Students need to create story problems. Story problems are connected to the character in their stories. However, students need to know some things about their character to create a suitable problem. Let me explain what I mean.

Problems are a matter of  perspective.

A problem is not considered a problem unless it goes against a character’s wishes or makes their every day worse. For example, if someone were to cancel their Friday plans with me, the introvert in me would be excited.

“Yes, I get to stay home and read.”

Yet, for some people, if Friday plans are canceled they are quite upset. However, canceled plans are not a problem unless it causes a person to view it that way. Problems are a matter of perspective.

Problems do not have to be big.

Teachers rarely forget their school keys but if they do, it’s a problem. Your day begins with waiting for someone inside the building to let you in and sheepishly borrowing a replacement key. The rest of the day you’re thinking about your keys. “Are they in my other coat?”

Students have a tendency to choose big problems for their characters when often a small one will be more manageable. For example, here is a list. What else can you brainstorm?

1. Lost items…homework, toy, jacket, chapstick
2. Forgotten items…lunch, a field trip form
3. Friendship troubles…fight with a friend, rules broken in a game
4. Scared of …a “monster” in a closet, the weather, a bully, speaking in public
5. Being late for…
6. Needing money for…

Problems are the opposite of the character’s desired comfort zone.

For some characters speaking in public or standing up to a bully are outside of their comfort zones. Speaking in front of larger groups and standing up to a bully are considered problems when the character prefers the status quo of not being seen, not causing waves.

Students need to think about what is the status quo for a character. What would happen to cause the character to feel intruded upon or uncomfortable?

Let’s look at the beginning trailer for the first Shrek movie. The character is clearly in love with himself and his swamp. He LOVES his solitary independent life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMn8XYt2RCQ

Now, the movie would be dull if this continued for two hours. Something  has to happen, a problem needs to be perceived.

So this happens to Shrek

Shrek’s every day is upended when his personal space is invaded by other fairy tale characters. Shrek sets off for a solution to his problem and then the rest of the story is set in motion.

Problems can be created for well known book or TV characters.

To help students understand how to create problems for a character, have them think about book and TV characters that they know.

What would be a problem for Fancy Nancy who loves using fancy words?

For example: What if Fancy Nancy got sick and lost her voice?

Problems can be created by using yourself as a character.

Have students think about themselves. What bothers them enough to be a problem for a story?

Keep a “Problem List” in your class. Remind students that this list contains “maybe” problems. They are problems for some characters but maybe not their characters.

I hope this has triggered some new thinking about characters and how the story problem is intertwined. Next time we will look at the importance of setting and how it is also intertwined with character and story problems. 

Until next time,

Coach Clark

“Brandi, language arts is too big, unruly, overwhelming, where do I even start? I like math better, at least it has units.”

I hear this everywhere I go. I get it.  Where is the structure? What can teachers do to feel grounded and confident?

The secret is in what we already have.

There are two curriculum documents you need to read. These two documents help you to understand what to teach.

1. The English Language Arts program of studies for grades K-9 -or in this format.  This gives you a developmental continuum. What has been taught before your grade and what are skills in your grade are leading to in the next grade?
2. The English Language Arts Illustrative Program of studies by grade level. (See links below) Illustrative means an explanation of the curriculum, expressed in the context of a classroom.

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grade 3

 

Today we are going to look at how to structure texts across grade 1, 2 and 3.

How do students structure texts about themselves and fictional characters?

Grade 1 – (Section 2.4)

For each image below, on the left are the specific outcomes and on the right, illustrative examples which explain the outcomes in a classroom experience.  I have highlighted how students can respond to these outcomes.  (see image below each section) Based on the highlighted parts, we can create student I can statements.

In grade one –

• I can write several short sentences on one topic.
• I can illustrate my writing.
• I can talk with my teacher and classmates about my connections to stories and experiences.
• I can build something that shows my understanding of  a story.
• I can make puppets and create settings to tell a familiar story.

Based on these I can statements…

What does this mean to you as a grade 1 teacher?

You need to have lots of purposeful talk in the classroom. Talk about experiences in the classroom, the world and in the stories/experiences share from home. Talk needs to happen before you read stories or activities. This is called building background knowledge or making connections.

You need to understand that writing is one part of responding to experiences and stories.  Students can also draw, act out ideas as actors or puppeteers or simply talk. With all the technology changes since this curriculum was written in 2000, you can also use other tools – Puppet Pals, Flipgrid, pic collage etc.

You need to have a classroom library and read alouds that reflect their developmental age and cultural background.  Not limited to books, there are other forms of text.  This curriculum and the new draft curriculum also refer to text variety.

“A text refers to any object or experience that readers, writers, listeners, speakers, viewers, and representers engage with to make sense of their world. Texts are more than oral, print, visual, digital, and multimedia resources; they also encompass cultural artifacts, encounters with the land, and everyday communications.” – new Alberta Draft curriculum 2018 (K-4 English Language Arts)

Texts should be about experiences in the neighbourhood (family stories), fairy tales and other stories that are pertinent to your grade level, student population and the world around them.

 

Grade 2 – (Section 2.4)

In grade two –

• I can use a visual organizer to plan my writing.
• I can write a story with a main character who has a basic problem that is easily solved.
• I can use google slides to write my story. (2 slides for beginning, 3 slides for the middle and 1 for the end.)
• I can use traditional story beginnings  for example “Once upon a time, A long, long time ago, one day.”
• I can use traditional story characters like princesses, dragons, talking animals and friends and family.
• I can write using a cumulative story plot patterns.

