Ocean Story Basics

Overview

In this first lesson of the unit “Marine Narratives: Ocean Adventures”, students explore what makes a narrative by listening to and viewing marine-themed picture books. They identify key narrative parts: setting, characters, problem, and resolution, and discuss how language and images create these features.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• identify characters and settings in marine narratives
• recognise and name the problem and resolution in a story
• discuss how language (including verbs and dialogue) helps present characters and actions
• connect pictures and text to understand narrative meaning

Success criteria

Students can:

• point to the setting and describe it using evidence from the book
• name the main character(s) and describe what they do or feel
• state the story problem in their own words
• tell what happens to solve the problem (the resolution)

Curriculum links

• Literature: AC9E2LE03 — discuss characters and settings of a range of texts and identify how language is used to present these features in different ways
• Literature: AC9E2LE02 — identify features of literary texts (characters and settings) and give reasons for personal preferences
• Literacy: AC9E2LY05 — use comprehension strategies such as visualising and questioning to build literal and inferred meaning
• Language: AC9E2LA08 — understand that images add to or multiply the meanings of a text

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook & talk Teacher shows the cover of a marine picture book and asks, “Who might be in this story? Where could it be?” Students turn and talk, then share 1 prediction and 1 reason (what they noticed on the cover).

2. 5–12 min · Model: setting & character Teacher reads the first part of the book (or first two spreads) with stopping points, thinking aloud: “I can see the setting… I notice the character… I’m asking, what are they doing?” Students use teacher prompts to identify the setting and character, using sentence stems: “The setting is…” “The character is…”

3. 12–22 min · Interactive reading: problem & resolution Teacher continues reading, stopping at key moments to ask: “What problem is happening? How do you know?” and later “How does it end? What is the resolution?” Students help sequence the story using a simple class graphic organiser with four boxes: Setting → Characters → Problem → Resolution.

4. 22–30 min · Language focus: verbs & feelings Teacher revisits one character action from the story and highlights a few verb phrases (for example, “swooped”, “swam”, “hid”, “shouted”) and any dialogue. Students practise saying the action and adding a feeling word: “The character is (action) because they (feeling).”

5. 30–38 min · Picture + text check Teacher shows a single illustration from the book and asks: “What does the picture tell us that the words don’t?” Students point to an image detail (expression, movement, ocean features) and explain how it helps them understand the narrative.

6. 38–44 min · Guided practice: create your narrative map Teacher provides a short, teacher-made “story map” template with sentence starters and 4 spaces (or one per pair). In pairs, students complete the template for the story just read: setting, character, problem, resolution (using drawings or short written responses).

7. 44–45 min · Exit ticket Teacher displays four icons (place, character, problem, ending). Students show one icon and say one sentence: “The resolution is…” or write one sentence if ready.

Resources

• 1 marine-themed picture book for read-aloud (teacher-selected; includes clear setting and problem/resolution)
• Visual story map template (Setting/Characters/Problem/Resolution)
• Sentence starters strips (e.g., “The setting is…”, “The problem is…”, “The resolution is…”)
• Picture/print cards for the exit ticket icons
• Highlighter/markers for teacher to point out verb phrases during read-aloud
• Pair reading spaces or desks for collaborative work
• Optional: class anchor chart paper for narrative parts

Assessment

• Formative checks during reading stops: students correctly identify setting/character and can describe the problem and resolution
• Teacher observes pair work: students use evidence from pictures/text and complete all four narrative boxes
• Exit ticket: student can produce at least one accurate narrative element (especially problem or resolution)

Differentiation

• Provide sentence starters, word banks (ocean words, feeling words, action verbs), and model examples on the board
• For students needing support, allow drawing only for one or two boxes (e.g., problem, resolution) with teacher conferencing
• For EAL learners, use repeated phrasing and allow oral responses; pre-teach key terms like “problem” and “resolution”
• Extension within task: students choose one verb from the story map and act it out, explaining how the action shows the character’s feelings