Story Planners Lesson Plan 1
Day 1 of 3 • 20 Minutes • Narrative Writing
Story Planners Lesson Plan
Phase: Plan
Grade 1 • Fiction Writing
Focus Objective: Identify characters & setting; plan beginning, middle, and end.
Materials Needed: Day 1 Slide Deck, Story Map Organizers, pencils, coloring tools.
Key Vocabulary: Character, Setting, Beginning, Middle, End, Fiction.
I DO • 6 Mins
Teacher Modeling: Building a Story Map
Slide Deck: Slides 1–3
Introduce that fiction writers create imaginary worlds before writing sentences. Display the blank Story Map on the board.
Teacher Model Script: "Watch me plan my tale! My characters are Pip the Puppy and Mittens the Cat. Our setting is a sunny backyard with a tall fence. In the Beginning , they find a locked garden gate. In the Middle , Pip digs under the gate while Mittens climbs over. In the End , they discover a giant bowl of treats and celebrate together!"
WE DO • 5 Mins
Collaborative Practice: Class Brainstorm
Slide Deck: Slide 4
Guide the whole group to plan a shared quick story to check understanding before independent work:
Who will our characters be? (Take 2 quick suggestions: e.g., two robot friends).Where are they? (Setting: an outer space playground).What happens B-M-E? Call on volunteers to name what happens first (beginning), the exciting event (middle), and how it wraps up happily (end).
YOU DO • 7 Mins
Independent Story Mapping
Student Material: Story Map Organizer
Students draw and quick-label their own story components. Remind them: Quick sketches and key sound-words are perfect today—we write complete sentences tomorrow!
Teacher Conferring Prompts: • "Who is in your tale?"
Scaffolding & Support: • Emerging writers: Draw pictures first; teacher transcribes character names.Advanced writers: Add 1-2 descriptive labels per box.
WRAP-UP & PARTNER SHARE • 2 Mins Turn & Talk
Students turn to their writing partner and say: "My characters are ___ and my setting is ___!" Collect Story Maps to use in Day 2 drafting.
Unit: Story Makers (3-Day Narrative Series) Instructional Focus: Planning Fictional Elements Page 1 of 1
Story Planners Slide Deck Day 1 • Narrative Writing 20 Minutes • Step: Plan
Story Makers Series
Story Planners!
Today we dream up fun characters, an exciting setting, and map out our tale!
✏️
Our Plan: 1. I Do (Watch) → 2. We Do (Practice) → 3. You Do (Create Your Map)
Every Fiction Tale Needs Two Things!
Step 1: The Basics
🐻
Characters
WHO is in the story?
People, animals, or creatures made up from your imagination!
💡 Examples: A friendly dragon, two puppy friends, a space explorer!
🏰
Setting
WHERE does it happen?
The place where your characters play, explore, or go on an adventure!
💡 Examples: A magical treehouse, a sunny backyard, outer space!
🌟 Fiction means we use our imagination to invent new adventures!
Stories Have 3 Big Parts!
Story Arc
1
Beginning
Introduce & Start
Meet the characters and see what they are doing at the start.
2
Middle
The Action!
Something exciting or tricky happens! What do they do?
3
End
Wrap It Up
How the tale finishes and how the characters feel at the close.
👉 We plan these 3 parts first so our stories are organized and clear!
I DO
Teacher Model: Pip & Mittens
Watch how I plan!
🐶 Characters:
Pip the Puppy & Mittens the Cat
🏡 Setting:
A sunny backyard with a tall wooden fence
Beginning:
Pip and Mittens find a locked wooden gate.
Middle:
Pip digs underneath and Mittens climbs over the fence!
End:
They find a surprise bowl of yummy crunchy treats!
See? No long sentences yet—just pictures and key ideas!
Now It is Your Turn, Story Planners!
YOU DO • 7 Minutes
1️⃣
Draw Characters
Who is in your tale? Draw them in the character box.
2️⃣
Draw Setting
Where are they? Sketch the place where it happens.
3️⃣
Map B - M - E
Sketch what happens first, in the middle, and at the end!
🌟
Tip: Quick sketches & sound-spelling labels. You will write sentences tomorrow!
Get Ready!
