Lessons in 

Storytelling  

By Ben Hayes 

 
 
 Table of Contents 
 
Concept Page ​pg.ii 

Lesson Plans 

- Theme of a Story pg.1-5 

- Uniqueness Writing Prompt pg.6-7 

- Character Traits pg.8-12 

- Story Structure pg.13-18 

Reflection ​pg.19-20 

 
 
 
​I 
 Concept Page 
Objectives:  
- To teach students to write in a cohesive and clear manner.
- To teach students about how an author can use themes to present messages or morals
through stories.
- Show students how character traits can help predict the behavior and events of the story.
- Show students how stories are structured and organized.
Standards: 
- CC.5.R.L.2 Key Ideas and Details: Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem
from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to
challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
- CC.5.R.L.3 Key Ideas and Details: Compare and contrast two or more characters,
settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how
characters interact).
- CC.5.R.I.5 Craft and Structure: Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g.,
chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or
information in two or more texts.
- CC.5.W.4 Production and Distribution of Writing: Produce clear and coherent writing
in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3
above.)
Vocab:  
- Character Traits: Descriptions of a characters personality and appearance
- Theme: A lesson or moral taught through a story.
- Beginning: Also called the Exposition or the Background. This part sets up the characters
of the story as well as their motivation.
- Rising Action: Where the conflict is introduced into the story. This part of the story is
where suspense is built up.
- Climax: Also known as the Turning Point. It is usually here where the main conflict is
finally solved. This is typically the most “action packed” part of the story.
- Falling Action: This is usually where any other conflicts and loose ends in the story are
wrapped up.
- The Resolution: The ending of the story, and all things are resolved.
Concepts Taught:  
- Identifying Character Traits
- Foreshadowing
- Story Structure
- Identifying Themes in Writing

II
The Theme of a Story 
Benjamin Hayes
 

Date of Lesson Plan: 11/5/2019

Weekly Theme: Story Analysis

Objectives: By the end of this lesson students should be able to recognize how an author
uses stories to teach lessons and messages, as well as identify these in a story.

Standards Used:​CC.5.R.L.2 Key Ideas and Details: Determine a theme of a story, drama,
or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to
challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.

Materials: The handout attached below.

Activity: Finding the theme of a story

Teacher Directions(This activity can either be done in groups or as a class):

- Pass out the handout out if printed out
- Read the definition of theme or define it in your own words
- If done in groups
- Split students into groups, telling them to read the story on the first page, as
well as answer and discuss the following questions.
- Stop by each group as they read, making sure they are both on task and nit
having trouble with the questions.
- Ideally, try to check in with each group before they switch stories
- If done as a class
- Popcorn read the story or otherwise read the story as a class
- Follow through the handout, either filling out questions individually or as a
class.

Assessment/Checking for Understanding:

1. What is the theme of a story?
2. Can you tell me about one of the stories and it’s theme?
3. How did the author show the theme of the story?

Reflection on Lesson: Overall I think the lesson could have gone a little better. I taught the
lesson as a class, and as a result I feel like the pace of the lesson didn’t suit the whole class.
Small groups can allow students to share knowledge amongst themselves, as well as move at
a pace more suited to their group. As well, large groups can allow students to withdrawl and
become disengaged. Next time I may try to teach using small groups.
1

Name:____________ Date____________ 

Finding the Theme of a Story 

What is a Theme?
A theme is a lesson or message the author tries to tell the reader
through a story.

Directions: Read through the stories below and answer the follow-up
questions.
Two Guitars

After guitar lessons, Jerry and Martin went to Martin's garage, where they
could practice some more. Martin strummed his guitar, trying for the G
chord he had just learned. Jerry looked over.

"Wait—is this it?" Jerry asked, positioning his own fingers.

"That looks right," said Martin. He strummed again, and then Jerry tried it.

"How come it sounds so . . . weak?" asked Jerry.

"Because we're not good," Martin said with a snort. "That's why we're
practicing."

They took turns playing the G chord.

"This is boring. I thought we'd try to play a song or something," said Jerry.

"We can try. How about 'Ribbon Road'?" Martin asked.

Jerry looked down at his guitar, singing the notes to himself. He slowly
picked out the first three notes. Martin tried it as well. He played the three
notes over and over until they came out smoothly.

"Ow. My fingers hurt," said Jerry. He put down his guitar. "You know, I have
a lot of homework tonight. I should get going."
2

After Jerry left, Martin did his own homework. But just before bed, he picked
up his guitar and practiced the chords again until he got tired. He decided to
practice a little every night before bed.

