johnny’s confrontation with Mr. Lyte and the battle between the colonial militia and the British.

What’s the best way to visually represent literary conflict from Johnny Tremain in the classroom?

Using a storyboard creator allows students to illustrate scenes of conflict, label them as internal or external, and provide brief descriptions. This visual approach encourages deeper understanding and engagement with the text.