Grade: 2

Subject:
Language
Overall Expectation(s):

Big Ideas/ Essential/ Enduring Understandings:

Story Retelling and Story Elements
Specific Expectation(s):

Reading (1): Read and Demonstrate an

understanding of a variety of literary,
graphic, and informational texts, using a
range of strategies to construct meaning.

Reading (1.4): Demonstrate understanding of a text by retelling

story or restating information from the text, with the inclusion o
few interesting detail (e.g. retell a story or restate facts in prope
sequencewith a few supporting details)

Learning Goal:
Identify key story elements: Setting, Characters, Problem, Solution, Plot
Retell a fictional story from beginning, middle, and end, orally and in paragraph form
I

am successful when I can:

Use pictures and descriptive words from the text to identify the key story elements.
Use a graphic organizer such as the Go Map to help with retelling.
Write a draft of a retelling paragraph.

Learning Skills:

Assessment:

Responsibility Organization Independent Work

Initiative
Self-regulation
Collaboration

Resources/Materials:
1.
2.
3.
4.

A variety of picture books, see each lesson below

Who/What/When Paddles
Anchor Chart with Go Map
Additional resources for each lesson (more detail
below)

For Learning - Annotations, Student Work Sampl

Writing Conferences, Anecdotal Records

D.I./Accommodations (content/process/produc

Explain new vocabulary Use visuals, models, graphic organ

Extension/challenge
Scribe for student
Use of manipulatives
Wait time or extra time
Peer tutor
Model highlighting key points
Chunking
Change grouping, seating, quiet
Use Technology
Use a timer Other:

Teaching Strategies: Other_______________________________________________________

Accountable Talk
Presentations
Jig Saw
See/Think/Wonder
Think/Pair/Share
Class Discussion Role Playing
4 Corners
Problem Solving
Textbook
Placemat
Field Trip
Brainstorming
KWL
Gallery Walk
Hot Seating
Read-Aloud/Think Aloud/Interactive Read-Aloud Shared Reading/Writing

Video
Drama/Tableaux
Exit Card
Small Groups
Debate
Inside-Outside Circle
Choral Reading Readers Theatre
Guided Practice Independent Practice

Next Steps (Extension/Homework):

Continue to practice story retelling using the strategies
learned in class.

Lesson 1- Setting & Characters

Timing:
1 hour

The Learning Activities: Sequence

Materials: Who/When/Where paddles for students to hold when they
identify story elements (Who for characters and When & Where for
setting)
Book: Andrews Loose Tooth by Robert Munsch
Minds On:
Activate Prior Knowledge
Students will share what they know about different parts of the story, with reference to
characters, settings, problems, solutions, etc.
Introduce the story element paddles- small paddles that say Who, When, Where, with
corresponding images. Each one corresponds with the story elements of characters and
settings. Invite students to share what they know about these two elements.
Start the Learning Goal Anchor Chart:

We are learning:
To identify story elements (Characters, Settings)

Action:
Read Aloud
Remind students to keep the two story elements of Characters and Setting in mind during
the read aloud.
Book: Andrews Loose Tooth by Robert Munsch
Pause at various moments in the book to model a Think-Aloud, and ask short questions
relevant to the story (many Grade 2 students are experiencing loose teeth or have already
lost them, so this is a good opportunity to make a text-to-self connection)
Discussion
Who are the characters in the story?
-The student who responds will be given the Who paddle to hold.
Ask students which character appeared in the story more (Andrew) and explain that he is the
main character. Other characters are called supporting characters. There may also be more
than one main character in different stories.

What is the setting?

-The student who responds will be given the Where and When paddle to hold.
When we think of setting we usually think of where the story took place, by having a
second paddle that asks When, students will begin to think of setting as also related to
time.
Consolidation:
Continue the Learning Goal anchor chart by co-constructing the Success Criteria with the
students.
As a follow up activity, students will break off into partners and they will choose a fictional
book to read. They will then discuss with their partners who the characters were in the book
and the setting. Before they start however, ask students what they would put under the
Success Criteria on the anchor chart. As a prompt, ask them how they identified the
characters and setting from the read aloud.

Success Criteria
I will be successful if
I identify the characters and settings using the books illustrations and descriptive
words

Students will start the activity. Circulate the room and ask each group short questions about
the book they are reading.
Afterwards, gather all students again and invite some groups to share their findings.
Return to the success criteria for the day to check for understanding and completion.

