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Learn how to make a story map to improve your understanding of narrative-based texts like novels, short stories, and histories.
| 0:00 | Owl: Welcome to How to Make a Story Map, an instructional video on reading comprehension brought to you by the Excelsior University Online Writing Lab. |
| 0:13 | Have you ever read a story and forgotten or been confused about its major elements? |
| 0:18 | A good way to keep track of the major elements of a story is to construct a story map. |
| 0:23 | You can do this either during or after you read. |
| 0:27 | Story maps can help you identify the major elements of a story. |
| 0:30 | You can use one whether you’re describing a fictional story or a true story. |
| 0:35 | And a story map can help you remember this information later, when it comes time to write or study. |
| 0:42 | In this example, we’ll construct a story map for Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour.” |
| 0:48 | First, write down the title and the author or authors of the story. |
| 0:54 | After that, list the characters, making a note of the main characters. |
| 1:02 | Describe the setting—the place and time of the story. |
| 1:09 | Next, list the main events in chronological order. |
| 1:16 | Then, describe the major conflict that drives the story and the resolution achieved at the end. |
| 1:26 | Finally, sum up the major themes addressed by the story. |
| 1:31 | That’s it! |
| 1:32 | The next time you read a story, whether fictional or real, remember to create a story map to help you remember key information. |
| 1:39 | You can download a story map template here. |
| 1:46 | Thanks for listening to this instructional video on How to Make a Story Map! |
| 1:51 | Visit the Excelsior University Online Writing Lab for more support with reading and writing skills. |
The following text was sampled in this video:
Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour.” 1894.