Focus Question: Why are events important to a story?
Say, “We have been learning about things that are important in all literary books. We have learned about characters. Why are the characters important?” (The characters make the story happen.)
Say, “We have learned about setting. What is setting?” (the time and place, or when and where, a story happens)
Say, “Today we will learn about events. Events are things that happen in a story. The order in which the events happen is called sequence.”
Display the nursery rhyme “Hickory, Dickory, Dock” on the board or on an overhead projector. Ask, “Do you know the nursery rhyme ‘Hickory, Dickory, Dock’? If you know it, recite it along with me.”
Hickory, Dickory, Dock,
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one,
The mouse ran down.
Hickory, Dickory, Dock.
Say, “Let’s think of the events that happen in the nursery rhyme. What is the first thing that happens?” (The mouse runs up the clock.) “What happens next?” (The clock strikes one.) “What happens last?” (The mouse runs down the clock.)
Ask, “What do we call the things that happen in this nursery rhyme?” Have students respond as a group. (events) Ask, “What do we call the order in which events happen?” Have students respond as a group. (sequence)
You might reinforce the concept of sequence by having students retell the correct sequence of events in “Little Miss Muffet” or in another previously read story.
Part 1
Say, “Now let’s see if we can find the important events in a literary book.” Hold up the book Corduroy and say, “Listen for the important events of this story as I read it to you.”
Read aloud the book Corduroy. Then say, “Let’s think of the most important things that happen in this story—the important events.”
Write “Important Events in Corduroy” on chart paper or on the board/interactive whiteboard and list the important events students identify. Prompt students with questions such as, “What is the first thing that happens in the story? What happens next? What happens after that? What is the last thing that happens in the story?” Number the events as you write them.
When the list is complete, review it with students. The following events may be included:
Important events in Corduroy
- A girl wants to buy Corduroy, but he is missing a button.
- Corduroy looks for his button.
- Corduroy rides the escalator and finds the furniture department.
- Corduroy finds a button on a mattress and pulls it off.
- A police officer finds Corduroy and returns him to the toy department.
- The girl returns and buys Corduroy.
- The girl brings Corduroy home and sews on a new button.
- The girl and Corduroy decide they are friends.
Say, “These are the important events in the story Corduroy. The events are listed in sequence, or the order in which they happen in the story.”
To emphasize the importance of events, you may want to ask how the story would be different if the police officer did not return Corduroy to the toy department.
Help students retell the story Corduroy by sequencing four important events. Demonstrate how to use a four-square storyboard (L-1-3-3 _Main Events.doc). Work with the class to fill in the sequence of events in the story. Then ask students to draw pictures and retell the events to a partner. Circulate around the room to observe students and assess understanding.
Part 2
Say, “We will now try to identify the important events in another story. This book is called Christina Katerina and the Box. As I read the story to you, listen for the important events.”
Follow a similar procedure as with Corduroy. Elicit student recall of events and list the responses on chart paper or on the board/interactive whiteboard, but do not list the events in order. As an alternative, write each event on a separate strip of paper, either in advance of reading the story or to record students’ responses. Then, review the events with students and ask them to number or arrange the events in the correct sequence. The following events may be included:
Important Events in Christina Katerina and the Box
- Christina is excited to have a refrigerator box to play with.
- She makes a castle out of the box and plays in it until Fats ruins it.
- She makes a clubhouse out of the box and plays in it until Fats ruins it.
- She makes a racing car out of the box and plays in it until Fats ruins it.
- She makes a mansion out of the box and plays in it until Fats ruins it.
- She decides she no longer wants to play with the box.
- Fats brings a washer and a dryer box over, and they make two boats out of them.
Say, “These are the important events in the story Christina Katerina and the Box. We have put the events in the sequence in which they happen in the story.”
Arrange students in small groups. Choose familiar books at students’ independent reading levels. (Suggested titles are listed under Materials at the beginning of this lesson.) In preparation for the activity, write events from the stories on separate strips of paper.
Provide each group with a book and a set of event strips. Say, “Now you will have a chance to sequence important events in another story. The strips of paper list the important events in the story. You will read your book with your group. Then you will arrange the strips of paper in the sequence in which the events happen in the story.”
While groups are working, circulate around the room and provide support. Observe students’ ability to sequence events. Then, have each group use the event strips to retell the story. Discuss why correct sequence is important.
Extension:
- Have students who need additional practice work in pairs to identify main events in a story. Give each pair a book at students’ independent reading level and a copy of the Main Events worksheet (L-1-3-3 _Main Events.doc). Have students read their book together and list the important events on the worksheet. Provide assistance as needed.
- Students who are ready to go beyond the standards may write or dictate a story with four main events. Have them use a four-square storyboard to write and illustrate the events in their story.
- Provide additional practice for students by having them read the four-square storyboard completed by another student. Then have them retell the main events in the story.