The next week, Jerry said he was quitting guitar lessons. He and Martin still
hung out, but Jerry stopped talking about his goal of forming a band.

One day, Martin played a perfect rendition of "Ribbon Road" for Jerry.

"That was good! How did you do that?" Jerry asked.

"Sixty-three days of practice," Martin said.

Questions
1. What challenge did Martin and Jerry face in the story?

2.What did Jerry do about this challenge?

3.What did Martin do about this challenge?

4.What is the theme of the story? What lessons did Jerry and
Martin learn?
3

For the Birds

When Philip got home from school, he noticed that the birdhouse he'd made
had fallen off the maple tree in the front yard.

He picked it up and looked at the tree. The hook he'd used to hang the
birdhouse had come loose in the wood, pulled down by the weight. Philip
removed the hook and screwed the pointy end into a new spot in the branch.
The wood seemed to grip it tightly. Then Philip put the birdhouse back on
the hook.

The next morning, Philip saw that it had fallen again. He was late for school,
but he couldn't just leave it there. He pulled out the hook and screwed it
deeper into the wood. Then he carefully hung the birdhouse again.

When Philip got home that afternoon, he saw that the birdhouse was still
hanging. A blue jay was even perched at the entrance. Philip beamed.

Suddenly, a breeze shook the birdhouse, and it fell onto the grass yet again.
The bluejay shot away like an arrow.

This time Philip brought the birdhouse inside. He threw away the hook
without a second thought. Digging through the junk drawer, he found an
extra-long shoelace. He tied it around the birdhouse. Then he brought the
birdhouse outside and tied it to a branch. He tugged on it to make sure it
would stay. It seemed pretty secure.

The birdhouse was still hanging the next morning. And the next week. A
week after that, Philip saw signs of a bird's nest inside. The birdhouse was
finally a home.

4
 Questions

1. ​What problem did Philip have?

2. How did Philip solve this problem?

3. What is the author trying to tell the reader through the story?
What is the theme?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5
What Makes You Unique Writing Prompt For Bulletin Board 
Benjamin Hayes
 

Date of Lesson Plan: 11/14/2019

Weekly Theme: Story Analysis

Objectives:​ By the end of the lesson students should be able to write a short paragraph,
keeping a consistent topic and subject matter.

Standards Used:​CC.5.W.4 Production and Distribution of Writing: Produce clear and

coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in
standards 1–3 above.)

Materials: - Lining Pens

- A half sheet of paper(1 per student)
- Paper to write on
- Attached Prompt

Teacher Directions:
- Read out prompt to students, or give them a copy of it.
- Have them write a rough draft in pencil on another piece of paper first
- As students write be sure to check in on them and their writing
- Some things to look out for
- Make sure that writing is cohesive and doesn’t flip topics
- Check spelling and grammar
- Encourage students if they are stump or having difficulty writing
- After writing their paragraph, have them copy it down to the half sheet of paper,
trying to fit it so that it covers the paper
- After copying it down, go over the text with a lining pen

Assessment/Checking for Understanding:

- What’s one thing that makes you stand out?
- What does being unique mean in your own words?
- Read through their paper and if coming across an incoherent sentence or off topic
sentence ask them if it belongs and how they should fix it.

Reflection on Lesson: I did this lesson as part of a holiday bulletin board project, where these
prompts were hung decoratively on the board. The lesson went mostly well, besides a few
issues. For one, I underestimated the amount of time needed for the lesson. I had thought it
would only take about 45 minutes, but the lesson ended up running over and students had to
take the project home. As well, students had a harder time than expected in keeping their
writing on topic.
6
 What makes you Unique?
What makes you who you are? What makes you stand out? This can be
anything from activities to interests and even your appearance. Write 3-5
sentences on what makes you unique.

7
Character Traits 
Benjamin Hayes
 

Date of Lesson Plan:11/26/2019

Weekly Theme: Story Analysis

Objectives: By the end of the lesson students should be able to identify traits of a character in
a story as well as acknowledge how an author can use character traits in foreshadowing.

Standards Used:CC.5.R.L.3 Key Ideas and Details: Compare and contrast two or more
characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g.,
how characters interact).

Materials: Attached handout.

