2nd Grade Language Arts

Story Structure

Unit 2


Books!

Think of your favorite book and then think of your favorite movie. Do you think they're related in any way? If you answered "yes", you'd be right! Although all stories (yes, a movie is a story) are unique in some way, almost all of them share one basic quality:

All stories have a beginning, middle, and end.

Movies!

Beginning

  • Introduces the character and the setting

  • Sets up the story for the events later on

  • Ask: Who and where?

  • Ex. Cinderella: Introduces the evil stepmother (how she treats Cinderella), the step-sisters, and Cinderella. The setting is at their home preparing for the Prince's ball.

Middle

  • The main portion of the plot

  • Where the action occurs

  • Ask: What is the problem? What are the events?

  • Ex. Cinderella: The ball occurs while Cinderella is at home. The Fairy Godmother appears and transforms Cinderella's dress as well as gives her a pumpkin chariot to the ball. Cinderella catches the attention of the Prince and dances with him all night. The clock strikes midnight and Cinderella flees the palace since her glamorous clothes were set to disappear at midnight and accidentally leaves a glass slipper behind.

End

  • The conclusion of the story

  • How the characters have changed

  • Ask: How is the problem is solved?

  • Essentially, the "Happily Ever After"

  • Ex. Cinderella: The Prince tries to fit the glass slipper on the women in the region to try and find Cinderella, but it does not fit any of them, including Cinderella's step-mother and step-sisters. Finally, the Prince puts the shoe on Cinderella and it fits. They get married and live happily ever after.

Try It Yourself: Identify the beginning, middle, and end of Little Red Riding Hood using THIS template.

bme.pdf