The climax of any written work is where the tension/thrill/drama has reached its highest point. There is a build up going towards the climax, and then a calming after the climax. Often the climax will occur near the end of the work, but not the end of the work. In Of Mice and Men the climax occurs when Lennie kills Curley's wife. Drama is built up to that point at which it is released. In Brave New World the climax occurs when The Savage is throwing Soma out of the window.
To drive the plot toward the climax
Events that are caused by the Conflict and lead up toward the Climax
rising action
Every step of the problem leads toward the climax. That's called rising action.
The climax does not take place during the rising action. The rising action includes events that develop the plot and build toward the climax, which is the moment of highest tension or conflict in the story.
plot
In a story, the climax is where all of the action comes to a head. It is usually the most exciting part of the story, and most everything that comes afterward is falling action that moves the story toward a conclusion.
The climax is when she has to move back on the streets. The falling action is when she noticed who her real friends are. The resolution is she noticed what she did wrong, and fixed them.
Rising action is when a story develops tension and is moving toward the climax. Find the rising action in that book and write a report on it.
plot
Rising action is when a story develops tension and is moving toward the climax. Find the rising action in that book and write a report on it.
Falling action occurs right after the climax, when the main problem of the story resolves. It is one of the elements of the plot of the story, the other elements being exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution. Falling action wraps up the narrative, resolves its loose ends, and leads toward the closure.