Teacher Directions(This activity can either be done in groups or as a class):

- Pass out the handout out if printed out
- Read the definition of theme or define it in your own words
- If done in groups
- Split students into groups, telling them to read the story on the first page, as
well as answer and discuss the following questions.
- Stop by each group as they read, making sure they are both on task and nit
having trouble with the questions.
- Ideally, try to check in with each group before they switch stories, stopping by
- If done as a class
- Popcorn read the story or otherwise read the story as a class
- Follow through the handout, either filling out questions individually or as a
class.
- Try to call on different students, typically I tried to call on each student before
calling on another twice

Assessment/Checking for Understanding:

1. What trait would you use to describe the babysitter in the second story?
2. How can a character’s trait help you predict the events of a story?
3. Can you give an example of foreshadowing from one of the stories?

Reflection on Lesson: There were a couple issues that came up during the lesson. For one i
somewhat overestimated the students knowledge. I assumed that they would already have a
vague idea of foreshadowing and as a result there was somewhat of a roadblock when that
topic came up. As well the groups moved at different paces, meaning that I wasn’t able to
meet with both groups the same amount. Other than that the lesson went well.
8
Name:_____________ Date__________________ 

Identifying Character Traits 

What are Character Traits?:
Character traits are a description of a character’s personality. These are
revealed to the reader through the narrator, other characters, or through
actions. An evaluation of character traits can help a reader predict and
understand the motives and actions of the character.

Instructions: Read the short story and answer the following questions

Accident Prone
Casey knew he wasn’t supposed to play basketball in the living room. So
he just bounced the ball once. Well, twice. He was about to go outside
when the ball hit a little vase on the end table. It crashed to the floor. It
broke into a million pieces.

“I’ll clean it up,” he thought. “Maybe no one will notice.” He looked outside.
His mom was in the backyard, playing with his little brother.

He got a broom and dustpan from the kitchen. The broom missed some
little pieces of the glass. So he used his hand to sweep the glass into the
pan.

“Ouch!” He cut his finger. It began to bleed, right onto the white sofa.

He dropped the dustpan and ran to the bathroom. Little red drops trailed
behind him. He filled the sink and ran warm water over the cut. He opened
the cabinet. The bandages were on the top shelf. He went into his room to
get a chair. It was piled high with junk. He went down the hall to get the
kitchen ladder and realized he had forgotten to turn off the water. Just
then, he heard the sounds of water flowing and the door opening.

9
 1. Why was Casey worried about breaking the Vase?

2. Which of these do you think best describes Casey?:

a. Careful and Smart

b. Careless and Clumsy

c. Upset and Sad

d. Nervous and Afraid

3. Write down one passage from the text that describes Casey's trait
from the previous question.

10
 Hide-and-Seek
She was too old to play hide-and-seek. But her mother had asked her to
watch her cousins. They were just six. The twins were visiting for the
weekend. So Tracy did what she could to keep them entertained. But she
didn’t hide her feelings about it.

“Okay. I have to play with you two. So let’s get it over with,” she said.
They rolled their eyes at her. They weren’t happy about the plan either.
Every time they visited, the kids were sent to play with her. Because she
was three years older, she thought she was much smarter than they were.
She liked to show off. She’d been doing it for years.

Once, she rode around them on her two-wheeler. While she rode in a
circle, she said, “I bet you can’t ride a two-wheeler.” It was true. Last
year, they were still using training wheels. But they knew that she
wasn’t really better than they were.

So, today, her game was hide-and-seek. She was “it,” of course. She
always picked the best part for herself first. They hid. She found them.
The game was boring all of them. Then Gabe and Libby had an idea.
“When she hides, let’s not find her. Let’s see how long it takes for her to
see that we’re not playing.”

11
 1. How does Tracy feel about the twins?

2. What does Tracy do or say that shows this?

3. What traits would you use to describe the twins?

4. How does the author foreshadow the twins tricking Tracy?

12
Structure of a Story 
Benjamin Hayes
 

Date of Lesson Plan:12/19/2019

Weekly Theme: Story Analysis

Objectives: By the end of the lesson students should be able to recognize how stories are
typically structured, as well as identify those components in a story.

Standards Used:CC.5.R.I.5 Craft and Structure: Compare and contrast the overall structure
(e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or
information in two or more texts.

Materials:Attached Handout

Teacher Directions:
- Split students into two groups and pass out handout if printed
- You can either go over the directions for the handout with the class or have
them review the paper in groups.
- As students read each story and answer questions check in with groups, asking
them questions and go over the story.
- Make sure to review the questions especially with students to gauge their
understanding.

Assessment/Checking for Understanding:

1. What is the difference between falling and rising action?
2. What is the climax in your own words?
3. What does the reader learn from exposition?

