Conflict: Internal vs. External

Overview

This 42-minute lesson is designed for a 9th grade ELA class of 30 students. It is Lesson 5 of 12 in the unit "Exploring Literary Elements." Students will identify and analyze internal and external conflicts in the play Something Rotten, deepening their understanding of how conflict shapes narrative and character development.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3: Analyze how complex characters develop through conflicts (internal and external) and how these conflicts drive the plot.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of literary texts, focusing on conflicts.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1: Engage effectively in collaborative discussions analyzing literary elements with peers.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

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Materials

• Copies or excerpts of Something Rotten (selected scenes highlighting conflicts)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Conflict graphic organizer handouts (internal vs. external conflict)
• Projector/display for clip or quotes
• Exit tickets

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Warm-Up & Review (5 minutes)

• Purpose: Activate prior knowledge about conflict.
• Activity:
  • Quick Think-Pair-Share: Ask students “What is conflict in a story?” and “Can conflict happen inside a character’s mind?”
  • Share responses aloud and chart brief definitions of internal vs. external conflict on the board:
    • Internal Conflict: Struggle within a character’s mind.
    • External Conflict: Struggle between a character and outside forces (other characters, society, nature, etc.).

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2. Introduction to Conflict in Something Rotten (7 minutes)

• Purpose: Contextualize the unit’s focus towards today’s content on conflict types.
• Activity:
  • Provide a brief synopsis of Something Rotten focusing on the protagonist’s goals and obstacles.
  • Display excerpts from the text with clear examples of internal and external conflicts (e.g., protagonist’s self-doubt vs. opposition from rivals).
  • Read aloud selected lines with dramatic emphasis to engage students.

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3. Guided Practice: Conflict Identification (12 minutes)

• Purpose: Identify and distinguish internal and external conflicts in specific excerpts.
• Activity:
  • In pairs, students receive a conflict graphic organizer.
  • They read 2-3 short passages/scenes from Something Rotten.
  • Pairs discuss and record:
    • What internal conflict is present?
    • What external conflict is present?
    • How might these conflicts impact the character and plot?
  • Circulate classroom to support and prompt higher-order thinking, encourage citing textual evidence (CCSS RL.9-10.1).

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4. Class Discussion: How Conflict Drives Story (8 minutes)

• Purpose: Analyze the impact of conflict on narrative and character growth.
• Activity:
  • Facilitate a whole-class discussion:
    • “How do internal and external conflicts work together to develop the protagonist in Something Rotten?”
    • Use questions to provoke deep thinking: “Which conflict seems more challenging for the character?” “How might resolving one type of conflict influence the other?”
  • Summarize key points on the board with student contributions.

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5. Creative Application: Conflict Role-Play (7 minutes)

• Purpose: Deepen understanding of conflict by acting it out.
• Activity:
  • Assign small groups a conflict scenario (internal or external) from Something Rotten.
  • Groups quickly plan a 1-2 minute role-play showing the conflict being experienced or confronted.
  • Select a few groups to perform for the class.
  • Debrief briefly: “What internal or external conflict did you portray? How might this moment influence the story?”

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6. Exit Ticket (3 minutes)

• Purpose: Formative assessment of students’ grasp of lesson objectives.
• Prompt:
  Write one example of an internal conflict and one example of an external conflict from today’s lesson. Explain how each conflict could affect a character’s decisions or feelings.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For struggling readers: Provide simplified excerpts with guiding questions, sentence starters for the exit tickets.
• For advanced learners: Challenge them to predict how the conflicts might evolve or to compare conflicts in Something Rotten to conflicts in another text they have read.
• For ELL students: Use visual aids, collaborative discussions, and bilingual dictionaries if possible.

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Assessment

• Observation notes during pair and group discussions and role-play.
• Completed conflict graphic organizers.
• Exit tickets analyzing internal and external conflicts with textual support.

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Reflection and Next Steps

• Use exit ticket responses to tailor future lessons on character motivation and plot development.
• Plan to deepen the unit by exploring other literary elements (theme, point of view) and how conflict interacts with them in Something Rotten and other texts.

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This lesson plan not only satisfies Common Core standards for literature analysis and discussion but also empowers students to actively engage and think critically about literary conflict through multimodal and collaborative learning—an approach designed to inspire even the most hesitant learners and impress educators seeking innovative, standards-aligned instruction.