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Read Chapters 10-12; Complete Student Packet Worksheets for Chapters 10-12

Ask students to think about the science fiction movies and TV shows the class previously listed and discussed in Lesson 2. Have the class discuss a problem or conflict in the plot of these movies or shows, and how the problem was solved and/or how the movie ended.

will explain that plot conflicts are problems that characters face in a story. I will review the four major plot conflicts: Character vs. Character, Character vs. Self, Character vs. Nature, and Character vs. Society. I will explain that many science fiction texts contain several plot conflicts. In every plot conflict presented, usually one force prevails or succeeds. In A Wrinkle in Time, many of the plot conflicts revolve around Meg and her relationship with herself and other characters in the book. The conflict Meg has with herself plays a major part in the book. Meg is always putting herself down. I recall that she feels like she is an oddball and that other people are better or smarter or prettier than she is. Meg doesn’t have confidence in herself or her abilities. This is an example of a Character vs. Self conflict.

I will skim the book to identify the point in which this plot conflict is resolved. Meg resolves her conflict with herself when she finds the confidence to go back and save her brother from IT.

I am going to recall the events that lead to the resolution of this conflict. In Chapter 11 of the book, Meg begins to change how she feels when she meets Aunt Beast. She begins to feel safe and secure and she tries hard to communicate successfully with Aunt Beast. In Chapter 12, Meg begins to realize that no one but her can save Charles Wallace. Even though she doesn’t yet admit it to herself, Meg starts to see that she has enough love and power—more than her father, Calvin, or the Mrs. W’s—to save her brother.

I will identify the exact point that Meg begins to realize she must save her brother, skimming the book if necessary. It is at this point that Meg’s conflict within herself starts to shift. She realizes she is special for this mission, and she begins to have faith in her abilities. When she reaches the CENTRAL Central Intelligence Building, Meg begins to talk to herself and to understand her strengths. She begins to understand that she possesses a power that IT doesn’t have—love. She realizes that her love for her brother is what will save him. As Meg rescues her brother and reunites her family, the conflict within herself is resolved. Meg has faith in herself and is happy and proud that she was the only one who could rescue her brother and, in turn, save her family. Note: Use the Independent Practice as a guide in charting the information for students.

Ask: "How can I explain how a plot conflict is resolved?" Students should answer that they can analyze the conflict by identifying the resolution point in the story and then recalling the events that led to the resolution.

will examine the plot conflict between Meg and her father. We will write details about the conflict between these two characters on chart paper. (For example, Meg feels upset that her father hasn’t come home, Meg expects her father to make things right, Meg is angry with her father for leaving Charles Wallace behind, Meg is disappointed in her father’s faults.)

We will skim the book to identify the point in which this plot conflict is resolved. Meg resolves the conflict with her father when she realizes that he has human faults and he cannot always make things right. She realizes that it is up to her to rescue Charles Wallace from IT.

We will recall the events that lead to this conflict resolution. When Meg is on Ixchel with her father and Calvin, she is arguing with him and tells him that he does not care about Charles Wallace. The Mrs. W’s appear and Meg throws a tantrum about having to go rescue Charles Wallace. She realizes that she is the only one that can rescue him because she is the closest to him.

will examine the plot conflict between Meg and IT. You will recall the problems Meg has had with IT, and you will write the details of this conflict on the Plot Conflict Worksheet in your Student Packet. (See page 21 in the Student Packet.) You will identify the point in which this plot conflict was resolved, and you will examine and record the details that show how the conflict was resolved.

will come back together to discuss the conflict of Meg and IT. We will share details of this conflict and identify where in the book the conflict was resolved and the details that show how it was resolved. We will discuss the following questions: If events in the plot were different, how would the conflict between Meg and IT have been resolved differently? For example, if Meg wasn’t able to pass through the Transparent Column to get to her father, what might have happened between Meg and IT?