Courseversity

Characters and settings

Primary EducationGrade 2English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G02-ELA-U08-L0445–60 min

You will learn

  • Describe a character.
  • Describe a setting.
  • Use details from the text.
  • Say how the setting affects the story.

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

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. Characters are the people or animals.
  2. The setting is where and when.
  3. Use details to describe them.
  4. The setting can change the story.

Words to know

character
a person or animal in a story
setting
where and when a story happens
trait
a feature of a character, like brave
detail
a small piece of information

1. Discover: The brave girl in the forest

One dark night, Ngozi walked through a thick forest. The trees were tall and the wind howled. Ngozi held her lantern tightly. She was a brave girl, but her hands shook. She heard an owl hoot and smiled. “Just an owl,” she said.

Think: Who is the character? What is the setting?

2. Understand: Characters and settings

Idea 1: Characters

A character is a person or animal in a story. Describe them by what they look like, do, say and feel. A trait is a quality like brave or kind.

Idea 2: Setting

The setting is where and when: a dark forest at night. Details like the wind howled help us see it.

Idea 3: Why it matters

The setting can create a mood. A dark forest feels spooky.

Remember: Characters are the people or animals; the setting is where and when. Use details to describe both.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Trait

What trait does Ngozi show?

  1. Brave.

Answer: brave

Example 2 (We do it together): Setting

Where does the story happen?

  1. Place.

Answer: a dark forest at night

Example 3 (You try): Detail

Which detail shows the setting?

Show the steps and answer
  1. The wind howled.

Answer: the tall trees and howling wind

Did you know?

Authors choose settings to make readers feel a certain way.

Why this matters

Understanding characters and settings helps you picture and enjoy stories.

4. Explore: Character map

Describe a character and setting.

  1. Read a story.
  2. Describe the character.
  3. Describe the setting.
  4. Find details.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can describe both.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • The character is ___.
  • A trait is ___.
  • The setting is ___.
  • A detail is ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. What is a setting?

where and when

Question 2. What is a trait?

a quality of a character

Question 3. Who is the character?

Ngozi

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. A person or animal in a story is a ___.
  2. Where and when is the ___.
  3. A quality like brave is a ___.
  4. A small piece of information is a ___.
  5. Ngozi walked through a ___.

Level 2: Grow

  1. Describe Ngozi.
  2. Describe the setting.
  3. What did Ngozi hear?

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Why describe setting?
  2. Can setting give mood?
  3. What is a trait?

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Describe a character and setting in a favourite story.

Show a sample answer

a description

Another one. Write a paragraph describing a setting.

Show a sample answer

a paragraph

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Mixing character and setting.
Fix: Character = who; setting = where/when.
Another mistake: No details.
Fix: Use details.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can describe a character.
  • I can describe a setting.
  • I can use details.
  • I can say how setting affects the story.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. A character is a ___ in a story.

2. A setting is where and ___.

3. A trait is a ___ of a character.

4. Ngozi’s trait is ___.

5. The setting is a ___.

6. What did Ngozi hear?

7. What did Ngozi hold?

8. What howled?

9. A detail is a ___ piece of information.

10. A dark forest feels ___.

11. Why describe the setting?

12. Which is a character?

Challenge 1. Which detail describes the setting?

Challenge 2. Which detail describes a character?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • Characters are who.
  • Setting is where and when.
  • Traits describe characters.
  • Use details.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Story problems and solutions. 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.

  1. What is a character? [1 mark]
  2. What is a setting? [1 mark]
  3. Describe Ngozi. [2 marks]
  4. Describe the setting. [2 marks]
  5. Explain how setting affects a story. [3 marks]

Total: 9 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. a person or animal in a story [1]
  2. where and when a story happens [1]
  3. brave [1]; holds lantern/hands shook [1]
  4. forest [1]; night [1]
  5. creates mood [1]; helps us picture [1]; example [1]

Score guide: 8 to 9 = secure. 6 to 7 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. A person in a story is a ___.
  2. Where and when is the ___.
  3. A quality like brave is a ___.
  4. A small piece of information is a ___.
  5. Ngozi is ___.
  6. True or false: setting is where and when.
  7. True or false: character is the place.
  8. Describe the setting.
  9. Describe Ngozi.
  10. Write a setting sentence.

Homework

Describe a character and setting from a story.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. A person in a story is a ___. character 1
2. Where and when is the ___. setting 1
3. A quality like brave is a ___. trait 1
4. A small piece of information is a ___. detail 1
5. Ngozi is ___. brave 1
6. True or false: setting is where and when. true 1
7. True or false: character is the place. false 1
8. Describe the setting. a dark forest 1
9. Describe Ngozi. brave 1
10. Write a setting sentence. The dark forest was quiet. 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 character; 2 setting; 3 trait; 4 detail; 5 forest. Level 2: 1 brave and careful; 2 a dark forest; 3 an owl. Level 3: 1 help us picture; 2 yes; 3 a quality.

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 Describe a character 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 Describe a 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
O3 Use details from the text 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 Say how the setting affects the 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

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

  1. Find the misconception: Mixing character and setting. Character = who; setting = where/when.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
  3. Show a simpler example: Use a character web.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child describes characters and settings. You do not need to be an expert to help.

  • Discuss stories.
  • Ask: Where and when?
  • Praise details.
  • 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: describe a character; describe a setting; use details from the text; say how the setting affects the story.

Prerequisite knowledge. Fables.

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 a story.

Explanation (10 min). Teach characters/settings.

Guided activity (10 min). Practise.

Independent activity (10 min). Share.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. Who? Where? When?

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 a web. Extension. Compare settings.

Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Mixing character and setting. Character = who; setting = where/when.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz, the 9-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 a character web. Enrichment. Write a setting description. 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 2 » 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 RL.2.3 and RL.2.5; Cambridge Primary English Stage 2 (reading). These sources informed the lesson.

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