How To Build a Story Using Freytag's Pyramid:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

How to Build a Story with

Freytag’s Pyramid: The Hunger
Games by Suzanne Collins
Identifying Theme in Literature
Lecture by: Ms. Barajas
Lecture Adapted By:
Google Images English Grade 9
Dictionary
The Hunger Games – Story Structure Analysis

In this lecture we will be focusing on Freytag’s Pyramid, and how it could be helpful in
starting your own story. We have finished reading Lord of the Flies by William Golding, and
you will be using Freytag’s Pyramid to tell that story. In order for you to get an
understanding on how Freytag’s Pyramid works, I am using The Hunger Games by Suzanne
Collins to give you examples of what each key term looks like. This is how we will learn how
to create our very own stories when it comes time to doing that project.

Ms. Barajas 1
How To Build a Story Using Freytag's Pyramid:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Objectives of this Lecture and Standards

Addressed
Objectives Standards Addressed
• Content Objective: Students will be able • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.A: Engage and orient the
reader by the setting out a problem, situation, or observation,
to express an understanding of the key establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing
elements on Freytag’s Pyramid, and how a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of
experiences or events.
they structure a story.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.B: Use narrative
• Language Objective: Students will be techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection,
and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events,
able to formulate their own story using and/or characters.
Freytag’s Pyramid. • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.D: Use precise words
and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a
vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or
characters.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.E: Provide a conclusion
that follows from and reflects on what is experienced,
observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative. Standards

These are the objectives for today’s lecture. There is one content standard that helps you
develop the language standard. I have also included the content standards that we will be
addressing for this lecture.

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How To Build a Story Using Freytag's Pyramid:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Journal Entry
• Question: Think about an
important or interesting event in
your life. If someone were to ask
you to tell them the story, where
would you begin, what information
would you provide in the middle,
and how would you end the story.
Take 5 minutes to write down your
story.
Educational Hook

We keep journals to help us write down our personalized thoughts throughout our lectures.
This journal entry focuses on the way in which you verbally tell stories to your friends and
family. It is a reflection on the way we interact with people and how our stories are
formulated.

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How To Build a Story Using Freytag's Pyramid:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Think About This

• How often do you think you tell your friends a story about something that
happened to you?
• How do you tell those stories?
• Do you change your voice levels?
• Do you use a lot of hand motions?
• How do you build your story to get your message across?

Educational Hook

In order to understand how a story is told, you must first think about how you tell stories.
You are being asked to reflect on story telling skills, because they are important in the way
that your audience receives them.

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How To Build a Story Using Freytag's Pyramid:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Using Freytag’s Pyramid

Dual Coding

This visual image of Freytag’s Pyramid points out where exposition, inciting incident, rising
action, climax, falling action, and resolution/denouement land on the pyramid. This is the
sequence of events that structure a story and move it along.

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How To Build a Story Using Freytag's Pyramid:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Exposition and Inciting Incident

Exposition Inciting Incident

• Defintion: Introduces • Definition: An episode, plot point,
or event that hooks the reader into
the readers to the main the story. This particular moment is
characters, the setting, when an event thrusts the
protagonist into the main action of
and hints at the the story.
conflict to come.

It is important to understand the key terms to Freytag’s Pyramid. Here we have exposition
and inciting incident.

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How To Build a Story Using Freytag's Pyramid:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Example of Exposition
• Example: In The Hunger Games, we are
introduced to Katniss and the poor
district that she lives in. We see her
break the law to hunt for family who
will starve without her help.
• This lets the reader take a look at the
skills that Katniss has, and her
perseverance to survive no matter the
cost.

Dual Coding

In order to understand what exposition is, we must have an example of it. Here we are
introduced to Katniss and her environment. The image depicts a young girl who is blocked
from freedom and survival by an electric fence.

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How To Build a Story Using Freytag's Pyramid:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Example of Inciting Incident

• Example: An example of an
inciting incident is when Katniss
Everdeen, from Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games, volunteers as
tribute in replacement of her little
sister.
• When Katniss volunteers, she
thrusts the story into action.

The inciting incident image depicts Katniss volunteering for her little sister. We are shown
an image of what triggers the start of the story.

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How To Build a Story Using Freytag's Pyramid:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Now You Try

• Look back at the beginning of
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.
What was the exposition? How
were the characters introduced,
what was the setting, and what was
the conflict?

Progress Monitoring

Now I want you to try an activity. We have finished reading Lord of the Flies, and you should
consider yourself experts on the novel. Think back to the beginning of the story and tell me
what the exposition was. We have just gone over the definition and I have provided an
example. Think about the introduction of the characters, setting, and the conflict that may
come.

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How To Build a Story Using Freytag's Pyramid:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Rising Action and Climax

Rising Action Climax

• Definition: A series of relevant incidents that create • Definition: The peak of the action, when the conflict
suspense, interest, and tension in a narrative. Rising reaches the crisis point. This is usually the turning point in
action includes all decisions, characters’ flaws, and the story. The character will face the antagonist and the main
character will change in some way due to this interaction.
background circumstances that together create turns
and twist leading to a climax. • When the climax occurs, the reader can usually predict what
will happen to the characters thereafter.
• Example: An example of rising action is when
Katniss changes the way she acts to gain the best • Example: The climax of the story occurs when Katniss and
strategic advantage possible to survive in the arena. Peeta figure out that there can only be one winner.
• In this scenario, Peeta and Katniss decide that they are not
• She knows she is not the most likable person, but she going to go along with the rules of the Capitol. They take
adapts to her surroundings to give herself a chance to matters into their own hands and decide to eat the poisonous
win support during the game. berries instead.

