Minilesson Planning Sheet
Name: Amanda Fronzaglia
Grade Level: 1st
Content: Text factors
Lesson: Identify beginning, middle, and end of a story
Content Objective(s):
Students will be able to identify the beginning, middle, and end of a story by
completing a story map.
GLE:
R3C01
Use details from text to demonstrate comprehension skills previously introduced, clarify
meaning, answer questions, identify main ideas, identify supporting details.
Modifications: R2A01
Locate and apply information in title, pictures and names of author and illustrator
Basic Beginner
Locate by pointing to the title, author, illustrator and pictures in a simple familiar leveled
text.
Activity:
Show the title, author, illustrator and illustrations in a familiar leveled text by pointing
with teacher modeling and assistance.
Vocabulary:
Point to, show, title, pictures, author, illustrator
High Beginner
Label title, author, illustrator and pictures of a familiar leveled text.
Activity:
Place labels in appropriate areas to identify the title, author, illustrator and pictures in a
familiar leveled text with a partner.
Low Intermediate
State the title, author, illustrator and illustrations in an unfamiliar leveled text.
Activity:
Name the title, author, illustrator and illustrations from an unfamiliar text in a small
group.
High Intermediate
Construct a self-made book cover to include a title, author, illustrator, pictures.
Activity:
Create a book cover with a title, author, illustrator, illustrations, front and back cover with
a partner using a previously-read, leveled text.
Advanced/Proficient
Design and publish a self- make book to include a title, author, illustrator, and pictures.
Activity:
Develop and publish a book with a title, author, illustrator, pictures, front and back cover
and publish text for the class to view with minimal teacher guidance.
Materials/Media/Resources:
Pfister, M. (1992). The rainbow fish. New York, NY: North-South Books.
Story map
Pencil
Colored pencils
White board
Books to use for Independent practice: Rapunzel, Mirette on the High Wire, The
Man Who Walked Between the Towers, The Three Little Pigs, Owl Moon,
Jumanji, Cinderella, Officer Buckle And Gloria, and The Ugly Duckling
Anticipatory Set:
We have read some pretty great books for the past few weeks, but today I am
going to show you a strategy to help you remember those great books.
Instructional Input:
Each story has three different parts: beginning, middle, and end. The beginning of the
story will consist of introducing the characters and explaining where the story is taking
place, also known as the setting. Setting can consists of a location, weather, time period,
or a particular time. The Beginning part of a story is called the plot. It sets up the story
for a fun and exciting adventure. The middle part of the story will be more detailed with
certain events that occur and a problem will have been created. Events will also take
place in the middle of the story as the characters try to find a way to solve their problem.
This is where the story gets really exciting because we don’t what solution the characters
will come up with to solve their problem. The end of the story is when the characters find
a solution to the problem that was created in the middle of the story and then a conclusion
will wrap up the story.
Use the book The Rainbow Fish to point out the beginning, middle, and end by showing
students the pictures. This will help them refer back to using the pictures to help if they
get stuck in the text. It can also help remind them of what the story is about.
Modeling/Demonstrating:
Today we are going to create story maps. This will help us identify our beginning,
middle, and end of our stories so we can write a short summary about that particular
book. What we first want to do is draw a picture that describes the story. I am going to
draw a picture of Rainbow Fish and his shiny scales. I then need to fill in the title of the
story, author, and illustrator. The title of the story is called The Rainbow Fish.The author
also did the illustrating of the story so the author and illustrator is both Marcus Pfister.
Next, we will move onto the beginning of the story. I am going to fill in the setting and
characters. The setting takes place in the deep blue sea and the characters are the
Rainbow Fish, his friends, the starfish, and the octopus. The middle of the story has two
different events and a problem. First event is when Rainbow Fish’s friend confronts him
about getting one of his shiny scales. However, the problem is that Rainbow Fish doesn’t
want to give away his scales and now his friends won’t talk to him. Second event is when
the Rainbow Fish goes to talk to the octopus for advice on what to do. The end of the
story will have a solution and a conclusion. Solution of this particular story, Rainbow
Fish learns not to be selfish and shares his scales with everyone. The conclusion of the
story is Rainbow Fish learns to share his scales and was able to make friends again.
Fill in the story map.
Now that I have identified the beginning, middle, and end of the story, I need to
write my summary. What I want to do is take the information that I have created
in my story map and use it to form my summary. My summary is going to be
Rainbow Fish was unable to make friends because he wouldn’t share his scales.
When he went to the octopus for advice he decided to share his scales, which
allowed him to be friends with everyone again.
Write the summary at the bottom of the story map.
Draw an illustration for the story here.
Story Map
Title: The Rainbow Fish
Author: Marcus Pfister
Illustrator: Marcus Pfister
Beginning of the story:
Setting: The deep blue sea.
Characters: Rainbow fish, his friends, starfish, and an octopus.
Middle of the story:
Event 1: Rainbow Fish’s friend kept asking for one of his scales.
Problem: His friends won’t talk to him anymore because he won’t share.
