Learning Activity

Fairy Tale Story Mapping

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

2

Overview

In this whole group activity, the teacher will provide instruction on identifying the key elements in a familiar fairy tale (characters, setting, and plot). The students will complete a story map graphic organizer to identify key elements and delineate the plot.

This activity results from the ALEX Resource Development Summit.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 2

ELA21.2.23

Identify the main story elements in a literary text.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.2.23

Vocabulary

  • Story elements
  • Literary text

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Literary text is a story that contains story elements, like a plot and characters.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify the main story elements in a literary text, such as characters, settings, and plot.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Literary texts include story elements, and they can identify the various elements to better understand the text.

Phase

During/Explore/Explain
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

Students will complete a story map graphic organizer to recount the key elements of a story (characters, setting, and plot).

Activity Details

  1. Tell students they will complete a graphic organizer (story map) about a familiar fairy tale, The Three Little Pigs. Explain that a story map helps readers identify the main parts of a story: the characters, the setting(s), and the main parts of the plot. Remind students that the word "plot" means the "big events" that happen in the beginning, middle, and end of the story. 
  2. Distribute copies of the tool Story Map. Tell students that you will read a fairy tale that they have likely heard before. Tell students to listen as you read aloud, and to wait until you pause during the reading to write on their story maps.
  3. Prior to reading, have students turn and talk to a partner about what they already know about this fairy tale’s characters, setting, and plot events.
  4. Read the eBook The Story of the Three Little Pigs aloud to students. Pause during reading to allow time for students to make notes about characters, setting, and plot events in the story map. (See notes in assessment section for details on filling out the graphic organizer.)
  5. As you read, post text-dependent questions and allow student volunteers to answer. Suggestions:
    • Who are the characters?
    • What is the setting?
    • What happens to the first pig's house?
    • "Furze" is an unfamiliar word to me. How can I use what I already know about this story to figure out what "furze" means?
    • What happens when the wolf can't blow the brick house down?
    • How is the third little pig outsmarting the wolf each time?
    • What happened to the wolf when he tried to go down the chimney?
  6. Allow time for students to turn and talk, using their completed story maps to help them retell the fairy tale in their own words.
Assessment Strategies

Assessment Strategies

Observe students' performance as they progress through completing the story map. Story maps should be completed as follows:

  • characters: three pigs, wolf
  • setting(s): pigs' houses
  • beginning: The wolf blows down the houses of the first two pigs and eats them.
  • middle: The wolf can't blow down the brick house. He tries to trick the pig, but the pig outsmarts him each time.
  • end: The wolf tries to come down the chimney. He falls into a big pot. The pig eats him. 

Drop and listen as students retell the fairy tale during the turn and talk. Students should be able to use the story map to correctly delineate the main events of the plot.

Variation Tips

This activity can be repeated with other fairy tales available on Project Gutenberg, such as:

Related Learning Activities

Learning Activity (Before)

Fairy Tale Story Mapping

Learning Activity (During)

Compare and Contrast Fairy Tale Versions

Background and Preparation

Background / Preparation

Make enough copies of the tool Story Map for each child. Make one additional copy to model with an ELMO, or draw the boxes on the board for modeling during the activity.

Digital Tools / Resources

Printable Story Map - Setting, Characters, Beginning, Middle, End
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREEBIE-Story-Map-Setting-Character…

Approved Date

Owner (Author)

ghenderson
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