Building a scene: who wants what · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Give each character something to want

Arts & Music · Performing Arts · ages 9-11
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Mina wants her skates. They are in a locked cupboard, and she has no key. What is the obstacle?

    • Her wish to collect the skates
    • The locked cupboard she cannot open
    • The colour of the cupboard door

  2. You are building a scene around a character's goal. What does the goal tell you?

    • What the character wants
    • Where the lights go
    • How many seats there are

  3. A scene must include a chase or a fight to have conflict.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Noah is looking for his train ticket. Which new detail raises the stakes by giving him more to lose?

    • Without it he misses the train and his trip
    • He searches his coat pocket again
    • He moves a chair to reach the shelf

  5. Ella wants to rehearse a song in the room. Kai wants the room quiet so he can record a story. What creates their conflict?

    • The room's windows and doors
    • Their knowledge of the room's name
    • They need different sound levels

  6. A character searches one house for a party. She hears music next door and decides to search there instead. Which event is the turning point?

    • Noticing a mat near the front door
    • Hearing music and changing her plan
    • Remembering the colour of her shoes

  7. You want to plan a short scene using a goal and an obstacle. Which plan includes both?

    • Add three chairs but leave the characters' purpose unknown
    • Make every line faster but leave the characters' purpose unknown
    • A child must find a missing book before the library closes

  8. Ari first wants to take a ball that Bea is using. Now Ari wants to help Bea practise. Which action best fits Ari's changed goal?

    • Offer to pass the ball back
    • Keep trying to take the ball away
    • Hide the ball where Bea cannot find it
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Give each character something to want W1-mt_CZbWK5gf0v-s1

  1. The locked cupboard she cannot open · The locked cupboard prevents Mina from reaching her skates. Her wish to get them is her goal.
  2. What the character wants · A goal names something the character wants. It can help explain their actions.
  3. False · A quiet disagreement or another obstacle can create conflict without a chase or a fight.
  4. Without it he misses the train and his trip · Missing the train and trip adds a possible loss. Repeating a search or moving a chair changes the search without stating a greater loss.
  5. They need different sound levels · Ella wants to make music while Kai wants quiet. Their goals put them in each other's way in the same room.
  6. Hearing music and changing her plan · Hearing the music changes where she searches. It sends the action in a new direction.
  7. A child must find a missing book before the library closes · The child wants to find the book. Its unknown location and the closing time stand in the way. Furniture and faster speech alone do not supply that plan.
  8. Offer to pass the ball back · Passing the ball back helps Bea practise. Taking or hiding it interferes with her practice.
Worksheet · LightMySky