Event 2: Went to talk to the octopus for advice.
End of the story:
Solution: Shared his scales with everyone.
Conclusion: Because Rainbow Fish shared his scales, he was able to
be friends with everyone again.
My Story Summary:
Rainbow Fish was unable to make friends because he wouldn’t share
his scales. When he went to the octopus for advice he decided to
share his scales, which allowed him to be friends with everyone
again.
Guided Practice:
How about we try to do a story map together. Let’s try one of our books that we have read in
the past. How about The Polar Express? Even though this is a different book, we are going
to do the same steps. So let’s start with a picture can we draw that describes the story? Yes,
we can draw a picture of a train. Who can tell me what the title, author, and illustrator of the
story? Perfect, the title is The Polar Express, author and the illustrator is Chris Van Allsburg.
What about the beginning of the story? What is the setting and who are the characters? The
setting does take place at the North Pole, but there is another setting that we could also say.
We could also say that the setting takes place on the train. The characters are the little boy,
conductor, elf’s, and Santa Clause. What happens in the middle of the story? Now you’re
getting it, events and the problem. What are the events in the story? Correct, the little boy
gets on a train to go to the North Pole and Santa Clause gives him the first gift of Christmas.
What is the problem in the story? Absolutely, the boy looses his gift from Santa Clause. The
ending of the story is where we talk about the solution and conclusion. So what is our
solution and conclusion? You’ve got it, the solution is that Santa Clause brings the little boy
his bell and the conclusion is the little boy now believes in Santa Clause and the North Pole.
Now that we have found the main ideas of the story, let’s put it all together and write our
summary statement. What is our summary sentence going to be? I think that sounds like a
great statement. A little boy heads to the North Pole on a train. When he gets there, Santa
Clause gives him the first gift of Christmas, but looses it on the way home. The next morning,
the little boy opens his presents and finds the bell that Santa Clause gave him.
Fill in the story map as the students answer questions.
Draw an illustration for the story here.
Story Map
Title: The Polar Express
Author: Chris Van Allsburg
Illustrator: Chris Van Allsburg
Beginning of the story:
Setting: The North Pole
Characters: Little boy, conductor, elf’s, and Santa Clause
Middle of the story:
Event 1: The little boy gets on the train to head to the North Pole.
Problem: The boy loses the bell that Santa Clause gave him.
Event 2: Santa Clause gives the little boy the first gift of Christmas.
End of the story:
Solution: Santa Clause finds the little boys bell and brings it back to him.
Conclusion: He now believes in Santa Clause and the North Pole.
Summary Statement:
A little boy heads to the North Pole on a train. When he gets there, Santa Clause
gives him the first gift of Christmas, but looses it on the way home. The next
morning, the little boy opens his presents and finds the bell that Santa Clause
gave him.
Checking for Understanding:
During guided practice, I will observe the students periodically to make sure that they
understand the different parts of a story. I will also be checking to make sure that students
understand the main ideas in each part of the story and how to write a summary with the
information that they have provided about the story.
Independent Practice:
Everyone has done a great job and what I would like for everyone to do now is to
try doing a story map on your own. On your table you will find books that we have
read this year. What I want you to do is pick a story that you really like and create
a story map using that book. There will not be a book for everyone to have so we
need to make sure that we are sharing with our friends. I will be walking around
the room to help anyone answer questions.
The books that will be placed on the table will be Rapunzel, Mirette on the High
Wire, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, The Three Little Pigs, Owl
Moon, Jumanji, Cinderella, Officer Buckle And Gloria, and The Ugly Duckling. I
will leave samples placed on the white board for students to use as a reference.
Closure:
Identifying the beginning, middle, and end of a story can help us with our reading
comprehension because we are able to remember the main ideas. This will allow us to
remember all kinds of stories.
Evaluation/Assessment:
Students will completely a story map independently. They will be graded based
on the following rubric.
Criteria
Identified
main ideas of
the beginning
of the story
Identified
main ideas of
the middle of
the story
Identify main
ideas of the
end of the
story
Summary
statement
0
Did not
identify any
main ideas
Did not
identify any
main ideas
Did not
identify any
main ideas
Did not write
summary
statement
1
2
3
Identified
setting or
characters,
but not both
Identified one
event and no
main idea
Identified
setting and a
character
Identified
setting and
all characters
Identified
solution or
conclusion,
but not both
Has
components
that were not
listed in map
Identified one Identified
event and
both events
main idea
and main
idea
Identified
solution and
conclusion
Has main
ideas from
map and too
many other
details
Has main
ideas from
map and
short in
length.
Draw an illustration for the story here.
Story Map
Title: ____________________________________________________
Author: _________________________________________________
Illustrator: ________________________________________________
Beginning of the story:
Setting: __________________________________________________
Characters: _______________________________________________
Middle of the story:
Event 1: __________________________________________________
Problem: _________________________________________________
Event 2: __________________________________________________
End of the story:
Solution: _________________________________________________
Conclusion:_______________________________________________
Summary Statement:
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________