Build Characters and Settings

Overview

In this second lesson of Narratives That Show Voice, students review common nouns and revisit Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match to examine how specific descriptions reveal character traits and establish setting. Students then plan a main character and setting before writing an opening scene with a clear situation, descriptive details, and a natural beginning.

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• Identify and use common nouns in sentences.
• Notice how illustrations and words provide details about characters and settings.
• Explain how a character’s traits and wants influence events.
• Develop a character, setting, and opening scene for an original narrative.

Success criteria

• I can identify common nouns and use them correctly.
• I can describe a character using specific actions, thoughts, feelings, and traits.
• I can establish a setting with details that help readers picture it.
• I can write an opening that introduces a character, situation, and setting.

Curriculum links

• Georgia 3.T.T.1.a–b: narrative writing with a clear situation, characters, setting, and event sequence.
• Writing narratives: introduce characters and a situation, organize events naturally, and use descriptive details.
• Reading literature: describe character traits, motivations, and feelings and explain how actions contribute to events.
• Reading literature: explain how illustrations contribute to character, setting, and mood.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–10 min · Grammar review: common nouns. Teacher opens with the grammar review slides, models how common nouns name general people, places, animals, or things, and thinks aloud while sorting examples such as girl, city, dog, and backpack. Students collaboratively sort teacher-provided examples as “common noun” or “not a common noun,” then complete the grammar section of the character and setting narrative worksheet by identifying common nouns and using two in sentences.

2. 10–17 min · Engage: revisit the mentor text. Teacher displays selected pages or illustrations from Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match and uses the mentor-text noticing prompts to ask, “What do the words tell us?” and “What does the illustration add?” Students turn and talk, naming one precise detail about Marisol and one detail about the setting, rather than giving only broad descriptions such as “nice” or “fun.”

3. 17–25 min · Focus: descriptions reveal character and setting. Teacher models changing a general statement into a specific one: “Marisol is creative” becomes “Marisol wears different colors and combines things in unexpected ways.” Model how an action, thought, feeling, or spoken line can reveal a trait, and how sensory details establish setting. Students help complete a class chart on the character-and-setting modeling slides, explaining what each detail shows about a character or place.

4. 25–33 min · Plan an original narrative. Teacher introduces the planning task and demonstrates choosing one main character, a setting, a trait, and a want. Students complete the planning portion of the character and setting narrative worksheet: character name and role, two traits supported by actions or feelings, setting details using at least two senses, and what the character wants. Prompt students to consider how the want could cause the first event.

5. 33–41 min · Apply: write an opening scene. Teacher reviews the opening-scene checklist on the independent writing instructions and reminds students to introduce the situation and character, establish the setting, and include at least one action, thought, feeling, or line of dialogue. Students write an opening paragraph of approximately 5–8 sentences. During writing, the teacher conferences with students, asking, “What does your character want?” and “Which detail helps readers see the setting?”

6. 41–45 min · Reflect and share. Teacher displays the reflection and share prompt and asks students to read one strong detail to a partner. Students complete the reflection prompt exit-ticket slips by explaining how one detail helps readers visualize the story and identifying whether it shows character or setting. Invite two students to share before collecting the slips.

Resources

• the complete narrative writing slide deck
• the character and setting narrative worksheet
• Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match by Monica Brown
• Selected pages and illustrations from the mentor text
• Chart paper or whiteboard
• Markers or document camera
• Pencils and colored pencils
• Reflection prompt exit-ticket slips

Assessment

• Listen during sorting and partner talk for accurate identification of common nouns and specific evidence about character and setting.
• Review planning sheets for a clear character, setting, trait, and want, with details connected to the narrative.
• Use the opening scene and exit ticket to check whether students introduce a situation and explain how a detail reveals character or establishes setting.

Differentiation

• Provide sentence starters: “My character is ___ because ___,” “The setting looks/sounds/feels ___,” and “My character wants ___, so ___.”
• Offer a word bank of common nouns, character traits, sensory words, and feelings; allow students to rehearse ideas orally before writing.
• For students needing additional support, provide a partially completed planner, scribe responses during planning, or allow drawing and labeling before composing.
• Challenge students to include dialogue, a detail that creates mood, and an action that naturally begins the next event. Support EAL students with visuals, partner rehearsal, and explicit modeling of unfamiliar words.