I love teaching story elements like characters and settings in first grade. Why are story elements so key at-this age? Well, I have come to realize over the years that if I want to make good writers, learning story elements along the way helps them bloom into wonderful authors. Reading and writing go hand in hand. We know that we can create better readers and writers when we help them dissect the literature and then learn how to apply the same techniques in their own writing and learning.
Characters and Setting- Lesson Ideas
1. Identify characters
I hang up our anchor chart and we discuss what a character is and look at different characters in our favorite books. We start by saying WHO the story is about.
Here are some gook book examples that you could use to show the different characters in a story.
2. Independent Practice
After we talk about our books and characters, I have them do independent practice in their seat.
Here they color the pictures that could be a character in a story.
You can grab this freebie at the end.
3. EXIT TICKET
After our independent practice, we do an exit ticket where I pass out sticky notes and students draw their own character or draw one they already know from a book and come and stick it to the anchor chart. They love to tell you all about the character that they have created. HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
I also hang up our Settings anchor chart telling WHERE the story is taking place.
