2nd grade · English Language Arts · Unit 3 of 14
Story Builders
Characters, settings and order
What your child practices
Reading short stories, then naming the character and setting, explaining why things happened, and retelling events in order.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) teks student expectation: 2.8(B); 2.8(C); 2.8(D) · characters, settings and the order of events
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- The main character is who the story is mostly about.
- The setting is where and when the story happens.
- Events happen in order: beginning, middle and end.
Example: Jay forgot his lunch at school. His teacher shared her apple. Where does this story happen? Look for place words. The story happens at school. Answer: at school
Story Builders in Texas
In the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), this is unit 3 of 14 in 2nd grade English Language Arts, after Sound Detectives and before Word Power.
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.
- 2nd grade guide for Texas parents
- Printable 2nd grade English Language Arts sheet
- Texas report cards explained
Source: Texas Education Agency (TEA)
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
Who is the main character in this story?
Leo's puppy Biscuit dug a hole in the yard.
Leo found Biscuit covered in mud.
Leo gave Biscuit a bath with soap and warm water.
Soon Biscuit was clean and fluffy.
- 🧒Leo
- 🐈a cat
- 🧑🌾a gardener
🧒 Leo
Hint: The main character is who the story is mostly about.
Question 2
Where does this story happen? (the setting)
Leo's puppy Biscuit dug a hole in the yard.
Leo found Biscuit covered in mud.
Leo gave Biscuit a bath with soap and warm water.
Soon Biscuit was clean and fluffy.
- 🏡at Leo's home
- 🌙on the moon
- 🛒in a store
🏡 at Leo's home
Hint: The setting is where a story happens. Look for clues in the first sentence.
Question 3
Why did Leo give Biscuit a bath?
Leo's puppy Biscuit dug a hole in the yard.
Leo found Biscuit covered in mud.
Leo gave Biscuit a bath with soap and warm water.
Soon Biscuit was clean and fluffy.
- 🎂It was Biscuit's birthday
- 🐕Biscuit was covered in mud
- 🏊Biscuit wanted to swim
🐕 Biscuit was covered in mud
Hint: Look at the second sentence. What did Leo find?
Question 4
Tap what happened, from the beginning to the end.
Leo's puppy Biscuit dug a hole in the yard.
Leo found Biscuit covered in mud.
Leo gave Biscuit a bath with soap and warm water.
Soon Biscuit was clean and fluffy.
- Leo found Biscuit muddy.
- Biscuit was clean and fluffy.
- Leo gave Biscuit a bath.
- Biscuit dug a hole.
Biscuit dug a hole. → Leo found Biscuit muddy. → Leo gave Biscuit a bath. → Biscuit was clean and fluffy.
Hint: Read the story again from the top. What happened first?
Question 5
Who is the main character in this story?
Sam's class went to the aquarium.
They watched the jellyfish glow.
A sea lion splashed everyone!
On the bus home, Sam drew a picture of the sea lion.
- 🐉a dragon
- 🧑✈️a pilot
- 🧑Sam
🧑 Sam
Hint: The main character is who the story is mostly about.
Question 6
Where does this story happen? (the setting)
Sam's class went to the aquarium.
They watched the jellyfish glow.
A sea lion splashed everyone!
On the bus home, Sam drew a picture of the sea lion.
- 📚at the library
- 🐄at a farm
- 🐠at the aquarium
🐠 at the aquarium
Hint: The setting is where a story happens. Look for clues in the first sentence.