Week 31 · Term Four · Story structure, branching, choice and code
Find the shape of a story with Freytag’s pyramid, count how branching stories multiply, learn from a real psychology study what makes a choice worth making, write a story’s rules as if-then code, and playtest a branching story map on a real reader.
Monday climbs the story pyramid. Tuesday counts how branches multiply. Wednesday asks why fewer choices can be better. Thursday codes consequences with variables and if-then rules. Friday writes a story map and tests it on a reader.
25 minutes
Literature · The shape of a story
Identify the five parts of a story's structure, and explain how each part moves the plot and builds toward its theme.
Make
A story pyramid
Report handoff: The story pyramid is filed. Tomorrow the story splits into branches.
25 minutes
Game design · Choices multiply
Use exponents to count the paths in a branching story, and explain why writers merge branches back together.
Make
A branch map
Report handoff: The branch map is filed. Tomorrow you find out what makes a choice worth making.
25 minutes
Psychology · What makes a choice meaningful
Compare percentages from a real study, and explain what makes a choice in a story meaningful: few options, each with a real cost.
Make
A choice checklist
Report handoff: The choice checklist is filed. Tomorrow you write the rules the story follows, like code.
25 minutes
Coding · Rules the story remembers
Trace a short program that uses a variable and an if-then rule, and decide what makes a story's consequences fair.
Make
A story rules
Report handoff: The story rules are filed. Tomorrow you build a story map and test it on a real reader.
30 minutes
Writing · A story someone can play
Write a branching narrative with a clear structure, meaningful choices and consistent rules, then revise it after a playtest.
Make
A story map
Report handoff: The story map is filed. Your week's report is ready for the portfolio.
The story prototype uses only work entered here. It is a family record of this week’s work, not a grade, an attendance record, or proof of mastery.