Lesson 2- Problem & Solution

Timing:
1 hour

The Learning Activities: Sequence

Materials: Who/When/Where/What/How paddles for students to hold
when they identify story elements (Who for characters, When & Where
for setting, What for problem, How for solution)
Book: Ben Rides On by Matt Davies
Minds On:
Activate Prior Knowledge
Refer back to Learning Goals and Success Criteria on the anchor chart.
Students will review what the characters and settings are. Take out the story paddles: Who
and Where, from the previous class. Take out two more paddles: What and How. Ask
students what they think these paddles could be about.
Sample Discourse: What could be about what the story is about and How could be about
how the story ends. OR What could be what the problem is, and How could be about how
the problem is solved in the end.
How can we find the problem in fictional stories? The solution?
Action:
Read Aloud
Remind students to think about the story elements (characters, setting, problem, solution)
during the Read Aloud.
Book: Ben Rides On by Matt Davies
Pause at various moments in the book to model a Think-Aloud, and ask short questions
relevant to the story (the story centres on the theme of bullying, so take the opportunity to
talk about the subject briefly and ask students to share their opinions on how the story
progresses).
Discussion
(Like before, hand out the story paddles to students who share their answers)
Start off by asking who the characters were and what the setting is.
What is the problem in the story?

Ask students how they determined what the problem is. What did they look for? Could there
be another problem in the story? Do all fictional stories have problems?
What is the solution to the problem in the story?
Again, ask students what they looked for when finding the solution. Do you think the
solution is always found at the end of the story?
Consolidation:
Update the LG and SC chart (add problem and solution) before moving on to the final
activity.
Paired Groupings
Students will choose a fictional book to read and they will identify the problem and
solution. They will write down their findings on Exit Cards that state: Book Title, Problem,
and Solution.
Circulate the room and ask each group short questions about the book they are reading.
Some students may come across books that do not have a clear problem and solution. Ask
them to think of other stories they know that dont have problems, and this will make them
more aware of the fact that not all fictional stories have problems and solutions. What these
stories have are elements such as characters and setting, as well as plot, or the series of
events that happen. This will be the next lesson.
Return to the success criteria for the day to check for understanding and completion.

Lesson 4- Plot

Timing:
1 hour

The Learning Activities: Sequence

Materials: Who/When/Where/What/How/Events paddles for students to
hold when they identify story elements (Who for characters, When &
Where for setting, What for problem, How for solution, Events for plot)
Images from key events in the story (5 images in random order)
Book: The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
Minds On:
Activate Prior Knowledge
Refer back to Learning Goals and Success Criteria on the anchor chart.
Students will review what the characters, settings, problem, and solution are. Take out the
story paddles: Who, Where, What, How from the previous class. Take out the last paddle in
the set: Event (with an image of a staircase, where each step says: first, then, next, finally, in
the end. Ask students what they think this paddle could be about.
Students will refer to a larger poster that shows the steps to retelling plot and the five key
words they can use to retell the events in the story, or its plot.
5 key words to begin each retelling sentence: First, Then, Next, Finally, In the end.
Action:
Read Aloud
Remind students to think about the story elements (characters, setting, problem, solution,
plot) during the Read Aloud.
Book: The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
Pause at various moments in the book to model a Think-Aloud, and ask short questions
relevant to the story.
Discussion
(Like before, hand out the story paddles to students who share their answers)
Start off by asking who the characters were, what the setting is, and what (if any) were the
problems and solutions.

This particular book does not have a clear problem and solution, and this will put the focus
more on the series of events that happen in the book (the journey of the seed).
Put the Story Events in Order (Collaborative Work)
Using 5 image snapshots from the story that are not in order, students will have the
opportunity to put the events in order based on what they remember from the story. Get 5
volunteers to stand up and hold the pictures, and with student votes, they will try to put
themselves in order.
After they are in order, invite students to say each event using the 5 key words.
Sample Discourse: First, the seedNext,.
Consolidation:
Update the LG and SC chart (Retelling the Plot in proper order using the 5 key words)
before moving on to the final activity.
Paired Groupings
Students will choose a fictional book to read and they will identify the plot using their 5 key
words. They will do this orally, and students who have more time can write them down in
their journals.
Students may share any of their findings and strategies for retelling events in order. They
may also share any questions or wonderings they have about any of the story elements.
Return to the success criteria for the day to check for understanding and completion.