Story Map Organizer Day 1: Plan • Story Makers
My Fiction Story Map
Name:
Date:
💡 Instructions: Plan your story! Draw in the big boxes and write your sound-spelling notes.
Step 1: Plan
Draw Here
🐻 Characters (Who?):
Draw Here
🏰 Setting (Where?):
1 Beginning • How It Starts
Plan Step 1
Draw Beginning Scene (Characters & Setting)
Beginning Ideas & Sound Words:
2 Middle • What Action Happens
Plan Step 2
Draw Middle Action (Exciting Event or Problem)
Middle Ideas & Sound Words:
3 End • How It Wraps Up
Plan Step 3
Draw Ending Scene (Happy Wrap-up)
Ending Ideas & Sound Words:
Author Check: Characters Setting Beginning Middle End
Story Makers • Day 1 Plan (Front Page)
Tale Drafters Lesson Plan 2
Day 2 of 3 • 20 Minutes • Narrative Writing
Tale Drafters Lesson Plan
Phase: Draft
Grade 1 • Sentence Starters
Focus Objective: Draft a 3-part tale using 3 transition starters from a planned Story Map.
Required Sentence Starters: 1. "Once there were..." 2. "Next in the tale..." 3. "At the end of the tale..."
Materials Needed: Completed Day 1 Story Maps, Day 2 Slides, Narrative Writing Paper, pencils.
I DO • 6 Mins
Teacher Modeling: Connecting Plan to Draft
Slide Deck: Slides 1–3
Display your completed Pip & Mittens Story Map next to the Narrative Writing Paper. Model how sentence starters make writing easier by opening each part of the story.
Model Starter 1 (Beginning): "Look at my character notes. I read the starter: 'Once there were...' and finish it: '...two playful pets named Pip and Mittens in a big backyard.' "
Model Starter 2 (Middle): "Next, I look at my middle box. I read: 'Next in the tale...' and add: '...they found a locked gate, so Pip dug under it!' "
Model Starter 3 (End): "Finally, I read: 'At the end of the tale...' and add: '...they found crunchy treats and curled up for a nap.' "
WE DO • 4 Mins
Shared Writing Practice: Choral Oral Rehearsal
Slide Deck: Slide 4
Have students orally rehearse completing sentences before writing down pencil strokes:
Have the class read each starter aloud in unison with finger tracking.
Partner whisper: Students hold their Day 1 Story Map and whisper their 3 sentence ideas to their partner: "Once there were [characters]..."
Teacher checks for readiness: "Thumbs up when you hear your full first sentence in your head!"
YOU DO • 8 Mins
Independent Drafting on Story Paper
Student Material: Narrative Writing Paper
Students place their Day 1 Story Map on their left side and their Writing Paper on their right side. They complete the printed starters and draw coordinating pictures in the illustration boxes.
Teacher Conferring Moves: • "Read your sentence to me with your finger."
Differentiation: • Emerging: Allow student to dictate remaining words for teacher modeling or write key sound letters.Advanced: Encourage adding an extra descriptive sentence to each section.
CELEBRATION SHARE • 2 Mins Author Read-Aloud
Select 2 volunteers to read their drafted beginning aloud to the class using their best storyteller voice. Congratulate all authors on finishing their first draft!
Unit: Story Makers (3-Day Narrative Series) Instructional Focus: Drafting with Transitions Page 1 of 1
Tale Drafters Slide Deck Day 2 • Narrative Writing 20 Minutes • Step: Draft
Story Makers Series
Tale Drafters!
Today we use sentence starters to turn our story plans into real, exciting sentences!
📝
Today's Mission: Connect our Story Map ideas with 3 powerful sentence starters!
Our 3 Story Starters!
Sentence Starters
Part 1: Beginning
Read together:
“Once there were...”
👉 Name your characters and where they are at the start!
Part 2: Middle
Read together:
“Next in the tale...”
👉 Tell the exciting action or surprise that happens!
Part 3: End
Read together:
“At the end of the tale...”
👉 Tell how the adventure wraps up happily!
🗣️ Let's read all 3 starters out loud together as a class!
I DO
Teacher Model: Pip and Mittens
Watch me draft!
1
Once there were two playful friends, Pip the dog and Mittens the cat, playing in a big sunny yard.
