Classroom Resource

Storytelling With Words and Pictures

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

3, 4

Overview

In this interactive lesson, students learn the basics of how stories are structured, gain vocabulary about storytelling elements, and explore how the arts, specifically drawing, can be a valuable way for students to tell stories. By the end of the lesson, each student will have written a story with a clear setting, conflict, and resolution. They will have reflected on the process of storytelling, and are given the (optional) opportunity to create a comic.

This resource guides students as they create an original narrative. 

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 3

ELA21.3.22

Describe literary elements within a story, including setting, plot, characters, and themes.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.3.22

Vocabulary

  • Describe
  • Literary elements
  • Story
  • Setting
  • Plot
  • Characters
  • Themes

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Literary elements within a story include the setting, plot, characters, and themes.
  • Setting is when and where a story takes place.
  • Plot is the main events of a story (often referred to as the beginning, middle, and end of a story).
  • Characters are any person, animal, or figure that affect the plot.
  • Theme is the main, recurring idea in a text.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify and describe the literary elements, including setting, plot, characters, and theme, within the text.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Identifying and describing literary elements within a story will help in comprehending the text.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 3

ELA21.3.33

Write personal or fictional narratives with a logical plot (sequence of events), characters, transitions, and a sense of closure.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.3.33

Vocabulary

  • Personal narrative
  • Fictional narrative
  • Logical plot
  • Sequence of events
  • Characters
  • Transitions
  • Closure

Knowledge

Students know:
  • A narrative is a piece of writing that tells a story.
  • A personal narrative tells about an event that was personally experienced by the author, while a fictional narrative tells a made up story.
  • A narrative story describes a sequence of events in a logical order (beginning, middle, end) and provides a sense of closure as an ending.
  • A narrative story describes the actions, thoughts, and feelings of the characters.
  • Narrative transitions indicate when and where the story is occurring.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Write a personal narrative that recalls a personal experience or a fictional narrative with a made-up story.
  • Write a narrative with a logical sequence of events and details that describe how the characters feels, acts, and thinks.
  • Use appropriate transitions in narrative writing.
  • Write a narrative that ends with a sense of closure.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Narrative writing includes predictable elements, like a logical sequence of events and an ending that provides the reader with a sense of closure.
  • Because narrative writing describes a chronological sequence of events, it includes transitions that indicate the time and place in which the story is occurring.
  • Narrative writing can be used to tell about something that happened to them personally or it can tell a story they made up.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 4

ELA21.4.15

Analyze in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.4.15

Vocabulary

  • Analyze
  • Character
  • Setting
  • Event
  • Story
  • Drama
  • Specific details

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Characters are any person, animal, or figure that affect the events of the story.
  • Setting is when and where a story takes place.
  • Events are situations that are described in the story.
  • A drama is a story with dialogue that can be read by different people.
  • Details in the text provide information about the characters, setting, and events.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Use specific details from the text to explain attributes of the characters, setting, or event in a story or drama.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • They can explain details about characters, settings, and events in a story or drama by using evidence from the text.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 4

ELA21.4.35

Write personal or fictional narratives using a logical plot, transitional words and phrases, sensory details, and dialogue, and providing a sense of closure.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.4.35

Vocabulary

  • Personal narratives
  • Fictional narratives
  • Logical plot
  • Transitional words and phrases
  • Sensory details
  • Dialogue
  • Closure

Knowledge

Students know:
  • A narrative is a piece of writing that tells a story.
  • A personal narrative tells about an event that was personally experienced by the author, while a fictional narrative tells a made up story.
  • A narrative story describes a sequence of events in a logical order (beginning, middle, end) and provides a sense of closure as an ending.
  • Narrative transitions indicate when and where the story is occurring.
  • Sensory details use descriptions of the five senses.
  • Dialogue is a conversation between two or more people.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Write a personal narrative that recalls a personal experience or a fictional narrative with a made-up story.
  • Write a narrative with a logical sequence of events and sensory details.
  • Use appropriate transitional words and phrases in narrative writing.
  • Include dialogue in narrative writing.
  • Write a narrative that ends with a sense of closure.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Narrative writing includes predictable elements, like a logical sequence of events and an ending that provides the reader with a sense of closure.
  • Because narrative writing describes a chronological sequence of events, it includes transitions that indicate the time and place in which the story is occurring.
  • Narrative writing can be used to tell about something that happened to them personally or it can tell a story they made up.
Link to Resource
https://aptv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ilwmht18-ela-storytelling/storytelli…

CR Resource Type

Interactive/Game

Resource Provider

PBS
Accessibility
License

License Type

Custom

Custom License Type (URL)

https://aptv.pbslearningmedia.org/help/terms-of-use/#restrictions

Comments or Notes

This resource includes supporting materials for teachers.

Approved Date

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