ALEX Classroom Resource

  

Book Report Alternative: Examining Story Elements Using Story Map Comic Strips

  Classroom Resource Information  

Title:

Book Report Alternative: Examining Story Elements Using Story Map Comic Strips

URL:

http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/book-report-alternative-examining-236.html

Content Source:

ReadWriteThink
Type: Lesson/Unit Plan

Overview:

Knowing the elements of a story aids students in their understanding of what is taking place in the book or novel. When students comprehend the story elements of characters, setting, problems, events, and solutions, they become more involved in the story and take a greater interest in details. In this lesson, students use a six-paneled comic strip to create a story map, summarizing a book or story that they've read either read as a class or independently. The story strips that result provide a great way to evaluate students' understanding of important events and elements in a novel. The students enjoy the artistic aspect as well!

This lesson plan uses Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are as an example to model the process of creating the story map comic strips; however, any book you and your students have explored recently that demonstrates the elements of character, setting, problem, events, and solutions will work.

Content Standard(s):
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 3
22. Describe literary elements within a story, including setting, plot, characters, and themes.

a. Describe in detail the characters' behavior, emotions, and traits and explain how their actions influence events in the story.

b. Explain how the characters' actions and dialogue contribute to the meaning of the story.

c. Identify the central message, theme, or moral in a story, including myths, fables, and folktales, and explain the meaning conveyed in the passage.

d. Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots from two texts.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
22.
  • Describe
  • Literary elements
  • Story
  • Setting
  • Plot
  • Characters
  • Themes
22a.
  • Describe
  • Character
  • Behaviors
  • Emotions
  • Traits
  • Actions
  • Influence
  • Events
22b.
  • Explain
  • Characters
  • Actions
  • Dialogue
  • Contribute
  • Meaning
22c.
  • Central message
  • Theme
  • Moral
  • Myths
  • Fables
  • Folktales
  • Conveyed
22d.
  • Compare
  • Contrast
  • Theme
  • Setting
  • Plot
  • Stories
Knowledge:
22. Students know:
  • Literary elements within a story include the setting, plot, characters, and themes.
  • Setting is when and where a story takes place.
  • Plot is the main events of a story (often referred to as the beginning, middle, and end of a story).
  • Characters are any person, animal, or figure that affect the plot.
  • Theme is the main, recurring idea in a text.
22a.
  • A story author provides descriptions of the characters' behavior, emotions, and traits.
  • The actions of characters in a story affect the events, or plot, of the story.
22b.
  • The actions of characters in a story affect the events, or plot, of the story.
  • The dialogue, or spoken words, of characters in a story affect the plot of the story.
22c.
  • Qualities of myths, fables, and folktales.
  • Many stories have a central message, theme, or moral.
  • A central message or moral is the lesson that is learned through the story or the one big idea of the story.
  • The central message, theme, or moral is conveyed through key details.
22d.
  • Compare means tell how things are alike or similar.
  • Contrast means tell how things are different.
  • Literary elements from different texts, like themes, settings, and plots, can be compared and contrasted.