The rising action and the climax are extremely important to the story. This is where the
conflict begins and where the protagonist finds their biggest challenges. They must go
through trials to develop as a character by the time the story comes to an end. The climax
is usually where the character begins forming into a better person.

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How To Build a Story Using Freytag's Pyramid:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Visual Example of Climax

There can only

be one winner.
The berries
of death.
Beating the Capitol
Climax at their own game.
Smart Art/Dual Coding

Visual are important to have because they give us a better insight on what things look like.
The climax can be shocking sometimes, hence, the shocked face. The three images
represent one scene that defines who the characters are, and who they choose to be. They
will not be manipulated by the Capitol.

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How To Build a Story Using Freytag's Pyramid:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Now You Try

In your Explain your answer.

opinion,
what was
the climax Use a quote to support your answer.
in Lord of
the Flies? What evidence supports your opinion?
Smart Art/Progress Monitoring

Now I want you to try an activity. This is a personalized opinion that must be supported by a
quote and evidence from the text. What do you think the climax to Lord of the Flies was?

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How To Build a Story Using Freytag's Pyramid:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Falling Action and Resolution/Denouement

Falling Action Resolution/Denouement

• Definition: Falling action • Definition: This is what happens at
the end of the story, and the plot ties
is when the events that up all loose ends.
occur after the climax lead • Resolution is usually used for
up to the closure and comedies.
conclusion of the story • Denouement is usually used for
tragedies.

Now we get to the end of our story. The falling action depicts the events the result after the
conclusion, and conclude our story. The resolution is what happens at the end of the story;
sometimes it is a happy ending, and sometimes it is a sad ending.

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How To Build a Story Using Freytag's Pyramid:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Example of Falling Action

• Example: Katniss and Peeta both
live after being stopped from eating
the berries.
• They must please the Capitol
somehow, because they forced the
Capitol to make a decision they did
not agree with, like pretend to be in
love.
Dual Coding

In The Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta must pretend to be someone they are not because
they have made the Capitol angry by both surviving the game. This is an example of a sad
ending because our characters may have developed through the story, but are forced to
belittle themselves and fall under the rule of the Capitol to stay safe.

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How To Build a Story Using Freytag's Pyramid:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Example of Resolution
• Example: Katniss and Peeta are
alive and healthy.
• They are no longer poor after
winning the games.
• Now, they must keep up the act of
being in love if they do not want
the Capitol to come after them.

Pictures can be deceiving, and this is no exception. Katniss and Peeta play the part of a
happy couple because that’s what the Capitol wants them to do. On the bright side, they
are alive, healthy, and wealthy. They have also returned to their family.

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How To Build a Story Using Freytag's Pyramid:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Now You Try

• Now that you have an understanding
of the key terms on Freytag’s Pyramid,
on separate piece of paper draw this
pyramid. Write the key terms in their
appropriate spot, and provide an
example of each using Lord of the Flies.
You do not need to provide examples
for exposition or climax since you have
already done those two.
Culminating Question/ Dual Coding

Now that you know how Freytag’s Pyramid works and what it looks like, I want you to draw
this image and fill in where each key term belongs. You are also tasked to give an example
of each by using Lord of the Flies. You do not need to do exposition and climax as you have
already provided an example for those. Just put the terms on the pyramid where they
belong.

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How To Build a Story Using Freytag's Pyramid:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Lets Look at a Comic Strip

Lets look at a Comic Strip to gain an idea on a different way to tell a story.

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How To Build a Story Using Freytag's Pyramid:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Dual Coding

This is a fast and fun way to tell a story efficiently and creatively. The story uses the key
points to The Hunger Games to tell the story.

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How To Build a Story Using Freytag's Pyramid:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

It is your turn! Create a comic strip of Lord of

the Flies. Make sure the pictures represent
Freytag’s Pyramid key words.

Culminating Activity/Dual Coding

Now it is your turn to create a comic strip of Lord of the Flies. Make sure to use Freytag’s
Pyramid to do it, and be as creative as possible!

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How To Build a Story Using Freytag's Pyramid:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Lets Listen to this Overview of The Hunger

Games
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUDRuA_cF8E&t=102s

Dual Coding

We are going to listen to an overview of The Hunger Games. Listen closely and make sure to
see what they decide to keep in this short overview to tell you the story in three minutes.

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How To Build a Story Using Freytag's Pyramid:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Now You Try

• After listening to the YouTube
video, create a 10 sentence book
overview of Lord of the Flies, and be
sure it covers all the areas on
Freytag’s Pyramid.

Culminating Question/Dual Coding

Now it is your turn to create an over of Lord of the Flies! You must write it in a maximum of
ten sentences, and you must use Freytag’s Pyramid to do it as well. Think about the
examples you have provided in the previous activity of the blank pyramid. How would you
turn those examples into sentences to provide a quick overview of the story.

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