Ninth graders learn the shape of a well-built play — exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution — the classic dramatic arc (Freytag’s pyramid) that structures stories on stage and screen.
Students will be able to…
Almost every play and movie follows the same dramatic arc, building to a climax and resolving. What are the parts of dramatic structure?
Project this and have students put the parts of dramatic structure in order.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
Almost every play follows the same arc — what are its parts?
Students explore.
Students rehearse.
Students perform.
Students respond.
Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Theatre, HS Proficient).
Understand dramatic structure.
Analyze a play’s structure.
Build a story arc.
Interpret structure and meaning.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students map a favorite movie to the five parts of dramatic structure. A printable structure sheet is in the Arts library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.