Show Me Fiction Story Elements: Home

3rd Grade

Reading Engagement: Select: Exercise Reading Choices (3-5): Explore reading in multiple formats and genres.

3.2.A  Read, infer, analyze, and draw conclusions to: a. Summarize and sequence the events/plot and explain for past events impact future events. 

1 class period

This lesson was created by Dawn Moore from Hawthorn Elementary School. 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

In this lesson, students will explore two Show Me Reader nominees. They will focus on identifying and understanding the five key story elements: setting, characters, events, problem, and solution. (Any Show Me Reader Nominee will work for this lesson.)

• Creepy Crayon* by Aaron Reynolds
• Acorn Was a Little Wild* by Jen Arena
• *Any Show Me Reader Award Nominee can be used in place of the titles above. 
• Anchor chart
• Story element bubbles (Cut outs with story elements on them)

Objectives:

• Students will be able to explore reading in multiple formats and genres. 
• Students will be able to summarize and sequence the events/plot and explain for past events impact future events. 

I Can Statements: 

• I can explore and read stories in different formats and genres.
• I can summarize the plot of a story and explain how events from the past affect the future.

1. Talk about five elements of a fiction story: setting, characters, events, problem, solution
2. Read Aloud #1 Discuss Story Elements.
3. Read Aloud #2 Discuss Story Elements

Introduce Story Elements:

• Begin by introducing the five key elements of a fiction story: setting, characters, events, problem, and solution. Explain each element briefly and discuss how they work together to create a complete narrative.
  • Setting: Where and when the story takes place.
  • Characters: The people or animals in the story. 
  • Events: What happens in the story.
  • Problem: The challenge or conflict the characters face.
  • Solution: How the characters resolve the problem.

Discussion of Multiple Genres and Formats:

• Discuss how stories can be presented in different formats, such as picture books, chapter books, or graphic novels, and in different genres like fantasy, adventure, or realistic fiction.
• Explain that students will be reading two books and they will practice identifying the five story elements in each.

Preview the Read-alouds:

• Encourage students to pay attention to the characters, setting, problem, and solution in each story, as these elements will be discussed after each read-aloud.

Read Aloud #1: Creepy Crayon

• Read aloud, with an emphasis on discussing the five key elements of a fiction story: setting, characters, events, problem, and solution.
• After reading, students will identify each of these elements in the book and discuss how they contribute to the overall story. The focus will be on analyzing how the setting, characters, and events drive the plot forward.

Read Aloud #2: Acorn Was a Little Wild

• Read aloud Acorn Was a Little Wild next, with a focus on identifying the story elements (setting, characters, events, problem, and solution).
• The class will compare the two books, noting differences and similarities in how these elements are used in each story.

Discussion:

• After both books are read aloud, students will engage in a discussion where they practice summarizing the plot and sequencing the events of both stories.
• Students will also talk about the connections between past events and how they influence the story’s development, emphasizing cause and effect.
• Create an anchor chart to write student responses for each book. (i.e. Story elements listed down the left side and book titles written across the top. Write student answers in each column.) 

Students will demonstrate their understanding of this lesson by participating in class discussions, such as summarizing the plot and explaining how past events influence future actions in each story.

• Use graphic organizers for students who need assistance organizing their thoughts about the story elements. 
• Write the story elements (setting, characters, events, problem, solution) on post-its. The teacher or students can stick them on the pages of the book to help them remember the story elements.