Unit Resources Unit of Study: Living Inside a Story Readers Imagine Themselves as Characters in Fiction Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District Elementary Language Arts Department, Grade 2
Table of Contents Resources by Section Graphic Organizers Sequence Resources Story Elements Resources Character Analysis Resources Independent Practice
Graphic Organizers
Story Title: Characters Exciting point where character struggles to solve problem Climax Events leading up to highpoint Rising Action Events wind down as character solves problem Setting Falling Action/ Resolution Exposition Problem Introduction of story characters, problem, and setting
Story Map Graphic Organizer Story Title: Story Characters Setting Problems Major Events Story Outcome
Sequence Resources
Print pgs. 10-16 on legal paper 8 ½ x 14. Sentence Strips for use with The Three Little Pigs Activity The Three Little Pigs set out to build their houses.
The First Little Pig built his house with straw. The Second Little Pig built his house with sticks.
The Third Little Pig built his house with bricks. Then the Wolf came and blew down the house of the First Little Pig.
The First Little Pig went to stay with the Second Little Pig. Next, the Wolf came and blew down the house of the Second Little Pig.
The First and Second Little Pig went to live with the Third Little Pig. After that, the Wolf tried to blow down the house made of bricks.
Finally, the Wolf climbed up the chimney. The Third Little Pig lit a fire in the fireplace and burned the Wolf.
The Wolf ran away and never came back.
Sentence Strips for use with The Crafty Fox Activity The fox tells the blackbird she can be queen if she sings. The fox sees the blackbird holding a piece of cheese. The blackbird opens her beak to sing and drops the cheese.
The fox tricks the blackbird with flattery to get the food he wants. The fox plans a trick. The fox swallows the cheese and runs away.
The Crafty Fox Once, a hungry, but crafty fox was trotting through a grove of trees when he spotted a blackbird. The blackbird sat high in the tree holding a tiny morsel of tasty-smelling cheese. "Mmmmmm! That is one, tiny, but tasty-smelling piece of cheese!" said the fox. How can I get that cheese? he asked himself. Suddenly, he had an idea. What beautiful feathers you have! called the fox. The vain blackbird nodded. She puffed herself up with pride as the fox continued to talk. But it s a shame that you can t sing, continued the fox. "I'm telling you, if you could sing, you would be the queen of all birds. That's right! The queen of all birds! If you could sing, that is." Well, the blackbird most certainly wanted to be known as queen of all birds, so she opened her beak to sing, Caw! Caw! Unfortunately, she also let the tiny piece of cheese slip from her beak. The poor bird watched the tiny piece of cheese drop, drop, and drop. It did not stop, until the fox snapped it into his mouth with a tiny kerplop! The fox swallowed and said, "That was deliciously cheesy and surprisingly easy!" Then, he ran off into the woods with a skip and a hop.
The Crafty Fox Story Elements Questions 1. The tree is important to the story because the fox A. likes to climb trees and hunt for tasty food. B. hides in the tree and plays tricks on other animals. C. tricks the blackbird into dropping the cheese. 2. The main problem in the story is A. the animals do not get along. B. the fox is hungry for food. C. the blackbird likes to show off. 3. How does the blackbird probably feel at the end of the story? A. sad B. happy C. silly
Story Elements Resources
A New Life for Tweet Tweet was a quiet little bird. All day long, he sat alone in his tree. He never sang. He just watched the world around him. Tweet watched frogs and turtles swimming in the pond. He watched rabbits and squirrels playing in the woods. Day after day, he sat on the same branch and watched the same things. Stop and Think #1: Ask students to talk about any clues that help them determine the story setting and characters. Then one day, there was something new to see. It happened right in Tweet s tree. Four little eggs in a nearby nest began to hatch. Tap, tap, tap. The baby birds used their beaks to crack their shells. As soon as the birds hatched, they opened their mouths wide. They were hungry! Tweet watched Mother Bird fly off to find food for them. One of the babies kept trying to find its mother. It wiggled away from the other birds. Tweet got worried. The baby was very close to the edge of the nest. All at once, the baby bird fell! Tweet felt unsure about leaving his branch, but time was running out. He