Exploring Story Settings

Overview

Duration: 45 minutes
Class size: 17 students
Unit: Setting the Scene
Lesson: 1 of 1
Year group: 1
Subject: English
National Curriculum focus: Spoken language, Reading comprehension, Writing (composition and vocabulary development)

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National Curriculum Links

Reading - Comprehension (Year 1)

Pupils should be taught to:

• Develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by:
  • Discussing the significance of the title and events.
  • Predicting what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far.
• Participate in discussions about what is read to them, taking turns and listening to what others say.

Spoken Language (Year 1)

Pupils should be taught to:

• Listen and respond appropriately to adults and peers.
• Ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge.
• Participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and debates.
• Use relevant strategies to build their vocabulary.
• Articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions.
• Use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising, imagining and exploring ideas.

Writing (Composition and Vocabulary) (Year 1)

Pupils should be taught to:

• Say out loud what they are going to write about.
• Compose a sentence orally before writing it.
• Sequence sentences to form short narratives.
• Re-read what they have written to check that it makes sense.
• Learn vocabulary and grammar: use simple conjunctions (e.g., and, but, so) to join words and clauses.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to:

1. Understand and explain what a story’s setting is (including time, place, mood).
2. Identify different story settings from familiar texts and personal experiences.
3. Generate descriptive vocabulary related to various settings to build a word bank.
4. Orally construct simple descriptive sentences about a familiar setting, correctly using basic conjunctions ('and', 'but', 'so').

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Resources

• Selection of well-known picture books/stories with distinct settings (e.g., The Little Red Hen, We're Going on a Bear Hunt)
• Large chart paper or whiteboard
• Markers or coloured pens
• Picture prompts of various settings (beach, forest, house, night, day, etc.)
• Vocabulary word cards (descriptive adjectives and nouns)
• Individual mini whiteboards and pens (optional)
• “Setting word bank” printed sheet for reference (prepared before lesson)

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction & Engagement (10 minutes)

• Welcome and context: Briefly introduce the unit “Setting the Scene” and explain today’s journey: understanding and describing story settings.
• Explore the term ‘setting’: Using simple language, explain a setting is where and when a story happens and how it makes us feel.
• Interactive discussion:
  • Ask pupils: “Can you describe where your favourite story takes place?”
  • Encourage several pupils to share with the class. Write some key words on the board (e.g., farm, forest, night, cosy).
  • Show picture prompts to reinforce understanding of varied settings.
  • Point out the elements of setting: place, time, mood. Simplify this using pictures and examples.

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2. Guided Activity – Identifying Setting Elements (10 minutes)

• Read aloud: Select a short picture book or story extract with a clear setting.
• Class discussion:
  • Ask children where the story is set. When does it happen (day, night, season)? How do they think the story feels (happy, scary, exciting)?
  • Record pupils’ responses under headings on chart paper: Place, Time, Mood.
• Vocabulary focus: Introduce descriptive adjectives (e.g., dark, bright, cold, warm, spooky, peaceful). Add these to the chart under Mood or separate section.
• Pair talk: Pupils discuss in pairs to identify setting elements in a different familiar story or experience.

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3. Creating a Vocabulary Word Bank (10 minutes)

• Class brainstorm: Using previous discussion, build a collective word bank on the whiteboard or chart paper. Categorise words under Place, Time, and Mood.
• Vocabulary cards: Present pre-prepared word cards. Children match these cards into the correct categories on the board. Encourage choral reading of each word to build pronunciation confidence.
• Extension challenge: Ask volunteers to think of new words that could describe a setting and add them accordingly.

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4. Oral Sentence Construction Practice (10 minutes)

• Model: Teacher models forming simple sentences describing a familiar setting using conjunctions:
  “The forest is dark and quiet.”
  “It is daytime but the sky is cloudy.”
  “The house is warm, so I feel happy.”
• Choral repeat: Pupils repeat sentences after the teacher, focusing on fluency and intonation.
• Guided oral practice: Pupils work in small groups or pairs to create their own simple setting sentences aloud, using the word bank and conjunctions.
• Share: Invite several groups to share one or two sentences with the class.

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5. Plenary & Assessment (5 minutes)

• Recap questions:
  • What is a story’s setting?
  • Can you name one element of a setting?
  • What words from our word bank could you use to describe a setting?
• Quick verbal assessment: Randomly select 3-4 pupils to orally describe a setting using a conjunction in their sentence.
• Praise and positive reinforcement: Celebrate everyone’s contributions, emphasising effort to use vocabulary and correct sentence structure.

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Differentiation

Pupil Group	Strategy	Support/Challenge
EAL learners	Use visual aids (picture prompts & flashcards)	Model sentence structure carefully
SEN	Provide sentence starters; use one-on-one prompts	Allow oral answers over written; flexible pairings
More Able writers	Encourage adding more adjectives; attempt writing simple sentences	Challenge to join three ideas with conjunctions

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Extension Ideas

• Create a simple illustrated setting collage in following sessions using the word bank.
• Introduce setting through role play or drama: pupils act out different settings while describing them orally.
• Digital storytelling: use tablets or interactive whiteboard to create short verbal descriptions linked to images of settings.

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Teacher Notes

• Ensure a supportive, engaging atmosphere where all children feel confident to speak.
• Emphasise vocabulary building as an ongoing process; revisit word bank regularly.
• Model conjunction use clearly, showing how they improve sentence flow.
• Use pupil interests (favourite stories/settings) to personalise discussion and motivate participation.

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This plan fully aligns with the Year 1 English National Curriculum for England and provides a rich, interactive introduction to the concept of story settings, integrating speaking, listening, and vocabulary development in an age-appropriate, engaging way.