Elements of a Story for 1st Grade

To the Educator:

The eBook is designed for 1st graders to learn or review the key elements in a fiction story. The elements include characters, setting, and plot (conflict and resolution). For a story to be engaging, it requires each of these characteristics. As students are learning to read and write, they should be able to identify these elements in the texts that they read as well as their own writing.

Materials and Resources:

Videos and songs about each of the elements of a story, a narrated story for students to find elements on their own, and discussion questions reflecting the material.

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to…

• Explain the elements of a story and their importance.

• Identify the elements in a story they have read using a graphic organizer.

• Use each characteristic in a story they create.

What are the characters in a story and why are they important?

What is the setting and what does it tell the reader?

To have a plot or a storyline, the author needs to create conflict in the story. What is conflict and why is it important?

The plot of a story is complete when there is a solution to the conflict. Another term for this is the resolution.

Put your knowledge to the test:

Fill in your graphic organizer while listening to the story below.

Find each of the characteristics you have learned so far in this story and fill in the blanks.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is a story character?

2. How many characters can be in a story?

3. How does the setting impact how the reader is feeling?

4. What are the two types of conflict a story can have?

5. Why does a story need a resolution?

Extension Activity:

Use the second graphic organizer to create your own story! The story can be real or fiction. Once you fill in each of the blanks, put the pieces together by writing the short story in your ELA journal.