Subjects
Arts & Humanities
--Language Arts
Grade
3-5
6-8
9-12
Brief Description
Grab a setting, character, event, and thing -- then write a unique story.
Objectives
Students will
Keywords
setting, place, character, event, story, evaluate
Lesson Plan
This activity will result in some fun stories written by students!
The chart below includes 30 Settings, Main Characters, Events, and Things. Print out the chart and cut into four columns/strips (one strip of Settings, one of Characters, one of Events, and one of Things). Then
Explain to students that the chances are very good that the slips they selected at random from the bags/cans are truly odd combinations. Their job, however, is to try to weave those unusual story elements together into a story that makes sense and has a thoughtful beginning, middle, and end. Not an easy task!
List of Story/Plot Elements
Cut this list into four columns/strips. Then cut each column/strip into 30 slips and place each strips slips into a different bag or can. Students will randomly select one slip from each of the four bags/cans labeled Setting, Main Character, Event, and Thing.
Setting | Main Character | Include This Event | Include This Thing |
7-11 | accountant | a big decision | a $10,000 reward |
airport | actor or actress | a manicure | a big sneeze |
amusement park | archeologist | a new discovery | a riddle |
antique store | architect | airplane crash | ATM machine |
arcade | author | ambulance ride | bucket of paint |
bank | auto mechanic | an apology | cactus |
beauty parlor | carpenter | an argument | cement truck |
cemetery | dancer | bank robbery | chewing gum |
computer store | doctor | beauty contest | diamond ring |
cruise ship | electrician | big race | dictionary |
day care center | farmer | big test | glue |
delicatessen | governor | blizzard | hand grenade |
farm | grandfather | brain surgery | harmonica |
fast food restaurant | librarian | broken ankle | helicopter |
grocery store | magician | childs first haircut | hot-air balloon |
hospital | mailman | computer crash | lasagna |
hotel | minister | earthquake | leaky pipe |
jail | musician | fire | lipstick |
junkyard | news reporter | fishing trip | lottery ticket |
library | nurse | flood | mosquito bite |
museum | photographer | hockey game | moustache |
parking garage | pilot | hurricane | pajamas |
pet store | plumber | lost key | perfume |
principals office | policeman | Oscar-winning performance | pizza |
repair shop | politician | prisoner on the loose | shampoo |
retirement home | priest | surprise birthday party | stomach ache |
shoe store | professor | toothache | stopwatch |
shopping mall | shoemaker | tornado | swarm of bees |
state capitol building | soldier | traffic jam | umbrella |
taxicab | waitress | trip to the gym | vacuum cleaner |
Assessment
You might let students know in advance that they will share their completed stories with their classmates. Their classmates will be responsible for choosing the best stories. For example, they might choose
Lesson Plan Source
EducationWorld.com
Submitted By
Gary Hopkins
National Standards
LANGUAGE ARTS: English
GRADES K - 12
NL-ENG.K-12.4 Communication Skills
NL-ENG.K-12.5 Communication Strategies
NL-ENG.K-12.12 Applying Language Skills
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08/31/2010