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.
Maine Learning Results learning standard: Reading 6; Reading 8 · 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 Maine
In the Maine Learning Results, 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 Maine parents
- Printable 3rd grade English Language Arts sheet
- Maine report cards explained
Source: Maine Department of Education
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 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 beach at night
- At school on a snowy morning
- At the park on a sunny afternoon
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.
Question 2
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's bike had a flat tire.
- Ana kept tipping over on her bike.
- Ana could not find the park.
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 3
How is the problem solved?
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!
- Jay held her seat until she could ride alone.
- Ana put her training wheels back on.
- Ana walked her bike home.
Jay held her seat until she could ride alone.
Hint: The solution is how the problem gets fixed. Look near the end of the story.
Question 4
How did Leo most likely feel when he first heard the sound?
Leo was spending the night at his grandma's farmhouse.
When the lights went out, he heard a strange “hoo-hoo” sound outside his window.
Leo pulled the blanket over his head. He could not fall asleep.
Grandma came in with a flashlight and shone it on the tree outside. A fluffy owl blinked back at them!
Leo smiled, whispered goodnight to the owl and soon fell fast asleep.
- Hungry
- Nervous
- Proud
Nervous
Hint: Leo pulled the blanket over his head and could not fall asleep.
Question 5
What is the setting of this story?
Leo was spending the night at his grandma's farmhouse.
When the lights went out, he heard a strange “hoo-hoo” sound outside his window.
Leo pulled the blanket over his head. He could not fall asleep.
Grandma came in with a flashlight and shone it on the tree outside. A fluffy owl blinked back at them!
Leo smiled, whispered goodnight to the owl and soon fell fast asleep.
- At school during lunch
- At Grandma's farmhouse at night
- At a city park in the morning
At Grandma's farmhouse at night
Hint: The setting is where and when a story happens. Look for clues about the place and the time.
Question 6
How is the problem solved?
Leo was spending the night at his grandma's farmhouse.
When the lights went out, he heard a strange “hoo-hoo” sound outside his window.
Leo pulled the blanket over his head. He could not fall asleep.
Grandma came in with a flashlight and shone it on the tree outside. A fluffy owl blinked back at them!
Leo smiled, whispered goodnight to the owl and soon fell fast asleep.
- Leo turned on the radio.
- Grandma showed him the sound came from an owl.
- Leo moved to a different room.
Grandma showed him the sound came from an owl.
Hint: The solution is how the problem gets fixed. Look near the end of the story.