Story Elements Start

Overview

In this first lesson of the 6-lesson unit, students explore the core story elements—characters, setting and events—using a familiar picture book or short text. They begin to connect what they notice in literature to how stories are built and why they feel a certain way.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• identify characters, settings and key events in a text
• discuss how characters and settings influence what happens next
• use simple evidence from the text (words, illustrations, or actions) to support their ideas
• make a personal connection by sharing a favourite part of a story and why it matters

Success criteria

Students can:

• name the main character and describe what they do or want
• describe the setting (where/when) using details from the text or pictures
• retell the story’s beginning using 2–3 key events in order
• explain one reason they liked (or related to) a part of the story

Curriculum links

• Literature — AC9E3LE01: discuss characters, events and settings in different contexts in literature, including wide-ranging Australian and world authors and illustrators
• Literature — AC9E3LE03: discuss how an author uses language and illustrations to portray characters and settings, and how settings/events influence mood
• Literature — AC9E3LE02: discuss connections between personal experiences and character experiences, and share personal preferences
• Language — AC9E3LA07 (light focus during discussion): recognise verbs that show doing/feeling/thinking to describe character actions and feelings

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and purpose

• Teacher shows the book cover (or a first page) and asks: “What do you think the story will be about, and where will it happen?”
• Student shares an initial prediction and one idea about setting.

2. 5–15 min · Shared read (first look)

• Teacher reads aloud the beginning of the selected text, pausing at 2–3 moments to point out illustration details (place, time, character traits).
• Student tracks by circling (or pointing to) the character and one setting detail in the pictures.

3. 15–25 min · Story element hunt (characters + setting)

• Teacher introduces a simple anchor chart: “Character = who?”, “Setting = where/when?”, “Event = what happens next?”
• Student answers using sentence starters: “The character is…”, “The setting looks/feels like…”, “I know because…(text/picture).”

4. 25–35 min · Mood and influence (quick discussion)

• Teacher revisits a chosen page and prompts: “How does the setting help us feel (happy, worried, excited) and what makes you think that?”
• Student selects one mood word and explains it using either descriptive language from the page or a picture detail (e.g., “The room is dark, so it feels scary.”).

5. 35–43 min · Retell the beginning (ordering events)

• Teacher models a 3-step retell using a “Beginning–Middle–End” strip, then focuses only on “Beginning” for this lesson.
• Student retells the beginning in 3 sentences (or 3 picture cards): Event 1 → Event 2 → Event 3, using the order words “first”, “then”, “after that”.

6. 43–45 min · Exit ticket (check for understanding)

• Teacher collects a quick response card (or one verbal check).
• Student completes: “In this story, the character is __. The setting is __. One event in the beginning is __.”

Resources

• One selected picture book or short story (appropriate for Year 3; class can use the same title across the unit)
• Copy of the first 6–10 pages (single-page comprehension sheet) or a projection/screen view
• Anchor chart paper or board markers
• Character/setting/event sentence starter strips
• Exit ticket cards (one per student) or a mini response sheet
• Sticky notes or highlighters for tracking character and setting details

Assessment

• Observation during the shared read: accuracy of identified character and setting details
• Formative discussion: student’s use of evidence from text/illustrations (“I know because…”)
• Exit ticket: clear identification of character, setting, and one beginning event

Differentiation

• Support:
• Provide sentence starters and a word bank for mood (e.g., calm, excited, worried, scared, cosy, busy)
• Offer a “choose from 2–3” option for setting description to reduce cognitive load
• Extension:
• Ask an extra prompt: “What might happen next, and why?” using “because” reasoning from setting or character
• EAL/SEN considerations:
• Accept pointing to pictures and single-word answers first, then scaffold into short sentences
• Use verb cues (doing/feeling/thinking) by highlighting them during reading (e.g., “looked”, “felt”, “wondered”)