Based on these I can statements…

What does this mean to you as a grade 2 teacher?

(Everything mentioned in grade 1, plus…)

You need to show students how to use visual organizers to plan their writing. Organizers can also be used as speaking tools where the students point to each section as they retell a story heard or plan their own story.

You need to “collect” main characters  and story problems throughout the year, in an accessible chart (format), as you read with students.

You need to show students how they can use Google Slides to write their story. Here is a bonus tip. When in Google Slides, you can go to file – page setup – other and type in 8.5 x 11 (or other dimensions). A teacher at my school is creating a slide template for the students to give them some parameters for formatting.

You need to introduce students to traditional story beginnings. I would suggest a class chart to keep these visible and handy.

You need to explain different types of story characters.  Students can use family and friends in fiction stories. They can also create new adventures for the characters that they meet. For example, Pete the Cat and Mo Willems’ Pigeon.

You need to introduce students to plot patterns such as cumulative stories. Here is a great list of cumulative stories.  There is also other plot patterns to teach the kids in younger grades.

 

Grade 3  – (Section 2.4)

In grade 3

• I can change my opening to best suit my story.
• I can use a list of story beginnings that is posted in my classroom, class website or in my folder.
• I can tell you that an effective story beginning introduces the main character, sounds exciting or presents a problem.
• I can share ideas with others to make sure they are adding the details I think are effective.
• I can add detail to familiar stories and discuss how I have made it better.
• I can add detail to the middle of my stories so that the plot engages the reader.

Based on these I can statements…

What does this mean to you as a grade 3 teacher?

(Everything mentioned in grade 1 and 2 plus…)

You need to co-create a list of story beginning with your class. The list of story beginnings needs to be accessible to the students. This can be a paper or digital format, in writing folders or posted on a class website.

You need to teach students how to select an effective beginning to match their work.

You need to allow for students to perform their stories. Students can be introduced to puppet plays and reader’s theatre or digital forms like puppet pals, book creator etc. Draw their attention to setting and how it needs to match the story they are telling or retelling.

You need to allow students to work in groups to perform or co-create stories.

You need to show students how to create a sense of urgency in writing. This is combined with another outcome in grade 3 (2.4) use sentence variety to link ideas and create impressions on familiar audiences. The suggestion is to use a series of short sentences to create a quick pace.

 

Differentiating

So, now you know the expectations for structuring their work, either a journal entry, reader response, learning log or a story.  Here are all the grade level “I can” lists combined.

• I can write several short sentences on one topic.  (gr.1)
• I can illustrate my writing.  (gr.1)
• I can talk with my teacher and classmates about my connections to stories and experiences.  (gr.1)
• I can build something that shows my understanding of  a story.  (gr.1)
• I can make puppets and create settings to tell a familiar story.  (gr.1)
• I can use a visual organizer to plan my writing. (gr. 2)
• I can write a story with a main character who has a basic problem that is easily solved. (gr. 2)
• I can use google slides to write my story. (2 slides for beginning, 3  for the middle and 1 for the end.) (gr. 2)
• I can use traditional story beginnings  for example “Once upon a time, A long, long time ago, one day.” (gr.2)
• I can use traditional story characters like princesses, dragons, talking animals and friends and family. (gr. 2)
• I can write using a cumulative story plot patterns. (gr. 2)
• I can change my opening to best suit my story. (gr. 3)
• I can use a list of story beginnings that is posted in my classroom, class website or in my folder. (gr. 3)
• I can tell you that an effective story beginning introduces the main character, sounds exciting or presents a problem. (gr.3)
• I can share ideas with others to make sure they are adding the details I think are effective. (gr.3)
• I can add detail to familiar stories and discuss how I have made it better. (gr. 3)
• I can add detail to the middle of my stories so that the plot engages the reader. (gr. 3)

You need to understand that outcomes are cumulative over the grades.  If a student is struggling in grade 3, look back over grade 1 and 2 to make sure that they do not have skill gaps. If they do, teach those and then move them towards grade level outcomes. This is the same for all English Language Arts outcomes and Math outcomes. Here are three examples.

1. Differentiate back then forward

For example:  A student in grade 3 might need to learn how to write a basic story – go back to a grade 2 outcome, then move the student towards a related grade 3 outcome.

• I can write a story with a main character who has a basic problem that is easily solved. (gr. 2)
• I can add detail to the middle of my stories so that the plot engages the reader. (gr. 3)

2. Differentiate forward

Similarly, a  grade 1 student excelling in story writing can be introduced to visual planners (gr. 2) before their other peers who might just be using planners to reflect on stories as a class. This particular student might be ready to use a planner for their own individual story, separate from the class.

3. Differentiate back

An inclusive grade 3 student with some verbal abilities might be starting to tell stories out loud to teacher and peers using their own voice or digital apps. Another grade 3 student who is nonverbal might be drawing their story on paper or with digital apps. Reflecting these two outcomes.

• I can illustrate my writing.  (gr.1)
• I can talk with my teacher and classmates about my connections to stories and experiences.  (gr.1)

WOW! That was a lot for one day.

Of course I enjoyed every moment writing this post.

If you would like to see more “outcome breakdowns”, please let me know, LA or Math.

Love Coach Clark