Worked example
Question: In “The girl lost her puppy at the park”, the girl and puppy are characters, the park is setting, and losing the puppy starts the plot.
Key concept
Learning goal: I can discuss plot, character and setting and use story clues to explain each one.
- Compare similar characters and settings across stories, poems and fables.
- Decide whether a setting is realistic or imagined and use clues about time and place.
- Follow how a plot begins, develops a problem and solves it.
Steps to use
Read story → Name character → Name setting → Sequence plot → Explain
See it, then try it
Story feature map
Character: whoSetting: where/whenPlot: what happensProblem/ending
Use a story map to organise ideas
beginningmiddleendingproblemsolution
Curriculum Coverage & Elaborations
Curriculum Coverage & Elaborations
The content description is the required target. The elaborations below are taught as examples and contexts, not as disconnected checklist wording.
- E1: recognising similar characters and settings in different types of literary texts; for example, traditional tales, narrative poems and fables
- E2: discussing whether features of settings including time (year, season) and place (country or city) are realistic or imagined
- E3: discussing how plots develop, including beginnings (orientation), how the problem (complication) is introduced and solved (resolution)
Common misconceptions
- Character = any object — Characters usually act or feel in the story.
- Setting forgotten — Ask where and when the story happens.
- Plot as one event only — Track events across beginning, middle and end.
Try these
- Feature sort — Sort cards into character, setting and plot.dragon / cave / found treasure
- Plot chain — Put three events in order.first / next / finally
- Setting swap — Change the setting and discuss how the story might change.forest → city
Explain and apply
Find plot problem and solution
Read: Mia lost a hat. At last, Mia found it. What was the problem and how was it solved?
Answer and teaching guidance
The problem is the lost hat; the solution is that Mia found it. Students should separate what went wrong from how it ended.
Character and setting
In A dog slept under a tree, who is the character and where is the setting?
Answer and teaching guidance
The dog is the character; under a tree is the setting clue. This matches IXL-style short evidence questions.
Actions show character
A character shares the last apple. What could that action suggest about the character?
Answer and teaching guidance
The action may suggest the character is kind or generous. The answer needs the action as evidence.
Story feature map
Choose a short story and map its character, setting, problem, main event and ending.
Answer and teaching guidance
The map should use details from the selected story, not invented details from a different text.
Check your understanding
Quick checks
- Who are the characters?
- What is setting?
- Name one plot event.
- Why does order matter in plot?
I am ready when I can
- I can compare similar characters and settings across stories, poems and fables.
- I can decide whether a setting is realistic or imagined and use clues about time and place.
- I can follow how a plot begins, develops a problem and solves it.
Curriculum equivalents: Victoria, NSW and international
Curriculum equivalents for Plot, character and setting, which are features of stories
Mapped skill: discuss plot, character and setting, which are features of stories
These references identify matching or closely related learning. Curriculum sequence, terminology and depth vary, so teachers should use the mapped skill and lesson difficulty to confirm suitability.
| Region | Curriculum framework | Closest level or code |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Australian Curriculum v9.0 | AC9E1LE03 · Year 1 |
| Victoria | Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0 — English | VC2E1LE03 · Level 1 |
| New South Wales | NSW English K–10 Syllabus (2022) | EN1-UARL-01 · Stage 1 |
| United States (USA) | Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts | Grade 1 |
| Canada (Ontario) | Ontario Curriculum — English | Grade 1 |
| United Kingdom (England) | National Curriculum in England — English | Year 2, Key Stage 1 |
| India | NCERT / CBSE — English | Class 1 |
Australian Curriculum v9.0 is the canonical source for this SkillrHub lesson. Victoria and NSW entries name the closest published state codes or outcomes; international entries are planning references rather than claims of identical curricula.
🎥 Optional Video Lesson
The SkillrHub lesson remains the primary learning resource. This optional video reinforces the explanation; you can complete the lesson and practice without watching.
Before you watch:
- Pause after each worked example.
- Try the examples yourself.
- Return to the SkillrHub lesson before continuing.
Recommended: How to Learn about Characters
Khan Academy Kids — Identify story characters and use evidence to describe them.
As you watch: Who is the story about, and what clue tells you what they are like?
Load video player Loads YouTube in this lesson. See the video notice below.
Try it: Name a character in your book, say where the story happens and retell one important event.
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