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Grades level iconsGrades 3–5
Session time icon1 Session, 1.5 Hours
Genre information iconNarrative
Resource type iconLessons

From Bad to Worse: Murphy’s Law Conflict

by Amani Nephew, 826NYC
Have you ever had a day go from bad to worse? Blame it on Murphy’s Law! In this lesson, students will create snowballing conflicts for their character to confront.
What Your Students Will Learn

Students will learn about building conflict and tension in a story, using Murphy’s Law.

Common Core Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.3.A Common Core Standards Icon
Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3.A Common Core Standards Icon
Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3.A Common Core Standards Icon
Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
Introduction :

Imagine this: It’s Monday morning, and you have to present a big project that you spent all weekend working on in front of the whole class. Before you leave for school, your dog gets loose in the yard, and you slip in a mud puddle trying to drag her back inside. Then, you miss the bus because you were changing into clean clothes. When you finally get to school, the cereal you wanted to eat for breakfast isn’t a choice, so you decide not to eat any breakfast! Finally, you accidentally drop your project, which messes up the corners. What a terrible morning! you think to yourself. I really hope my day gets better. In this lesson, students will write a story, like this one, full of escalating conflicts for their character to figure out.

Materials
Session 1: by Amani Nephew, 826NYC
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