Focus Question: How do readers decide which events are important to the story?
Say, “Listen as I read this story.” Read the nursery rhyme “Jack and Jill.” Display the nursery rhyme on chart paper so students can follow along. The nursery rhymes will be used in Lesson 3 also.
“Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown,
and Jill came tumbling after.”
Ask, “Who is in the story?” (Jack and Jill) “Where does the story take place?” (on a hill) “What do we call the people in a story?” (characters) “What do we call the place where a story happens?” (setting)
Then ask, “What happens in the story?” (They go up the hill. Jack falls down. Then Jill falls down.)
Part 1
Say, “We have learned that characters and setting are two important parts of literary/fiction text. Today, we are going to learn about another part of literary/fiction text—events. Things that happen in a story are called events.” If students need further clarification, explain events by discussing a common situation such as their morning routine.
Next, have students look at the sequence cards for “Jack and Jill” (L-K-1-2_Nursery Rhyme Sequence Cards.docx). Display the cards out of sequence on the board or on an overhead projector.
Say, “Now I am going to reread the nursery rhyme ‘Jack and Jill’ to you. As I read, look at the pictures of the events.” Read the nursery rhyme and ask students whether the pictures are in the right order. Have students arrange the pictures to match the sequence of events in the nursery rhyme. You may write the appropriate words of the nursery rhyme under each picture as an added clue to sequence.
Say, “When we organize events in the order in which they happen, we call this sequence.” Use the following tactile/visual device to reinforce the concept: With your right index finger, tap your left arm at the shoulder and say, “one;” tap at the elbow, and say, “two;” tap at the wrist, and say, “three.” Sweep your index finger down your arm from your shoulder to wrist and say, “sequence.”
Say, “We use the sequence of the events in a story to help us retell the story.” Model this for students by using the sequence cards in the correct order for “Jack and Jill” and retell the nursery rhyme in your own words. “First, Jack and Jill went up the hill. Next, Jack fell down. Last, Jill fell down, too.”
Say, “Did you notice that I used special words that act like a signal so you know I am sequencing the events in order? I used the words first, next, and last to help you understand the order in which the events happen. These are called temporal words because they help us describe the order of events.”
If students need additional instruction, do the same activity with “Humpty Dumpty” (L-K-1-2_Nursery Rhyme Sequence Cards.docx).
Check for understanding by having students work with a partner to explain the meaning of events and sequence. Observe students and make annotations for formative assessment.
Part 2
Ask, “What are events?” (things that happen in a story) Review a sequence of events by pointing to the sequence cards for “Jack and Jill” and asking volunteers to retell each event.
Say, “Now I am going to read a story about a boy named Alexander who has a very bad day. As I read the story, listen to the events that make it a very bad day.” Read aloud the story Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.
Say, “We are going to make a list of the things that happen to Alexander. We will use the list to retell the story. The list will help us tell the things that happen to Alexander in sequence, or the order that they happened.” Write “Alexander’s Bad Day” on chart paper or the board/interactive whiteboard. Read aloud the title and track the words as you read them.
Say, “What is the first bad thing that happens to Alexander?” (He wakes up with gum in his hair.) Draw a picture in the top right-hand corner representing Alexander with gum in his hair. Say, “This is an event in the story.”
Say, “Let’s recall the other bad things that happen to Alexander.” Guide students through the story by asking questions such as the following: “What happens on the way to school?” (He has to sit in the middle of the car.) “What happens at school?” (He leaves out the number 16 at counting time. He has no dessert at lunch.) “What happens after school?” (He has a cavity at the dentist. He gets plain white sneakers.) “What happens at bedtime?” (He has to wear his railroad PJs to bed.)
Draw a symbol for each event in the story. Then have students help you number the main events of the story to show the correct order. When the list is completed, model for students a retelling of the events, showing the order of events by following the numbers. Have students take turns retelling the main events, using temporal words—first, next, last—to support the sequence.
Part 3
Demonstrate the next activity by using a sheet of paper folded into thirds with the thirds labeled First, Next, Last from left to right or a flip chart created by folding a sheet of paper in half the long way and then cutting the top flap into three sections labeled as indicated above. Tell students a simple story, such as the following:
“Yesterday, I took my dog to the park. First, he barked at the ducks.” (Draw a picture of a duck in the section or under the flap labeled First.) “Next, I threw a ball for him to fetch.” (Draw a picture of a ball in the section or under the flap labeled Next.) “Last, he chased a squirrel up a tree.” (Draw a picture of a squirrel in the section or under the flap labeled Last.)
Give each student a sheet of paper folded in thirds or a flip chart. Read the words First, Next, and Last as you point to them. Remind students that these temporal words signal a sequence of events.
Say, “I will read a story to you. After you listen to the story, you will draw what happens first under the flap (or in the section) labeled First. You will draw what happens in the middle of the story under the flap (or in the section) labeled Next. Finally, you will draw what happens last in the story under the flap (or in the section) labeled Last.”
Read a story of your choice to students and allow students time to complete their charts. Then have students turn and talk with a partner to retell the story using the pictures they drew in their charts. Observe students as they retell the story to ensure they are telling the events in the correct order.
Evaluate students’ ability to recognize main events by listening to their retelling of the events in the story you read. Record anecdotal notes and observations.
Extension:
- Accommodate various levels and abilities of students by helping students who need practice verbalizing their stories with guided questions such as “What happened after _______?”
- Provide additional practice by having students draw pictures of the main events in a familiar story, such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears or The Three Little Pigs. Ask students to use their drawings to retell the events.
- If a listening center is available, it can be used to provide additional opportunity for independent practice with sequencing.
- Students who are ready to move beyond the standard may work with a partner to make up a story titled Alexander and the Wonderful, Excellent, Happy, Very Good Day. Have the partners draw pictures of the events and write a sentence about each picture. Then have students retell the story to you or to the class.
