Understanding Story Elements: Characters, Setting, and Events
Understanding Story Elements: Characters, Setting, and Events Objective: By the end of this 45-minute lesson, the student will be able to ask and answer questions about key details in a story, specifically identifying characters, setting, and major events to demonstrate comprehension.
Learning Objectives
- Identify who the characters are in a story.
- Describe where and when the story happens (setting).
- Recall and explain important events in the story.
- Use questions to find answers about story details.
Materials Needed
- A short age-appropriate storybook or printed story (about 1-2 pages)
- Paper and crayons or colored pencils
- Question prompt cards with simple questions about characters, setting, and events
- Worksheet with sections for characters, setting, and events
Key Vocabulary
- Character
- A person or animal in a story.
- Setting
- Where and when a story takes place.
- Event
- Something that happens in the story.
Detailed Activities
Read and Discuss the Story
- Read the chosen story aloud to the student, showing pictures if available.
- Pause occasionally to ask simple questions: Who is in the story? Where does it happen? What happened first?
- Encourage the student to answer the questions with full sentences.
Identify Story Elements
- Use the worksheet to help the student draw or write about the characters, setting, and events.
- Ask the student to name the characters and describe the setting aloud.
- Discuss the main events and have the student put them in order.
Create Question Cards
- Together, make simple question cards about the story (e.g., ‘Who is the main character?’, ‘Where does the story take place?’).
- Use the cards to quiz each other, reinforcing comprehension.
- Praise the student for correct answers and gently guide if answers are incomplete.
Parent & Instructor Notes
- This lesson focuses on helping your child understand important parts of a story by asking questions and discussing answers.
- Encourage your child to speak in complete sentences to build language skills.
- Be patient and use the question cards as a fun way to review what was read.
Assessment Questions
- Who are the characters in the story?
- Where does the story take place?
- What happened first in the story?
- Can you tell me one important event from the story?
Extension Ideas
- Have your child draw a picture showing the setting and characters together.
- Create a simple story map with pictures and words to summarize the story.
- Read a new story and repeat the activity to build confidence and skills.
Frequently Asked Questions
Try rephrasing the questions or giving examples. You can also point to pictures in the book to help guide their answers.
Short daily sessions of 15-20 minutes can help reinforce skills, but this 45-minute lesson can be done once a week with review in between.
Yes, choose a simple story with clear characters and a setting that your child can relate to or find interesting.
Teacher’s Guide
Common Misconceptions:
- Children may confuse characters with the setting or mix up events from different parts of the story.
- Some students might give yes/no answers instead of descriptive responses.
Scaffolding Ideas:
For Struggling Students:
- Use pictures or puppets to represent characters and setting to make questions more concrete.
- Limit the number of questions and focus on one story element at a time.
For Advanced Students:
- Have the student create their own questions about the story.
- Encourage retelling the story in their own words, focusing on sequence and detail.
Pacing Recommendations:
- Begin with reading and discussion for 15-20 minutes to build understanding.
- Spend 15 minutes on identifying story elements with the worksheet.
- Use the last 10 minutes for the question card activity and review.
Standards
- 1.RL.5 — Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
Printable Worksheet
Plan Your Own Lesson
Looking for a custom lesson plan? Try our Lesson Planning Generator — create standards-based plans for any topic, instantly!
Common Core Aligned Lesson Plans
Looking for another common core lesson? See all of the lesson plans here.
More Free Lesson Plans
We’re adding more every week! Check back soon or explore all our lesson plans here.
Leave a Reply