You will learn
- Say what an event is.
- Tell what happens in a story.
- Put story events in order.
- Answer who, what and where questions about events.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- An event is something that happens.
- A story has many events.
- Events happen in an order.
- Words like first, next and last help.
Words to know
something that happens
one after the other
before the others
at the end
1. Discover: The lost hat
Here is a short story. Kofi lost his hat. He looked in the house. He looked in the yard. He found it under a tree. Kofi was happy.
Think: What happened first? What happened last?
2. Understand: Story events
Idea 1: What is an event?
An event is something that happens in a story. Kofi lost his hat. Kofi looked in the house. Kofi found his hat.
Idea 2: Order of events
Events happen one after another. Words such as first, next, then and last help us tell the order.
Idea 3: Ask questions
Ask: Who? What happened? Where? These questions help you understand each event.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Name an event
What did Kofi do in the yard?
- Find the yard in the story.
- Say what he did.
Answer: He looked for his hat
Example 2 (We do it together): Order events
Put in order: found hat, lost hat, looked in the house.
- Lost it first.
- Looked next.
- Found it last.
Answer: lost hat, looked in the house, found hat
Example 3 (You try): Where?
Where did Kofi find his hat?
Show the steps and answer
- Look at the last events.
- Find the place.
Answer: under a tree
Did you know?
Every story, even a very short one, has events that move it along.
Why this matters
Knowing what happens in a story is the first step in understanding it.
4. Explore: Event strips
Order story events.
- Write each event on a strip.
- Mix them up.
- Put them in order.
- Read them aloud with first, next, then, last.
Think about it: what did you notice?
You can put the events of a story in order.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- First, ___.
- Next, ___.
- Then, ___.
- Last, ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What happened first?
Kofi lost his hat
Question 2. Where did he find it?
under a tree
Question 3. What happened last?
Kofi was happy
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What did Kofi lose?
- Where did Kofi look first?
- Where did he find the hat?
- How did Kofi feel at the end?
- An event is something that ___.
Level 2: Grow
- Put in order: found hat, lost hat.
- What did Kofi do after the house?
- Which word shows the end: first or last?
Level 3: Stretch
- Tell the story in four events.
- Why does order matter in a story?
- Ayo says Kofi found his hat first. Is he right?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: English in everyday life
Tell a family member what happened in your day using first, next and last.
Show a sample answer
First I woke up. Next I ate. Last I went to school.
Another one. Draw three events from a story.
Show a sample answer
Pictures of lost hat, searching and finding.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Use first, next, last.
Fix: Ask: what happened in between?
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say what an event is.
- I can tell what happens in a story.
- I can put events in order.
- I can answer who, what and where.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Events are what happen.
- Events have an order.
- First, next, then, last help.
- Ask who, what, where.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Identifying characters. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What is an event? [1 mark]
- What did Kofi lose? [1 mark]
- Where did he find it? [1 mark]
- Put in order: found hat, lost hat, looked in the house. [2 marks]
- Explain why order matters in a story. [3 marks]
Total: 8 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- something that happens [1]
- his hat [1]
- under a tree [1]
- lost hat [1]; looked in the house, found hat [1]
- it helps the story make sense [1]; we know what happens first and last [1]; example [1]
Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- Kofi lost his ___.
- He looked in the ___.
- He found it under a ___.
- Kofi was ___ at the end.
- First, Kofi ___.
- Last, Kofi ___.
- An event is something that ___.
- True or false: the order of events matters.
- Draw one event from the story.
- Tell three events from your day.
Homework
Tell a family member three events from a story or your day, in order.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kofi lost his ___. | hat | 1 |
| 2. He looked in the ___. | house | 1 |
| 3. He found it under a ___. | tree | 1 |
| 4. Kofi was ___ at the end. | happy | 1 |
| 5. First, Kofi ___. | lost his hat | 1 |
| 6. Last, Kofi ___. | was happy | 1 |
| 7. An event is something that ___. | happens | 1 |
| 8. True or false: the order of events matters. | true | 1 |
| 9. Draw one event from the story. | a suitable picture | 1 |
| 10. Tell three events from your day. | three events in order | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 his hat; 2 in the house; 3 under a tree; 4 happy; 5 happens. Level 2: 1 lost hat, found hat; 2 looked in the yard; 3 last. Level 3: 1 four events in order; 2 so it makes sense; 3 no, he lost it first.
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Say what an event is | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Tell what happens in a story | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Put story events in order | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Answer who, what and where questions about events | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: Mixing up the order. Use first, next, last.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use pictures to order three events.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns to say what happens in a story, in order. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Retell your day with first, next, last.
- Ask what happened.
- Praise good order.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: say what an event is; tell what happens in a story; put story events in order; answer who, what and where questions about events.
Prerequisite knowledge. Reading familiar stories.
Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Read the lost hat story and ask what happened.
Explanation (10 min). Teach events and order words.
Guided activity (10 min). Practise with event strips.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners share their stories.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What happened first? What next? What last?
Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use picture cards for each event. Extension. Write a story with five events.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. Mixing up the order. Use first, next, last.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use pictures to order three events. Enrichment. Write a short story with five events. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 1 » Reading: Foundational Skills; Grade 1 » Reading: Literature; Grade 1 » Reading: Informational Text. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.
Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core RL.1.1 (ask and answer questions about key details in a text) and RL.1.2 (retell stories, including key details); IES What Works Clearinghouse practice guide Improving Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade; Cambridge Primary English Stage 1 (reading comprehension). These sources informed the lesson.