2
Next in the tale , they saw a locked garden gate, so Pip dug a hole and Mittens climbed over!
3
At the end of the tale , they discovered crunchy treats and cuddled together for a nap.
⭐ Notice how each sentence starter connects right to our Day 1 plan!
WE DO
Partner Whisper Practice!
Oral Rehearsal • 4 Mins
🤝
Partner 1 Speaks First
Look at your Day 1 Story Map and complete this sentence out loud:
“Once there were [my characters] in [my setting].”
👂
Partner 2 Listens & Cheers
Give a thumbs up when you hear:
✅ Did you hear characters?
✅ Did you hear where it happens?
💡 If you can say it, you can write it!
Time to Write Your Draft!
YOU DO • 8 Minutes
🗺️
Look at Your Map
Keep Day 1 beside your paper to remember your ideas!
✏️
Finish Each Starter
Write on the primary lines right after each printed starter.
🎨
Add Story Pictures
Draw illustrations in the boxes to match your words!
🌟
Remember: Say the words slowly and sound out the letters!
Write Away!
Narrative Writing Paper Day 2: Draft • Story Makers
My Fiction Tale
Name:
Date:
✏️ Instructions: Use the sentence starters to write your story. Draw matching pictures in the boxes!
Step 2: Draft
1 Beginning • Characters & Setting
How it begins
Picture 1 (Beginning Scene)
Once there were
2 Middle • What Happens
The action
Picture 2 (Middle Action)
Next in the tale,
3 End • How It Wraps Up
The ending
Picture 3 (Ending Scene)
At the end of the tale,
Drafting Reminders: 👆 Finger Spaces 🔤 Capital Starter 🛑 Ending Mark
Story Makers • Day 2 Draft (Back Page)
Super Editors Lesson Plan 3
Day 3 of 3 • 20 Minutes • Narrative Writing
Super Editors Lesson Plan
Phase: Edit & Polish
Grade 1 • Conventions & Rubric
Focus Objective: Edit fictional drafts for capitalization, ending marks, spelling, and organization.
Editing Target Skills: 1. Capital letter at start
Materials Needed: Day 2 Student Drafts, Day 3 Slides, Narrative Writing Rubric & Checklist, colored editing pencils.
I DO • 6 Mins
Teacher Modeling: The Super Editor's Magnifying Glass
Slide Deck: Slides 1–3
Explain that all great authors polish their writing so readers can easily enjoy their tales. Introduce a colored editing pencil (green or purple "editor pen").
Model Fix on Sample Sentence: Display intentional draft errors: once there was a dog named pip and he had no ball_
1. Capitalization: "Oops! A sentence must begin with an uppercase letter! I change lowercase 'o' to capital 'O'." Also check proper names: "Pip is a name—capital 'P'!"
2. Ending Marks: "Stop right there! Where does the reader take a breath? I need a period right at the end."
3. Spelling: "Let's check our word wall words (the, was, and) and stretch sounds for tricky words."
4. Organization: "Does this sentence match our Beginning, Middle, or End?"
WE DO • 4 Mins
Collaborative "Error Hunt"
Slide Deck: Slide 4
Show a sentence with 3 hidden mistakes on Slide 4. Have the whole class find and correct them together:
"Put your hands on your head when you spot the missing capital letter!" (Class identifies lowercase starter).
"Stamp your feet when you spot the missing punctuation mark!" (Class adds period/exclamation point).
Review the 4-part rubric criteria together so expectations are transparent and celebratory.
YOU DO • 8 Mins
Self-Edit & Peer Review with Checklist
Student Material: Rubric & Checklist
Students use their colored pencil to inspect their own draft using the 4 checklist items. Then, writing partners swap papers for a 2-minute "Praise & Polish" peer read.
Teacher Conferring Moves: • Have student touch each capital letter with pencil.
Rubric Grading Guidance: • Use the 4-level scale (Super Author = 4, Story Star = 3, Growing Writer = 2, Beginner Scribe = 1) to evaluate Capitalization, Ending Marks, Spelling, and Organization.
AUTHOR'S CHAIR CELEBRATION • 2 Mins Publication Parade
Students place their polished stories on their desks. Give a silent cheer for all first-grade authors! Collect stories along with the rubric for grading.
