You will learn
- Plan a story with characters and setting.
- Tell a story with a problem and solution.
- Tell it in order with a beginning, middle and end.
- Use voice to make it interesting.
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
- Choose a character and setting.
- Think of a problem.
- Tell how it is solved.
- Use your voice to make it interesting.
Words to know
a story we tell with our voice
think before you do
make something new
people who listen
1. Discover: My own story
Ama makes up a story: “Once there was a little fish called Fin. Fin lost his way in the big river. A kind turtle showed him the way home. Fin said thank you and swam back to his family.” Her friends listen with big eyes.
Think: What are the character, setting, problem and solution in Ama’s story?
2. Understand: Making up a story
Idea 1: Plan it
Choose a character, a setting and a problem. Think how it will be solved.
Idea 2: Tell it
Tell the beginning, the middle and the end. Use first, next, then, last.
Idea 3: Make it interesting
Use your voice, pauses and actions. Look at your audience.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Plan
Plan: character, setting, problem.
- A fish.
- The river.
- He is lost.
Answer: Fin the fish, the river, lost
Example 2 (We do it together): Solution
How is Fin’s problem solved?
- Who helps?
- What do they do?
Answer: a turtle shows him the way
Example 3 (You try): Ending
How does the story end?
Show the steps and answer
- What does Fin do?
- Say it.
Answer: He swims back to his family.
Did you know?
Many stories we read today began as oral stories, told long before writing.
Why this matters
Making up stories builds imagination and speaking skills.
4. Explore: Story planner
Plan and tell a story.
- Pick a character, setting and problem.
- Think of the solution.
- Tell it to a partner.
- Add voice and actions.
Think about it: what did you notice?
You can make up a story of your own.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- My character is ___.
- The story is set in ___.
- The problem is ___.
- It is solved when ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. Character?
Fin the fish
Question 2. Problem?
he is lost
Question 3. Solution?
a turtle shows him the way
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- An oral story is a story we ___.
- Plan: choose a character, setting and ___.
- Use first, next and ___.
- Who helped Fin?
- Where does Fin swim?
Level 2: Grow
- Plan your own story: character, setting, problem.
- Tell the beginning of your story.
- Tell how your story ends.
Level 3: Stretch
- Tell a three-sentence story.
- Why plan before telling?
- Kofi starts at the end. Is that a good plan?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: English in everyday life
Tell a made-up story to a family member.
Show a sample answer
Once there was a monkey who found a mango…
Another one. Draw three pictures for your story and tell it.
Show a sample answer
Pictures for beginning, middle and end.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Plan first.
Fix: Every story needs a problem.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can plan a story.
- I can tell it in order.
- I can tell a problem and solution.
- I can use my voice well.
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
- Plan character, setting and problem.
- Tell it in order.
- Solve the problem.
- Use your voice.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Asking questions. 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 oral story? [1 mark]
- What three things do we plan first? [3 marks]
- What is the problem in Fin’s story? [1 mark]
- Tell the beginning, middle and end of a story you make up. [3 marks]
- Explain how to make a story interesting. [3 marks]
Total: 11 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- a story we tell aloud [1]
- character [1]; setting [1]; problem [1]
- he is lost [1]
- beginning [1]; middle [1]; end [1]
- use your voice [1]; use pauses or actions [1]; look at the audience [1]
Score guide: 10 to 11 = secure. 7 to 9 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 7 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- An oral story is a story we ___.
- Plan: character, setting, ___.
- Fin is a ___.
- Who helped Fin?
- Where does Fin live?
- We tell a story in ___.
- True or false: we plan first.
- True or false: a story needs no problem.
- Tell a story aloud.
- Make up a character and a setting.
Homework
Make up a story and tell it to a family member.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. An oral story is a story we ___. | tell | 1 |
| 2. Plan: character, setting, ___. | problem | 1 |
| 3. Fin is a ___. | fish | 1 |
| 4. Who helped Fin? | a turtle | 1 |
| 5. Where does Fin live? | in the river | 1 |
| 6. We tell a story in ___. | order | 1 |
| 7. True or false: we plan first. | true | 1 |
| 8. True or false: a story needs no problem. | false | 1 |
| 9. Tell a story aloud. | a spoken story | 1 |
| 10. Make up a character and a setting. | a valid pair | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 tell; 2 problem; 3 last; 4 a turtle; 5 in the river. Level 2: 1 a valid plan; 2 a valid beginning; 3 a valid ending. Level 3: 1 three sentences; 2 so the story makes sense; 3 no, start at the beginning.
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 Plan a story with characters and setting | 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 a story with a problem and solution | 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 Tell it in order with a beginning, middle and end | 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 Use voice to make it interesting | 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: Not planning. Plan first.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use picture cards for character, setting and problem.
- 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 makes up and tells their own story. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Ask for a made-up story.
- Add to it together.
- Praise imagination.
- 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: plan a story with characters and setting; tell a story with a problem and solution; tell it in order with a beginning, middle and end; use voice to make it interesting.
Prerequisite knowledge. Acting out 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). Tell the Fin story as a model.
Explanation (10 min). Teach planning and telling.
Guided activity (10 min). Practise story planner.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners tell their stories.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. Who? Where? What goes wrong? How is it fixed?
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. Extension. Tell a story with a twist.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. Not planning. Plan first.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 11-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 picture cards for character, setting and problem. Enrichment. Tell a story with two problems. 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: Literature. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.
Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core SL.1.4 and W.1.3; Cambridge Primary English Stage 1 (speaking and storytelling). These sources informed the lesson.