Courseversity

Lesson

Conflict and resolution

Primary EducationGrade 5English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G05-ELA-U03-L0345–60 min

You will learn

  • Identify the conflict.
  • Name the type.
  • Trace how it escalates.
  • Explain the resolution.

Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.

Student lesson

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. Find the problem.
  2. Name the type of conflict.
  3. Follow the rising tension.
  4. Explain how it ends.

Words to know

conflict
a struggle between opposing forces
internal conflict
a struggle inside a character
external conflict
a struggle with another person or force
resolution
how the conflict is solved

1. Discover: The flooded path

Rain floods the only path to school. Chidi must reach the exam but fears the water, which is deep and fast. Inside, he argues with himself: go back or try? That is internal conflict. Outside, the river blocks his way, an external conflict. Neighbour Baba Ade offers a rope and a steady hand. Together they cross. Chidi arrives in time, wet but proud.

Think: How is the conflict resolved?

2. Understand: Struggles and solutions

Idea 1: Conflict

Conflict is a struggle that drives the plot. It makes readers want to know what happens.

Idea 2: Types

Internal conflict is inside the character. External conflict is against another person, nature or society.

Idea 3: Resolution

The resolution is how the conflict is solved. It often shows the theme.

Remember: Conflict can be internal or external; the resolution shows how the problem ends.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): External

What is the external conflict?

  1. River.

Answer: the flooded river blocks the path

Example 2 (We do it together): Internal

What is the internal conflict?

  1. Fear.

Answer: Chidi argues with himself whether to try

Example 3 (You try): Resolution

How is it resolved?

Show the steps and answer
  1. Rope.

Answer: Baba Ade helps him cross with a rope

Did you know?

Without conflict, most stories would have no tension at all.

Why this matters

Understanding conflict helps you follow plot and character.

4. Explore: Conflict finder

Spot the conflict.

  1. Choose a story.
  2. Name the problem.
  3. Say if it is internal or external.
  4. Explain the resolution.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can analyse conflict.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • The conflict is ___.
  • This is an ___ conflict because ___.
  • It escalates when ___.
  • It is resolved when ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. A struggle between opposing forces is a ___.

conflict

Question 2. A struggle inside a character is ___ conflict.

internal

Question 3. A struggle with another person or force is ___ conflict.

external

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. A struggle between opposing forces is a ___.
  2. A struggle inside a character is ___ conflict.
  3. A struggle with another person or force is ___ conflict.
  4. How the conflict is solved is the ___.
  5. Chidi faced a flooded ___.

Level 2: Grow

  1. Who offered a rope?
  2. What was Chidi trying to reach?
  3. How did he arrive?

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Is the river external conflict?
  2. Is arguing with yourself internal?
  3. Does the resolution solve the problem?

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Describe the conflict and resolution in a story you know.

Show a sample answer

a conflict note

Another one. Ask a family member about a story with conflict and name the type.

Show a sample answer

a completed task

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Rushing without checking.
Fix: Slow down and check your work.
Another mistake: Skipping the worked example.
Fix: Study the example first, then try.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can identify the conflict.
  • I can name the type.
  • I can trace how it escalates.
  • I can explain the resolution.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. Conflict is a ___ between forces.

2. Internal conflict is ___ a character.

3. External conflict is with another person or ___.

4. A resolution is how the conflict is ___.

5. What is the external conflict?

6. What is the internal conflict?

7. Who helped resolve it?

8. How was it resolved?

9. Which is external conflict?

10. Which is internal conflict?

11. Where does the resolution often come?

12. Why does conflict matter?

Challenge 1. Which is internal conflict?

Challenge 2. Which is a resolution?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • Find the problem.
  • Name the type of conflict.
  • Follow the rising tension.
  • Explain how it ends.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Narrative perspective. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Exam practice

These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.

  1. What is conflict? [1 mark]
  2. Name the two main types of conflict. [2 marks]
  3. Identify the external conflict in the flooded path. [1 mark]
  4. How was the conflict resolved? [1 mark]
  5. Explain how to analyse conflict. [3 marks]

Total: 8 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. a struggle between opposing forces [1]
  2. internal [1]; external [1]
  3. the flooded river blocks the path [1]
  4. Baba Ade helped Chidi cross with a rope [1]
  5. identify the problem [1]; name the type [1]; explain how it is resolved [1]

Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. A struggle between opposing forces is a ___.
  2. A struggle inside a character is ___ conflict.
  3. A struggle with another person or force is ___ conflict.
  4. How the conflict is solved is the ___.
  5. Chidi faced a flooded ___.
  6. Who offered a rope?
  7. What was Chidi trying to reach?
  8. How did he arrive?
  9. Is the river external conflict?
  10. Is arguing with yourself internal?

Homework

Ask a family member about a story with conflict and name the type.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. A struggle between opposing forces is a ___. conflict 1
2. A struggle inside a character is ___ conflict. internal 1
3. A struggle with another person or force is ___ conflict. external 1
4. How the conflict is solved is the ___. resolution 1
5. Chidi faced a flooded ___. path 1
6. Who offered a rope? Baba Ade 1
7. What was Chidi trying to reach? the exam 1
8. How did he arrive? wet but proud 1
9. Is the river external conflict? yes 1
10. Is arguing with yourself internal? yes 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 conflict; 2 internal; 3 external; 4 resolution; 5 path. Level 2: 1 Baba Ade; 2 the exam; 3 wet but proud. Level 3: 1 yes; 2 yes; 3 yes.

Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 Identify the conflict Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Name the type Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Trace how it escalates Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Explain the resolution Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
  3. Show a simpler example: Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child practises a key Grade 3 English skill with clear examples and a quiz. You do not need to be an expert to help.

  • Listen while your child explains the idea.
  • Ask for one new example.
  • Praise effort and careful work.
  • Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
  • Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
  • Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: identify the conflict; name the type; trace how it escalates; explain the resolution.

Prerequisite knowledge. Character development.

Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Introduce the idea with the opening example.

Explanation (10 min). Teach the key words.

Guided activity (10 min). Practise together.

Independent activity (10 min). Check understanding with the quiz.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. What is the key idea? Can I give my own example?

Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use the sentence frames and work with a partner. Extension. Create a harder example of your own.

Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames. Enrichment. Make up your own example and teach it to someone at home. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.

Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 5 » Reading: Foundational Skills; Grade 5 » Reading: Literature; Grade 5 » Reading: Informational Text. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.

Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core RL.5.3 and RL.5.5 (how events build to a resolution); Cambridge Primary English Stage 5 (plot). These sources informed the lesson.

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