  • Setting is when and where a story takes place.
  • Plot is the main events of a story (often referred to as the beginning, middle, and end of a story).
  • Theme is the main, recurring idea in a text.
Skills:
22. Students are able to:
  • Identify and describe the literary elements, including setting, plot, characters, and theme, within the text.
22a.
  • Provide a detailed description of story characters' behavior, emotions, and traits.
  • Explain how story characters' actions affect the events of the story.
22b.
  • Explain how the actions of characters' contribute to the meaning of the story.
  • Explain how the dialogue between two or more characters contributes to the meaning of the story.
22c.
  • Identify the central message, theme, or moral of a story, including myths, fables, and folktales.
  • Explain the meaning of the central message, theme, or moral conveyed in the passage.
22d.
  • Compare and contrast literary elements, such as themes, settings, and plots, of two texts.
Understanding:
22. Students understand that:
  • Identifying and describing literary elements within a story will help in comprehending the text.
22a.
  • Understanding each character's behavior, emotions, and traits will help them better understand a story's plot.
  • Characters in a story drive the plot by engaging in different actions.
22b.
  • Characters' actions and dialogue contribute to the meaning of a story.
  • Understanding the actions and dialogue of story characters improves overall comprehension of the text.
22c.
  • Understanding the meaning of the central message, theme, or moral of a story will improve overall comprehension of the passage.
  • Myths, fables, and folktales are types of narrative stories that often include a moral.
22d.
  • Comparing and contrasting literary elements can improve their comprehension, or understanding, of both texts.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 3
33. Write personal or fictional narratives with a logical plot (sequence of events), characters, transitions, and a sense of closure.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
33.
  • Personal narrative
  • Fictional narrative
  • Logical plot
  • Sequence of events
  • Characters
  • Transitions
  • Closure
Knowledge:
33. Students know:
  • A narrative is a piece of writing that tells a story.
  • A personal narrative tells about an event that was personally experienced by the author, while a fictional narrative tells a made up story.
  • A narrative story describes a sequence of events in a logical order (beginning, middle, end) and provides a sense of closure as an ending.
  • A narrative story describes the actions, thoughts, and feelings of the characters.
  • Narrative transitions indicate when and where the story is occurring.
Skills:
33. Students are able to:
  • Write a personal narrative that recalls a personal experience or a fictional narrative with a made-up story.
  • Write a narrative with a logical sequence of events and details that describe how the characters feels, acts, and thinks.
  • Use appropriate transitions in narrative writing.
  • Write a narrative that ends with a sense of closure.
Understanding:
33. Students understand that:
  • Narrative writing includes predictable elements, like a logical sequence of events and an ending that provides the reader with a sense of closure.
  • Because narrative writing describes a chronological sequence of events, it includes transitions that indicate the time and place in which the story is occurring.
  • Narrative writing can be used to tell about something that happened to them personally or it can tell a story they made up.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 4
15. Analyze in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.