Reflection on Lesson: This probably has been the best lesson so far. While I wasn’t able to
meet with each group quite as much as I would have liked,

13
Name_____________  Date____________ 
 

Story Structure  
 
Story structure is the order and way a story is told. We categorize the different parts of the story
by different names.

The Beginning​: Also called the ​Exposition​ or the ​Background​. This part sets up the
characters of the story as well as their motivation.

Rising Action: ​This is where the conflict is introduced into the story. This part of the
story is where suspense is built up.

Climax:​ Also known as the ​Turning Point ​is the high point of the story. It is usually here
where the main conflict is finally solved. This is typically the most “action packed” part of the
story.

Falling Action: ​This is usually where any other conflicts and loose ends in the story are
wrapped up.

The Resolution: ​The ending of the story, and all things are resolved.
Read the following story then discuss the questions and answer them as a group.
14
15
 1. Order the incidents 1-5 In the order in which they happened in the story.

a. Paul’s teacher tells him he needs to face his problems. _____

b. Paul calls his father and tells him he needs to be more attentive of him
_______
c. Paul’s father calls and tells him he can’t see him tonight. ______

d. Paul is frustrated and neglects his homework. ______

e. Paul feels relieved after telling his dad how he feels. _______

2. Match the following events with the correct story section(You may use one
match more than once)

a. Beginning 1. Paul talks to his teacher

2. Paul’s father neglects to
b. Rising Action: spend time with him
c. Climax 3. Paul Calls his dad and
tells him how he feels
d. Falling Action 4. Paul neglects his
homework
​ 5. Paul feels better after
being honest with his father

Read the next story and fill out the diagram.

16
17
 Fill out the following diagram with plot points from the story.
(Use the structure ​Beginning, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Resolution)

18
 Reflection 
This semester has taught me a lot about how lessons actually work in a classroom. This

semester I assistant taught in Ms.Prokopiaks 5th grade classroom at Saint Catherine's Laboure

private school. For me this was the oldest class I had taught in(Previously I had only taught in

preschool settings). In part, this meant I had to teach more complex topics than I had taught in

the preschool. This presented a challenge to me, as previous lesson plans that included crafts or

simple repetition may not suffice for this age group. To compensate I used many other resources,

both online and from the classroom, modeling my own lesson plans off of other ones for 5th

grade.

My first lesson was on story themes. The main objective of the lesson was for the

students to be able to recognize how an author can use a story to present a message or lesson.

The first thing I would change about the lesson would be how students were split up. After

passing out the handout I decided to do the reading as a class(having the students popcorn read

the story) and then have them individually fill out the questions and check them in with me. As I

would learn later, a group format would work better for this type of lesson. Because of the

popcorn reading, not every student ended up having to read. This meant some students were

disengaged during the lesson and had a difficult time with the questions. As well, the questions I

wrote ended being a bit too easy and not as open ended as they could have been. The next time I

taught a reading lesson I would aim to fix some of these problems.

My second lesson would actually be different than the rest of my unit teach. My second

19
 lesson was a short writing project on what makes them unique. This would be used as a

decoration on a seasonal bulletin board I had to make for the class. Overall this lesson went well,

though I ended up underestimating how long the project would take to complete, and some

students had to finish writing at home as a result.

For my third lesson I would teach about character traits and how the can help a reader

predict a characters actions. This lesson would be similar to the first one, though I would try to

fix some of the problems I had with the previous lesson. For one I would switch from working as

a class to splitting the students up into groups. This would encourage more involvement from

students, as well as allow students to discuss questions among themselves rather than just accept

answers. As well, I tried to make the questions flow a bit better, gradually developing the

concept of the lesson rather than repeat itself. This lesson went better than my first lesson,

though still not perfect. One new issue that came up was I somewhat overestimated the classes

knowledge. I had assumed they had an idea of what foreshadowing was, and had to explain to

groups the concept.

For my last lesson I taught the concept of story structure. I would again split the class up

into groups, and check in with them periodically. Before splitting them up I had the class

popcorn read the definitions of the different parts of a story. Similar to the last handout I tried to

make the questions build on each other when introducing concepts, and tried to utilize a visual

diagram in the last section. Unfortunately, I felt that I wasn’t able to check in with each group as

much as I wanted. Despite this, I felt every student was able to identify the different parts of a

story as well as identify them. While this lesson did not go perfectly, I think it was my most

​20​ successful lesson during my time at Saint Catherines.