Conflict Clues Worksheet
Name: Date:
Grades 3–4 ELA Score: / 20
Story Showdown: Conflict Clues
Every great story needs a conflict (the main problem). Learn the 4 major types!
Reading Detective
Quick Reference Guide Internal = inside mind • External = outside world
vs. Character 🤼
Two or more characters clash, argue, or compete against each other.
Example: Playground fight
vs. Nature ⛈️
A character struggles against wild animals, weather, or natural obstacles.
Example: Blizzard storm
vs. Self 🧠
An internal struggle with fear, guilt, or making a tough moral choice.
Example: Telling the truth
vs. Society 📜
A character stands up against an unfair rule, law, tradition, or community.
Example: Changing an old rule
1 Part 1: Quick Match Clues
Write the letter of the correct conflict type on the line. (4 pts)
1. Maya is nervous to sing on stage. Her heart races and she wonders if she should fake a cough to stay home.
2. Sudden ocean waves knock over Tyler’s kayak and drag his paddle into the strong tide.
3. Jordan wants to build a treehouse, but the town bylaws state no tree structures are allowed anywhere.
4. Liam and his older sister both grab the last slice of pepperoni pizza and refuse to let go.
A. Character vs. Character B. Character vs. Nature C. Character vs. Self D. Character vs. Society
2 Part 2: Clue Detective (Check the Best Answer)
Read each situation and fill in the circle. (6 pts)
Case A: Mateo finds a ten-dollar bill on the hallway floor. Nobody saw him pick it up. He really wants to buy a comic book, but he knows someone is looking for their lost money.
Character vs. Character
Character vs. Nature
Character vs. Self
Character vs. Society
Case B: Elena is hiking with her scout troop when dense fog rolls down the mountain. The trail markers disappear and a cold rain starts to pour down through the tall pine trees.
Character vs. Character
Character vs. Nature
Character vs. Self
Character vs. Society
Story Showdown • 4 Types of Conflict Page 1 of 2
2
Case File Analysis & Author Lab
Use clues from the stories to defend your answers and write your own conflict.
Name:
3 Part 3: Read & Explain (Case Studies)
6 pts total (3 pts each)
Case File #1
“No girls are allowed in the school robotics club,” the eighth-grade president announced. Nora crossed her arms. She had read every coding book in the library and built three working solar robots at home. Nora gathered ten classmates and marched to the principal’s office with a petition to change the club rules for good.
A. Which conflict type is this?
B. What clue helped you decide?
C. Explain why this problem is difficult for Nora to solve:
Case File #2
David sprinted toward home plate as fast as his sneakers would take him. Out of nowhere, the catcher blocked the base with his shin guard and shouted, “You’re out of here!” David leaped up, nose-to-nose with the catcher, yelling that his foot touched home plate first. Both dugouts began shouting back and forth.
A. Which conflict type is this?
B. What clue helped you decide?
C. Explain how these characters might solve this problem fairly:
4 Part 4: Author Lab (Create Your Own Conflict)
4 pts
Pick ONE conflict type from the box below and write a 2–3 sentence mini-story showing that conflict in action.
My chosen conflict: Character vs. Nature Character vs. Self
Author Self-Check: I introduced a character The problem is crystal clear I used capital letters & periods
Story Showdown • 4 Types of Conflict Page 2 of 2
