Standard 3: Critical Reading and Writing Students will apply critical thinking skills to reading and writing.

2.3.R.3 ​Students will find examples of literary elements:

• setting (i.e., time and place)

• plot (i.e., beginning, middle, end)

• characters and their traits

Student Actions

Teacher Actions

• Students find textual evidence of the setting in a story.

• Students find textual evidence of plot in a story.

• Students find textual evidence of the characters and their traits in a story.

• Teachers lead discussions about setting, plot, and characters.

• Teachers model how to find textual evidence of place and time that determine the setting in a text in a story.

• Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback as students are finding textual evidence of setting in a story.

• Teachers model how to find textual evidence that show events at the beginning, middle, and end of a story.

• Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback as students are finding textual evidence of plot in a story.

• Teachers lead discussions about characters and their traits, attitudes, beliefs, and/or personalities in a story with students.

• Teachers model how to find textual evidence of the characters and their traits, attitudes, beliefs, and/or personalities in a story with students.

• Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback as students are finding textual evidence of the characters and their traits, attitudes, beliefs, and/or personalities in a story with students. 

Recommendations

Key Terms & Related Objectives

When students struggle to find textual evidence of the setting in a story, teachers can…

• have students highlight key words that describe the time and place in a story.

• show video clips of stories and have them describe the setting.

When students have difficulty finding textual evidence of plot in a story, teachers can…

• complete a flow chart with a familiar story as a class and emphasize the beginning, middle, and end, and place page numbers from the text to show where text provides evidence.

• have students write short stories then trade with classmates and have them identify the beginning, middle, and end of their partner’s story.

When students struggle to find textual evidence of the characters and their traits in a story, teachers can…

• create an anchor chart with a familiar story that has a column for characters and a column for character traits. Put phrases or page numbers from text that support the character traits. 

• use a children’s book such as Thank You Mr. Faulkner by Patricia Palocco. Read the book aloud and have students pay attention to the main character's thoughts, words, actions, and feelings. Pause periodically during read aloud to discuss the characters and their traits. 

• ask students to describe the traits of different types of characters in stories. List them and compare the characters.

• Characterization: the process by which a writer reveals the personality of a character.

• Plot: the sequence of events or actions in a literary text.

• Setting: the time and place in which events in a literary text take place.

• 2.2.R.3: Summarizing Plot

• 2.2.W.1: Writing Drafts