Story Mapping

Overview

Students learn to identify key story features—plot, characters, and setting—and organise them into a simple visual story map. This builds students’ ability to retell and adapt a familiar story accurately using story structure.

Learning intentions

• WALT create a visual representation of the story.
• Students will identify the beginning (orientation), problem (complication) and end (resolution) in Wombat Stew.
• Students will record who the characters are and where/when events happen.
• Students will use a story map to help them retell the events in order.

Success criteria

• I can draw or place pictures for the story’s beginning, problem and resolution.
• I can name the main characters and match them to events on my map.
• I can show where the story happens (place) and when it happens (time words).
• I can explain my story map using full sentences.

Curriculum links

• AC9E1LE03 — discuss plot, character and setting, which are features of stories.
• AC9E1LE05 — orally retell or adapt a familiar story using plot and characters, language features, and structure of a familiar text.
• AC9E1LY05 — use comprehension strategies such as visualising, predicting, and questioning to build literal and inferred meaning when reading/listening.
• AC9E1LE02 — discuss literary texts and share responses by making connections with students’ own experiences.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Retrieval warm-up. Teacher shows the class anchor chart from earlier lessons (characters, setting, events) and asks: “What happens first in Wombat Stew?” Students turn and talk, then share one idea.

2. 5–12 min · Model (explicit instruction) story map. Teacher displays a large example story map with three sections: Beginning / Problem / Resolution and small boxes for Character and Setting. Teacher thinks aloud: “I’m looking for the first event… then I spot the problem… then I find the ending.” Students watch and point to the section as teacher names each part.

3. 12–20 min · Read/listen for mapping clues. Teacher re-reads a short segment at a time (or shows key illustrations) and students use sticky notes to mark where they think the plot changes (beginning/problem/end). Students hold up the colour-coded sticky: green for beginning, orange for problem, blue for resolution.

4. 20–31 min · Guided creation (hands-on). Teacher distributes individual story map worksheets with picture supports and sentence starters. Students work in pairs or independently to complete their map for Wombat Stew: draw/colour one picture per section, add character labels (e.g. Wombat, other animals if included in the book), and write 1–2 setting words (place and time). Dyslexia-friendly options: students use coloured markers and thick lines; teacher provides a “trace the box then fill” template.

5. 31–40 min · Partner retell using the map. Students practise an oral retell: “First…, then…, but…, so…/In the end…” Teacher listens at a few tables and uses prompts to check accuracy of plot sequence and inclusion of character/setting.

6. 40–45 min · Quick check + closure. Students show their map to the teacher for a fast conference (“Where is the problem on your map?”). Teacher summarises: “Good story maps help us retell stories in order.”

Resources

• Large teacher story map example (Beginning / Problem / Resolution)
• Student story map template for Wombat Stew (three plot boxes + Character/Setting boxes)
• Coloured markers (green/orange/blue) and thick crayons
• Sticky notes (green/orange/blue) for plot marking
• Picture prompts from Wombat Stew (laminated cards or printed cut-outs)
• Sentence starters strip: “First… / Then… / The problem was… / In the end…”
• Timer for partner retell

Assessment

• Formative: teacher observes pair discussions and listens to oral retells using the story map (accuracy of beginning/problem/resolution).
• Formative: checks each student’s map includes all three plot parts and at least one character and setting detail.
• Exit check: individual question—“Point to the problem part. Who is involved?” based on student’s map.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters and word bank (First, Then, Problem, In the end; place words; time words like morning/day/night if relevant); offer a partially completed map (one section already filled with a picture).
• Support (Dyslexia-friendly): coloured boxes, consistent left-to-right layout, use of thick lines and larger font worksheet; allow oral dictation for writing by teacher/peer scribe.
• Targeted EAL: allow students to label using single words or simple phrases; use picture cards for character/setting selection.
• Extension (advanced learners): students add a “Feeling” detail in each section (e.g. Wombat felt worried/excited) and include one extra event box if the story includes a second complication or twist.