Story Beginnings

Overview

In this first lesson of the Too Much Stuff Stories unit, students explore Too Much Stuff by Emily Gravett and identify how a story begins. They notice the characters, setting, and action, then use these features to plan and write their own story beginning.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify the characters, setting, and action at the beginning of a story.
• WALT use what we notice in a story to share an idea for our own story.
• WALT write one or two sentences to introduce a character and setting.
• WALT use a capital letter and a full stop.

Success criteria

• I can name or draw a character.
• I can show or describe where the story happens.
• I can say what is happening at the beginning.
• I can write a sentence that starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop.

Curriculum links

• English — Comprehension strategies: using what has already happened in a story to anticipate what may happen next.
• English — Text form, structure, style, and features: recognising that stories have a beginning, characters, settings, and action.
• English — Composition, writing to entertain: creating a story based on something real or made up.
• Students practise communicating ideas, listening to others, and participating confidently in collaborative discussion.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Hook and purpose. Teacher shows the cover of Too Much Stuff and asks, “What might happen when someone has too much stuff?” Open with the story hook and learning intention. Students make a prediction, then turn and talk about what they notice in the picture.

2. 4–10 min · Read and notice. Teacher reads the opening pages aloud, pausing to think aloud: “I can see who the story is about, where it is happening, and what is happening first.” Students listen, look closely at the illustrations, and help identify the character, setting, and first action. Record their ideas under three headings: Who? Where? What is happening? Use the story features prompts to display the headings.

3. 10–14 min · Think–pair–share. Teacher asks, “Who could be in your story? Where could they be? What are they doing at the start?” Give quiet thinking time, then invite pairs to share. Students discuss an imagined or real character, a setting, and one beginning action. Select two or three ideas to share with the class, affirming that stories may be made up or based on things that really happened.

4. 14–19 min · Model writing. Teacher models drawing a quick character and setting, then writes: “Mia was in the messy bedroom. She was looking for her red hat.” Think aloud about choosing a capital letter at the start, spaces between words, and a full stop at the end. Point to each feature on the model sentence and punctuation reminders. Students help read the sentences and identify the character, setting, and action.

5. 19–27 min · Independent story beginnings. Distribute the character, setting, and story beginning page. Students draw a character in a setting and write one or two sentences explaining who the character is, where they are, and what is happening. Teacher conferences with individuals and prompts orally before students write. Encourage students to reread their writing and check for a capital letter and full stop.

6. 27–30 min · Share and review. Invite two or three students to share their drawings and read their sentences. Use the sharing prompts and success criteria. Students show a quiet thumbs-up when they hear a character, setting, and action, then complete the sentence: “A story beginning tells us…”

Resources

• Too Much Stuff by Emily Gravett
• story hook, prompts, model, and review slides
• the character, setting, and story beginning page
• Whiteboard and markers
• Pencils, crayons, or coloured pencils
• Prepared chart with the headings “Who?”, “Where?”, and “What is happening?”

Assessment

• During discussion, listen for students who can identify a character, setting, and beginning action from the text.
• During writing, check whether students include a character and setting, and whether their sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop.
• Use student sharing and the completed worksheet to identify who can independently create a clear story beginning and who needs further modelling in the next lesson.

Differentiation

• Support students by scribing their orally rehearsed sentence, providing picture choices for a character and setting, or using the sentence frame: “_____ was in _____. They were _____.”
• Rehearse sentences with a partner before writing; allow students to label their drawing and dictate part of their story if handwriting limits composition.
• Provide visual reminders for capital letters, spaces, and full stops, and seat students where they can clearly see the model.
• Extend confident writers by adding a second sentence describing a feeling or giving a clue about what might happen next. Encourage EAL learners to point, draw, act, and use familiar words before attempting the English sentence.