Pivotal Scenes in Narratives

Preparation

Students are expected to:

• Have read or are currently reading a chosen novel.
• Have some understanding of what a pivotal scene is and its purpose
• Have some background in using IMVR.
• Have a basic background in building on CoSpaces. If not, please add at least a 1×60 minute lesson for learning the basics. There are tutorials linked in the resources section

Teachers should make sure that:

• IMVR headsets are calibrated and charged.
• They are familiar with Tiny Town experience on the IMVR
• The prompt card has been edited to suit the novel that the class is reading, printed and available for each IMVR station.
• Students are divided into pairs or groups depending on how many devices are available.
• Slide deck has been checked and any specific edits have been made.
• A copy of the Student Digital Notebook has been distributed to students and they have downloaded/ made a copy for themselves.
• Students have been prepped for the lesson with knowledge about what a ‘pivotal scene’ is in the context of a novel. They should understand the following:
• • • What is a pivotal scene? 
    • What is its purpose? 
    • Can there be more than one pivotal scene?

Learning Sequence

• Recap with students how a pivotal scene can change a main character, story, or outcome significantly. It can leave the audience with further questions or lasting memories. An excellent pivotal scene will also change a reader.
• Ask students to brainstorm a list of pivotal scenes from the class novel and briefly dot-point why they are considered to be pivotal on the Pivotal Scenes Jamboard (frame 1)
• Read/ summarise a pivotal scene that you have chosen from the class novel to the class.
  Think, pair, and share together on the Pivotal Scenes Jamboard (frame 2) why this chosen scene might be considered a pivotal scene.
• Explain to the students that they will be building the chosen pivotal scene together as a class through Tiny Town on the IMVR.
  (Adapt and use the IMVR Tiny Town Prompt Card to have at each station to prompt student thinking).
  
• Each student will work in pairs on the IMVR stations and get some time to build and add to the previous pairs’ scene to create a truly descriptive scene (One student to build, the other to give advice and ideas, then swap).
  When it is time to swap over pairs, a brief handover between each pair should be had of what has been added and the vision of the scene.
  
• Whilst the rest of the class are waiting for their turn on the IMVR, direct them to review their brainstormed list of pivotal scenes from the novel. They are to choose one and construct their choice of pivotal scenes from the novel in CoSpaces.
  • The students will need to include in their CoSpaces information about their pivotal scene. This may be through character dialogue (using coblocks), or information panels
  • Why did you choose this scene?
  • How does this scene change the main character/ the story
• Ask students to share their city designs/creations using CoSpaces EDU by sharing the link/ QR code. Students will be able to view each other’s creations in VR or AR by scanning each other’s QR codes.

Download the PDF for more information