Unit: Story Makers (3-Day Narrative Series) Instructional Focus: Editing & Assessment Page 1 of 1
Super Editors Slide Deck Day 3 • Narrative Writing 20 Minutes • Step: Edit & Polish
Story Makers Series
Super Editors!
Today we use our detective magnifying glasses to check capitals, ending marks, spelling, and order!
🔍
Our Goal: Make our fiction tales crystal clear and fun for everyone to read!
Our 4 Editing Superpowers!
Editor Toolkit
Aa
1. Capital Letters
Big uppercase letters at the beginning of each sentence and for special names!
.?!
2. Ending Marks
A period, question mark, or exclamation point at the end so the reader knows when to stop!
abc
3. Kid Spelling
Stretch tricky words to hear sounds, and check sight words (the, was, and, they).
123
4. Story Order
Does the tale flow smoothly from Beginning to Middle to End?
🌟 When all four are checked, your story is ready to shine!
I DO
Teacher Model: Watch Me Fix It!
Before & After
❌ First Draft (Oops!):
once there was a dog named pip and he had no bone
Missing capital letter! Missing name capital! Missing period!
✨ Polished Version (Hooray!):
Once there was a dog named Pip and he had no bone**.**
Fixed! Now our reader knows where to start and when to stop!
We make marks with our colored pencil right on top of our draft!
WE DO
Spot the 3 Silly Mistakes!
Class Detective Game
Read this sentence together:
“next in the tale he dug a hol in the yard”
Clue 1
Where is the capital letter?
Clue 2
How do we spell hole? (h-o-l-e)
Clue 3
Where is the ending period?
🎉 Great job, Super Detectives! You found all 3 mistakes!
Super Editors at Work!
YOU DO • 8 Minutes
🔤
1. Capitals
Touch every first letter with your pencil!
🛑
2. End Marks
Tap every period or exclamation mark!
👂
3. Spelling
Stretch out sounds and check sight words!
📖
4. Order
Check that you have Beginning, Middle, End!
🏆
When finished, use your rubric checklist to see how many stars you earned!
Edit Away!
Narrative Writing Rubric Assessment Tool • Story Makers Unit
Narrative Writing Rubric
Student:
Date:
🔍 Student Self-Edit & Partner Checklist (Check before turning in!) Pre-Grading Check
Capitals: Uppercase first letters
Punctuation: Ending marks (. ? !)
Spelling: Sight words & stretched sounds
Order: Characters, Setting, B-M-E
Writing Trait
4 • Super Author
3 • Story Star
2 • Growing Writer
1 • Beginner Scribe
Score
🔤 Capitalization
Sentence starts & names
| Capitalizes all sentence starters and character names consistently. | Capitalizes all 3 sentence starters correctly; minor error on a name. | Capitalizes 1 or 2 sentence starters; frequently uses lowercase letters. | Rarely or never uses uppercase letters at sentence starts. |
|
|
🛑 Ending Marks
Periods, ! and ?
| Accurate punctuation (. ! ?) at the end of every sentence with intentional expression. | Correct ending punctuation placed on all 3 story parts. | Uses ending punctuation on 1 or 2 sentences; may place marks inside words. | Missing ending marks throughout most or all of the story draft. |
|
|
👂 Spelling
Sight words & phonics
| High-frequency sight words spelled correctly; inventive phonics is easily read. | Most basic sight words correct; sounds stretched phonetically for tough words. | Mix of random letters and phonetic sounds; sight words need support to decipher. | Single letters or initial sounds only; requires student transcription. |
|
|
📖 Organization
Characters, Setting, B-M-E
| Rich characters & setting; seamless transitions across B, M, and E with matching art. | Clear characters, setting, and all 3 narrative parts completed using starters. | Has 2 of 3 story parts; characters or setting are unclear or missing. | Incomplete story structure; lacks narrative flow or missing parts. |
|
Teacher Assessment Summary
Total Score:
/ 16
⭐ Glow (What went great!):
🌱 Grow (Next writing goal):
Grade 1 Narrative Writing • 4-Level Developmental Rubric Story Makers Unit • 16-Point Scale Page 1 of 1
