Let's Explore Stories: Characters, Setting, and Events!

English Language Arts Grades Pre-K 2:14 Video
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Lesson Description

Learn about the important parts of a story: who (characters), where and when (setting), and what happens (events)! This lesson uses a fun video to help you understand these ideas.

Video Resource

Story Elements Part 1: Characters, Setting, and Events | English For Kids | Mind Blooming

Mind Blooming

Duration: 2:14
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Characters: The people, animals, or creatures in a story.
  • Setting: Where and when the story takes place.
  • Events: The important things that happen in the story.

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to identify the characters in a simple story.
  • Students will be able to identify the setting (where and when) of a simple story.
  • Students will be able to identify the main events in a simple story.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by asking students if they like stories. Ask them what makes a story good. Introduce the idea that stories have special parts: characters, setting, and events.
  • Video Time! (5 mins)
    Watch the YouTube video: Story Elements Part 1: Characters, Setting, and Events | English For Kids | Mind Blooming. Tell students to pay attention to who, where, when, and what.
  • Discuss the Video (5 mins)
    After the video, ask the students what they learned about characters, setting, and events. Use the discussion questions below to guide the conversation.
  • Story Time! (10 mins)
    Read a short story aloud to the students (choose a simple picture book). As you read, pause and ask the students to identify the characters, the setting, and the events.
  • Activity: Drawing a Story (10 mins)
    Give each student a piece of paper. Ask them to draw a picture of their favorite story. Then ask them to label the characters, setting, and one event in their drawing. Assist them with this task as needed.

Interactive Exercises

  • Story Element Sort
    Prepare index cards with pictures or words representing characters, settings, and events (e.g., a picture of a princess, a picture of a castle, a picture of someone running). Have the students sort the cards into three groups: Characters, Setting, and Events.

Discussion Questions

  • What is a character? Can you name a character from your favorite story?
  • What is a setting? Where does your favorite story take place?
  • What are events? What happens in your favorite story?

Skills Developed

  • Listening Comprehension
  • Story Element Identification
  • Vocabulary Building
  • Critical Thinking

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

Who are the people or animals in a story called?

Correct Answer: Characters

Question 2:

Where and when a story happens is called the...

Correct Answer: Setting

Question 3:

What happens in the story are called...

Correct Answer: Events

Question 4:

In the story about Jenny and Daisy, who are the characters?

Correct Answer: Jenny and Daisy

Question 5:

Where did Jenny and Daisy play?

Correct Answer: In the Backyard

Question 6:

What game did Jenny and Daisy play?

Correct Answer: Hide and Seek

Question 7:

Is a dog a character?

Correct Answer: Yes

Question 8:

Is a house a setting?

Correct Answer: Yes

Question 9:

Is eating lunch an event?

Correct Answer: Yes

Question 10:

If a story happens at night, is 'night' part of the setting?

Correct Answer: Yes

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

The ______ are who the story is about.

Correct Answer: characters

Question 2:

The ________ tells us where the story happens.

Correct Answer: setting

Question 3:

The ________ are what happens in the story.

Correct Answer: events

Question 4:

Jenny and Daisy are ________ in the story.

Correct Answer: characters

Question 5:

The girls were playing in the ________.

Correct Answer: backyard

Question 6:

The girls were playing ________ and seek.

Correct Answer: hide

Question 7:

A princess is a ________.

Correct Answer: character

Question 8:

A castle is a ________.

Correct Answer: setting

Question 9:

Laughing is an ________.

Correct Answer: event

Question 10:

The sun is a part of the ________.

Correct Answer: setting

Educational Standards

PK.3.R.3:Students will identify characters in a story with prompting. PK.3.R.2:Students will answer basic questions (e.g., who, what, where, and when) about texts, photographs, or illustrations during shared reading or other text experiences with prompting. PK.2.R:Students will begin to retell or reenact major events or details from a read-aloud. PK.1.S.3:Students will ask and answer questions with prompting. PK.8.R:Students will listen and respond to read-alouds, participate in shared reading, and interact independently with texts.

Teaching Materials

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