3rd grade · English Language Arts · Unit 2 of 13
Story Elements
Characters, settings and plots
What your child practices
Naming the characters, setting, problem and solution of a story, describing how characters feel and what they are like, and finding a story's lesson.
Alaska content standards learning standard: RL.3.3; RL.3.5 · characters, settings and plots
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- Characters are who the story is about. The setting is where and when it happens.
- The problem is what goes wrong. The solution is how it gets fixed.
- Clues about what characters say and do tell you how they feel.
Example: A rabbit keeps eating Lena’s lettuce, so Lena and her mom build a fence. What is the solution? The problem is the rabbit eating the lettuce. The fix is what stops it. Answer: Lena and her mom put a fence around the lettuce.
Story Elements in Alaska
In the Alaska content standards, this is unit 2 of 13 in 3rd grade English Language Arts, after Read and Think and before Word Jobs.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
- 3rd grade guide for Alaska parents
- Printable 3rd grade English Language Arts sheet
- Alaska report cards explained
Source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
What is the problem in this story?
On a windy Saturday, Amir flew his new green kite in the field behind his school.
A strong gust pushed the kite into a tall tree.
Amir tugged hard on the string, but the kite stayed stuck.
His big sister, Nora, gently wiggled the string back and forth. Slowly, the kite slid free and floated down.
Amir thanked Nora, and they took turns flying the kite all afternoon.
- Amir's kite was too small.
- Amir's kite got stuck in a tree.
- Nora did not want to play.
Amir's kite got stuck in a tree.
Hint: The problem is the trouble a character needs to fix. It usually shows up near the beginning.
Question 2
How did Amir most likely feel at the end?
On a windy Saturday, Amir flew his new green kite in the field behind his school.
A strong gust pushed the kite into a tall tree.
Amir tugged hard on the string, but the kite stayed stuck.
His big sister, Nora, gently wiggled the string back and forth. Slowly, the kite slid free and floated down.
Amir thanked Nora, and they took turns flying the kite all afternoon.
- Angry
- Lonely
- Thankful
Thankful
Hint: Amir thanked Nora, and they played together all afternoon.
Question 3
How is the problem solved?
On a windy Saturday, Amir flew his new green kite in the field behind his school.
A strong gust pushed the kite into a tall tree.
Amir tugged hard on the string, but the kite stayed stuck.
His big sister, Nora, gently wiggled the string back and forth. Slowly, the kite slid free and floated down.
Amir thanked Nora, and they took turns flying the kite all afternoon.
- Amir climbed to the top of the tree.
- They bought a brand-new kite.
- Nora wiggled the string until the kite slid free.
Nora wiggled the string until the kite slid free.
Hint: The solution is how the problem gets fixed. Look near the end of the story.
Question 4
What is the problem in this story?
On a sunny afternoon at the park, Ana tried to ride her bike without training wheels.
She wobbled and tipped over again and again.
Her friend Jay held the back of her seat while she pedaled.
After many tries, Jay let go, and Ana rode all the way to the pond by herself!
- Ana could not find the park.
- Ana kept tipping over on her bike.
- Ana's bike had a flat tire.
Ana kept tipping over on her bike.
Hint: The problem is the trouble a character needs to fix. It usually shows up near the beginning.
Question 5
How did Ana most likely feel at the end?
On a sunny afternoon at the park, Ana tried to ride her bike without training wheels.
She wobbled and tipped over again and again.
Her friend Jay held the back of her seat while she pedaled.
After many tries, Jay let go, and Ana rode all the way to the pond by herself!
- Proud
- Grumpy
- Bored
Proud
Hint: Ana finally rode all by herself after many tries. How would you feel?
Question 6
What is the setting of this story?
On a sunny afternoon at the park, Ana tried to ride her bike without training wheels.
She wobbled and tipped over again and again.
Her friend Jay held the back of her seat while she pedaled.
After many tries, Jay let go, and Ana rode all the way to the pond by herself!
- At the park on a sunny afternoon
- At the beach at night
- At school on a snowy morning
At the park on a sunny afternoon
Hint: The setting is where and when a story happens. Look for clues about the place and the time.