flew toward the little bird with his heart pounding. Would he reach it in time? Tweet flew as fast as he could. He swooped below the baby bird. It landed on Tweet s soft back! Then up, up, up Tweet flew. He put the little bird back in its nest. Stop and Think #2: Ask students to talk about important events from the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Just then, Mother Bird came back with some tasty bugs for the hungry little birds. She thanked Tweet for helping her baby. To repay his kindness, she gave him the biggest, fattest bug. Tweet smiled and stood up tall. He was glad he had left his branch. After that, Tweet always sat near the nest. When Mother Bird left to find food, she did not worry. Tweet s pretty song filled the forest. It let her know that her babies were safe in their nest! Stop and Think #3: Ask students to talk about the problem that the character faced and how it was solved. Lesson: Story Elements: Putting It All Together Story selection form HMH Benchmark and Unit Test
Story Element Definition Cards Story Elements Characters A Recipe for a Tasty Story Setting Who the story is about Problem When and where the story happens A conflict or difficult thing the character has to solve
Story Element Definition Cards Events or Plot Resolution What happens in the story to help the character solve the problem How the character solved the problem
Character Analysis Resources
How Does Screenbean Feel? brave happy silly worried puzzled angry friendly lonely nervous tearful kind scared
Character Feeling Word Cards A feeling is a temporary emotion that an individual experiences in response to specific situations. Individuals often undergo physical, mental, and/or behavioral changes in the body for a period of time. Character Trait Word Cards A character trait is one of the features or attributes that make up and distinguish an individual s personality. Character traits are consistently demonstrated over time in different situations. sad lonely jealous loyal brave optimistic afraid bored disappointed helpful curious friendly impatient irritated troubled thoughtful confident proud nervous satisfied insulted independent respectful cautious threatened thankful frustrated generous greedy considerate worried energetic joyful lazy energetic humorous tickled surprised confused disorganized responsible hopeful scared excited calm wise caring forgetful
aggravated aloof anxious apologetic astonishment bored cheerful confident cunning depressed eager ecstatic embarrassed enraged envious exhausted friendly furious gossipy horrified humorous intelligent infatuated irate lonely melancholy mischievous obstinate petrified playful surprised thoughtful Character Traits Emoticons
Independent Practice Resources
Name: Date: A Birthday Surprise Story Problem Independent Practice 1 Mom said, Today is Mrs. Lopez s birthday. She will be eightyone years old. I will bake her a cake. 2 While the cake was in the oven, Carlos wondered what present he could give his neighbor. Mrs. Lopez lived all alone. Carlos wanted to make her day special. He could not think of anything to give Mrs. Lopez. So he sat on the couch and read his favorite book. 3 When the cake was done, Carlos knew what to do. He hid something under his jacket. It s a surprise, he said with a smile. Then Carlos and his mom walked next door. Happy Birthday! Carlos and his mom said when Mrs. Lopez opened the door. 4 Mrs. Lopez liked her cake. Carlos had two pieces. Then he said, I have a present for you, too. I am going to read you a story. 5 He pulled his special book from his shirt. He read it to Mrs. Lopez. She listened with a big smile. 6 When Carlos left, she said, Thank you, Carlos. That was fun. Please come back and read to me again soon. Carlos smiled and waved good-bye
Name: Date: A Birthday Surprise Story Problem Independent Practice 1 How does Mrs. Lopez feel when Carlos and Mom bring her a cake? A sad B scared C nervous D happy 2 What is the main problem in the story? A Mom does not know what kind of cake Mrs. Lopez will like. B Mrs. Lopez lives alone and needs help from her neighbors. C Carlos does not know what to get Mrs. Lopez for a present. D Carlos does not want anyone to know his surprise. 3 Carlos and his mom are going to Mrs. Lopez s house because A she lives alone. B it is her birthday. C she needs help. D she likes Carlos. 4 How does Carlos solve his problem? A He makes her a special cake of his own. B He eats two pieces of cake. C He reads his favorite book to Mrs. Lopez. D He surprises Mrs. Lopez. 5 What do you think Carlos will do the next time he goes to Mrs. Lopez s house?