May
4
Lesson 3- Story Elements
Instructional Goals: Students will be able to have an understanding of how some stories are structured, which they could use to help them to write their stories.
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| Activity | Description and Purpose |
| Introduction to Elements of Story Structure | The teacher will explain that there are many different ways that people can tell a story. Some stories have some sort of problem, or conflict, and then some sort of solution at the end. The teacher will also explain that characters are the people in the stories, and that the setting is a word for where the story takes place. |
| Read Aloud Recommendation: Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Q4tAXar8uIA&t=53s | Then, the teacher will read this story out loud to the students, and ask the students to pay attention to the conflict of the story and the solution. The teacher can also prime students to look out for characters (people in the story), and the setting (where it takes place) |
| Teacher Think Aloud | Then, the teacher will ask the students to brainstorm who was in the story (the characters), where they were (the setting), and what happened in the story (the problem and solution). The teacher will tell the students that they can structure their stories in a similar way. |
| What do we do when we think we have finished? | Before the students begin their writing for the day, the teacher will take out the anchor chart from the past lessons. The teacher will ask the students: What can you do when you think you are done? The students can brainstorm ideas and the teacher can also provide some options, such as “add more detail”, “read the piece over”, or “go back to the heart map and choose something else to start writing about”. The teacher can add these ideas to the chart. |
| Free Writing Time and Share | Then, the students will have a chance to return to their writing. If students would like, the teacher can provide them with a scaffold (chart) to help them to brainstorm their characters, setting, and problem and solution. Students can also do this in their writing journal for more space. Students can also choose to continue writing their story from yesterday, or to choose a different topic from their heart map if they are feeling stuck in their first story. Then, students can share a piece of what they are working on with the class if they choose. |
Assessment/Checkpoint: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to identify characters and the setting in their story. The teacher can circulate and ask students about their stories.
Differentiation/Student Choice: Students can choose if they want to use the supportive worksheet, and the students can choose how they want to spend their free writing time, whether it be planning their story or drafting.