a. Identify and explain attitudes and influences of multiple characters within a text.

b. Explain how the main character changes throughout the story, using explicit evidence from the text.

c. Make an inference about a character's behavior, the setting, and/or specific events, using explicit details from the story.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
15.
  • Analyze
  • Character
  • Setting
  • Event
  • Story
  • Drama
  • Specific details
15a.
  • Attitude
  • Influence
  • Characters
15b.
  • Main character
  • Explicit evidence
15c.
  • Inference
  • Character
  • Behavior
  • Setting
  • Specific events
  • Explicit details
Knowledge:
15. Students know:
  • Characters are any person, animal, or figure that affect the events of the story.
  • Setting is when and where a story takes place.
  • Events are situations that are described in the story.
  • A drama is a story with dialogue that can be read by different people.
  • Details in the text provide information about the characters, setting, and events.
15a.
  • Characters are any person, animal, or figure that affect the events of the story.
  • Characters in text are described as having certain attributes, like attitude.
  • Characters in text can be influenced by other characters or events in the text.
15b.
  • The main character is the focus of the plot and often displays changes in attitude or beliefs during the story.
  • Explicit evidence refers to direct quotations from the text.
15c.
  • Making an inference requires using observation and background knowledge to reach a logical conclusion.
  • Inferences can be drawn by using information from the text.
Skills:
15. Students are able to:
  • Use specific details from the text to explain attributes of the characters, setting, or event in a story or drama.
15a.
  • Identify attitudes and influences of multiple characters within a text.
  • Explain the reasoning behind characters' attitudes and influences.
15b.
  • Identify the main character in a story.
  • Use explicit evidence from text to explain how the main character changed in the story.
15c.
  • Use explicit details from a story to support inferences about a character's behavior, the story's setting, and/or specific events.
Understanding:
15. Students understand that:
  • They can explain details about characters, settings, and events in a story or drama by using evidence from the text.
15a.
  • There are influences that affect characters' behavior and attitude in a text.
15b.
  • A story usually focuses on one main character who changes throughout the text.
  • Their explanations can be supported with direct quotations from the text.
15c.
  • Making an inference requires them to use information from the text and their background knowledge to draw conclusions about characters, settings, and events in a story.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 4
35. Write personal or fictional narratives using a logical plot, transitional words and phrases, sensory details, and dialogue, and providing a sense of closure.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
35.
  • Personal narratives
  • Fictional narratives
  • Logical plot
  • Transitional words and phrases
  • Sensory details
  • Dialogue
  • Closure
Knowledge:
35. Students know:
  • A narrative is a piece of writing that tells a story.
  • A personal narrative tells about an event that was personally experienced by the author, while a fictional narrative tells a made up story.
  • A narrative story describes a sequence of events in a logical order (beginning, middle, end) and provides a sense of closure as an ending.
  • Narrative transitions indicate when and where the story is occurring.
  • Sensory details use descriptions of the five senses.
  • Dialogue is a conversation between two or more people.
Skills:
35. Students are able to:
  • Write a personal narrative that recalls a personal experience or a fictional narrative with a made-up story.
  • Write a narrative with a logical sequence of events and sensory details.
  • Use appropriate transitional words and phrases in narrative writing.
  • Include dialogue in narrative writing.
  • Write a narrative that ends with a sense of closure.
Understanding:
35. Students understand that:
  • Narrative writing includes predictable elements, like a logical sequence of events and an ending that provides the reader with a sense of closure.
  • Because narrative writing describes a chronological sequence of events, it includes transitions that indicate the time and place in which the story is occurring.
  • Narrative writing can be used to tell about something that happened to them personally or it can tell a story they made up.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 5
19. Interpret how authors use literary elements throughout a text, including character, setting, conflict, dialogue, and point of view.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
19.
  • Interpret
  • Literary elements
  • Character
  • Setting
  • Conflict
  • Dialogue
  • Point of view
Knowledge:
19. Students know:
  • Authors use literary elements, such as character, setting, conflict, dialogue, and point of view, throughout a text to develop and drive the plot.
Skills:
19. Students are able to:
  • Identify literary elements in a text.
  • Interpret how authors use literary elements throughout a text.
Understanding:
19. Students understand that:
  • Interpreting the author's use of literary elements in a text supports their overall comprehension of the text.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 5
34. Write personal or fictional narratives incorporating literary elements (characters, plot, setting, conflict), dialogue, strong voice, and clear event sequences.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
34.
  • Personal narratives
  • Fictional narratives
  • Literary elements
  • Characters
  • Plot
  • Setting
  • Conflict
  • Dialogue
  • Voice
  • Event sequences
Knowledge:
34. Students know:
  • A narrative is a piece of writing that tells a story.
  • A personal narrative tells about an event that was personally experienced by the author, while a fictional narrative tells a made-up story.
  • A narrative story describes a sequence of plot events in a logical order (beginning, middle, end).
  • Narrative writing includes text elements, like characters, setting, and conflict.
  • Dialogue is a conversation between two or more characters in a text.
Skills:
34. Students are able to:
  • Write a personal narrative that recalls a personal experience or a fictional narrative with a made-up story.
  • Write a narrative with a logical sequence of plot events.
  • Incorporate literary elements into their narrative writing, like characters, setting, and conflict.
  • Include dialogue in narrative writing.
  • Use a strong voice in writing by developing a personal writing style.
Understanding:
34. Students understand that:
  • Narrative writing includes predictable elements, like a logical sequence of events and characters, setting, and conflict.
  • Incorporating dialogue between the characters can add details to their narrative writing.
  • Narrative writing can be used to tell about something that happened to them personally or it can tell a story they made up.
Tags: comic creator, comics, creativity, details, elements of a story, Maurice Sendak, story map, Where the Wild Things Are
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Author: Cassie Raulston
Alabama State Department of Education