A free story mountain graphic organiser and story structure planner for Years 6 to 10. Students pick a Story Mountain, a Story Circle or an In Medias Res opening, click any stage, and get a word bank, a challenge and writing tips for that exact moment in the story. One HTML file that opens in a browser: nothing to install, no login, and it works offline.
THREE STORY STRUCTURES, NOT ONE
- Story Mountain (six stages): orientation, complication, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. The classic rising-and-falling tension arc.
- Story Circle (seven stages): need, go, search, find, take, return and change. A structure built around what the main character needs.
- In Medias Res (five stages): a cold open in the middle of the action, a flashback, a return to the present, escalation and resolution.
Each structure is a clickable diagram. Select a stage and the toolkit beside it changes to a word bank, a challenge and two technique tips written for that stage, not one general tip repeated everywhere.
Students can plan the same idea in two structures and see which suits it, which teaches more than being handed one shape and told to use it.
ALSO INSIDE
- A story randomiser for students stuck on where to start: six genres (sci-fi, fantasy, adventure, horror with mild suspense, romance as friendship and first crush, and contemporary). Roll one category, such as a location, a character flaw or a complication, or roll a full story seed.
- Present to Class: steps through a structure stage by stage on the projector
- A learning intention and success criteria
- UK/AU or US spelling for the whole tool
- Brain Break: five short word games for a break between planning sessions
PLEASE NOTE
This planner doesn't save. It is a planning space, so students copy their plan into a notebook or take a screenshot before they close the tab. The tool says so on screen.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- The planner: one HTML file
- A START HERE read-me
There is no answer key: this is a planning tool, not a worksheet.
TEACHING A NARRATIVE WRITING UNIT?
The Narrative Writing Teacher-Led Edition is 12 projector lessons for Years 7 to 9, from setting and dialogue to planning a chapter on a story mountain and drafting it, with a Lesson Guide page for every lesson. For students on their own devices, the Narrative Writing Unit, Student Game Edition, includes the Story Structure Lab as part of the unit. Both are in the Star Class Academy store, along with the free Narrative Writing Worksheets.
Licensed for one teacher and their own classes.
Questions? starclassacademy.com/help?ref=sh or hello@starclassacademy.com