Lesson 4- The Retelling Paragraph

Timing:
1 hour

The Learning Activities: Sequence

Materials: Who/When/Where/What/How/Events paddles for students to
hold when they identify story elements (Who for characters, When &
Where for setting, What for problem, How for solution, Events for plot)
Go Map Graphic Organizer for retelling (Beginning, Middle, End)
Book: Sam and the Big Kids by Emily McCully
Minds On:
Activate Prior Knowledge
Refer back to Learning Goals and Success Criteria on the anchor chart. Review the story
elements studied in previous classes. Remind students to keep these elements in mind
during the read aloud.
Action
Read Aloud
Book: Sam and the Big Kids by Emily McCully
Ask students to identify Character, Setting, Problem, and Solution, using the What/ Who/
Where paddles. Save the plot for the next activity.
Put the Story Images in Order (Collaborative Work)
Using 5 image snapshots from the story that are not in order, students will have the
opportunity to put the events in order based on what they remember from the story. Get 5
volunteers to stand up and hold the pictures, and with student votes, they will try to put
themselves in order.
Modelling
Students are already familiar with the Go Map, but have not had experience using this
graphic organizer to create a retelling paragraph. The process of writing the paragraph
should then be modelled first, but then get students involved when writing out subsequent
sentences (Shared Writing).
Beginning- each point on the triangle represents the Characters, Setting, and
Problem (if any).

Middle- each point on the square represents the 4 of our 5 key words for retelling
plot. First, Then, Next, Finally.
End- A circle to bring it all together. This is the conclusion of the story. State
the problem (if any) and use the 5th key word to end off the paragraph: In the
end.
Using this graphic organizer, create a retelling paragraph with the students using the story
from the read aloud. Highlight/Underline key words, and make sure to draw the graphic
organizer shapes on the sides to help students remember the format.
Consolidation:
Update LG and SC chart (Retell the story in proper order using the graphic organizer)
Small Groups
In pairs, students choose a fictional story they have read previously and they will try to
orally retell this story to their partner. It could be the stories we read in class for previous
lessons, or books theyve read from the class library that they can refer to.
Circulate and ask students questions about their stories, and take note if students are
becoming more comfortable in using the graphic organizer as a reference.
Return to the success criteria for the day to check for understanding and completion.

Lesson 5- The Retelling Paragraph, continued

Timing:
1 hour

The Learning Activities: Sequence

Go Map Graphic Organizer for retelling (Beginning, Middle, End)
Various Books for retelling
Retelling Paragraphs Guided Writing
Working in pairs, students will choose a familiar book (books we have previously read in
class or from the class library), and they will start to write their retelling paragraphs. They
will use the class graphic organizer, and sentence prompts, to aid their writing.
Spend some time in each group for a short writing conference. Assess whether students are
becoming more comfortable with writing out their retelling paragraphs (reassure students
that spelling is not a major concern for this activity, what is more important is their
understanding of story elements and organizing those elements in their paragraphs).

Lesson 6- The Retelling Paragraph continued

Timing:
1 hour

The Learning Activities: Sequence

Go Map Graphic Organizer for retelling (Beginning, Middle, End)
Book: Scarecrows Spooky Night by Susan Hood (Halloween Theme)
Assessment of Learning: Retelling Paragraph Activity
Minds On:
Activate Prior Knowledge
Refer back to Learning Goals and Success Criteria on the anchor chart. Review the story
elements studied in previous classes. Remind students to keep these elements in mind
during the read aloud.
Action:
Read Aloud
Book: Scarecrows Spooky Night by Susan Hood
Ask students to identify Character, Setting, Problem, Solution, and Plot using the What/
Who/ Where/When/How paddles.
Retelling Paragraph Activity
Hand out activity sheets. Students will write their retelling paragraphs using the sentence
prompts on their sheets, as well as the graphic organizer poster. Previous paragraphs written
on chart paper will also be available to view for students as examples. Students can also
refer to the SC chart to help them in their writing.
Assess student work to inform next steps.
-Paragraph writing
-Retelling practice
Return to the success criteria for the day to check for understanding and completion.