Language Arts: Story Elements
Characters, setting, plot, and theme
Language Arts: Story Elements
Characters, setting, plot, and theme
Language Arts - Grade 2-3
- 1
In a story, who are the characters?
Think about who the story is mostly about.
The characters are the people, animals, or creatures in the story. - 2
What is the setting of a story?
The setting is where and when the story happens. - 3
A story takes place on a snowy mountain in winter. What is the setting?
Include both the place and the time.
The setting is a snowy mountain in winter. - 4
Mia cannot find her library book before school. What is the problem in this story idea?
The problem is that Mia cannot find her library book before school. - 5
Mia looks under her bed and finds the book in her backpack. What is the solution?
The solution tells how the problem gets fixed.
The solution is that Mia finds the book in her backpack after looking for it. - 6
Read this story idea: Ben and Ava build a kite at the park. The string breaks, so they work together to fix it. Who are the characters?
The characters are Ben and Ava. - 7
Read this story idea: Ben and Ava build a kite at the park. The string breaks, so they work together to fix it. What is the setting?
Look for where the story happens.
The setting is the park. - 8
Read this story idea: Ben and Ava build a kite at the park. The string breaks, so they work together to fix it. What is the problem?
The problem is that the kite string breaks. - 9
Read this story idea: Ben and Ava build a kite at the park. The string breaks, so they work together to fix it. What is the solution?
Tell how the characters solve the problem.
The solution is that Ben and Ava work together to fix the kite string. - 10
What is the beginning of a story usually used for?
The beginning of a story usually introduces the characters and setting. - 11
What usually happens in the middle of a story?
This is often where the action grows.
The middle of a story usually shows the problem and important events. - 12
What usually happens at the end of a story?
The end of a story usually tells how the problem is solved and how the story finishes. - 13
Read this lesson from a story: Sam shares his crayons with a new student, and they become friends. What is a theme or lesson from this story?
A theme is the message the story teaches.
A theme or lesson from this story is that sharing can help people make friends. - 14
Read this story idea: A rabbit practices hopping every day and finally wins the garden race. What is one lesson the story might teach?
One lesson the story might teach is that practice and hard work can help you improve. - 15
Write your own short story idea and name the characters, setting, problem, and solution.
You can write four short parts: characters, setting, problem, and solution.
Answers will vary. A complete answer should include at least one character, a setting, a clear problem, and a solution.