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SDAIE Lesson #3: Setting the Stage

Grade: Kindergarten
ELD Level: Beginning
Topic: The Ocean Biome

Objective:
Students will demonstrate understanding of the elements of a narrative (characters, setting,
problem, solution) by creating a short story collaboratively and providing illustrations
independently.

CA Content Standard:
K.3.3 Identify characters, settings, and important events.

Modified Standard (specific part to be covered in this lesson):

Identify characters, setting, problem, and solution.

Culturally Responsive Instruction:

Use of students’ background knowledge by use of open-ended questions, opportunities to talk in
L1 and L2 amongst each other, student input is validated as a part of the creative process

SDAIE Strategies:
Teacher speech adjustment, frequent comprehension checks, repetition and paraphrase, “pair
share,” provide visuals of subject for inspiration, understanding gained in previous lessons is
used explicitly, extended time frame (multi-day)

CALLA
a) Content: It is important for students to understand the elements of narrative that are linked to
the California Content Standards.
b) Academic Language: character, setting, problem, solution, story, title, sentence, illustration,
details
c) Learning Strategies: students are given access to and validated for prior knowledge by series
of brainstorms, students are provided a model of how to plan a piece of writing, students are
encourage to use logical sequence in creating the narrative, students are provided a visual
diagram to organize the story elements

Teaching Script:
The multi-day lesson detailed below is highly improvised. It is scaffolded for the lesson’s
success. One day cannot be looked at independently, which is why all the days are scripted
below. Student responses drive this lesson. The teacher is the facilitator of ideas. He/she
provides the visual organizer, but all the ideas therein are of student input.
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Day One

T We are going to start today’s lesson by simply drawing a picture. This picture is going to
tell a story of your choice. You are all fantastic artists, so I have no doubt that these drawings are
going to be beautifully detailed. To make sure, there are two things that must be in your picture:
(1) character, (2) setting. These are fancy words for a person/animal and a place/background. Or
even more simply, the who and where of the story. Let’s try an example. Who is the character in
this picture? Teacher holds up some illustration of the ocean.

S A fish!

T That’s right! The fish is the character. Now, what is the setting? Where is the fish?

S The ocean!

T Look’s like you have it! The ocean is the setting. Could we be more descriptive? What is
in the picture that tells us it is the ocean?

S The water! The sand! The coral!

T Exactly. This picture is very detailed to let us know where the fish belongs. Now, it is
your turn. What are the two things that must be in our picture?

S Character. Setting.

T So smart! Let’s get to work. Be creative. The pictures should tell a story. Give children
10-15 minutes to complete their works of art. As they work, walk around the room and ask
children questions about the character and setting in their drawings.

T What beautiful picture stories we have! Now, turn to your partner and tell them about the
story of your picture. Make sure to include the details!

S Students “pair share.”

T I would like a few students to share their picture stories with the class. Let’s listen
carefully for the character and setting they describe.

S Student shares his/her story. Ask for more details if they are left out.

T What a great storyteller! What was the character is his picture story? What was the
setting? Repeat this a two more times or until students seem to grasp the concept. Assess if they
understand the terms “character” and “setting” by their responses.
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Day Two

T Today, we are going to start writing a story of our own! We are going to create it as a
class, so we must be respectful of our friend’s ideas. Before we begin to write, we must
brainstorm the important parts of the story. Can anyone remember one of these parts from our
picture stories yesterday?

S Character!

T What great memories you have! Yes, we first need to decide on a character. We could
even have two or three characters if we choose. Teacher writes “character” on the visual
organizer (see example on page 7). I am going to bring out the sea creatures we used for
inspiration. Which of these creatures would make a good character?

S Octopus! This response will vary. Validate creativity by using their ideas, not yours.

T I see you remember the name of that eight-legged sea creature! Now, I think we should
give it a name. Any ideas?

S Olivia! This response will vary. Validate creativity by using their ideas, not yours.

T That’s a great idea! I am going to write “Olivia the Octopus” as our first character. I think
we should add one more character. Any ideas?

S A shark! This response will vary. Validate creativity by using their ideas, not yours.

T What a thinker! A shark would be a great addition to our story. What is its name?

S Sam! This response will vary. Validate creativity by using their ideas, not yours.

T I am going to write “Sam the Shark” on our story board. I love your creativity! It seems
that we have two perfect characters for our story. Now, put on those thinking caps. What was the
other very important part of our picture stories?

S The place.

T That’s right. We call that “setting.” I am going to write that as the next very important
part of our story. Where would you find an octopus and a shark?

S The ocean!
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T Definitely! It would be pretty boring if we just wrote “the ocean.” Let’s be super
scientists and describe the ocean. I am going to bring out the model ocean we made together. It
may give us inspiration. What did we notice about our ocean?

S The sand floor! The salt water. The seashells. The dark blue on the bottom.

T Very good observations! With those observations, what should we write as our setting?

S The deep blue sea! This response will vary. Validate creativity by using their ideas, not
yours.

T Wow! I’m so impressed. The ocean is very deep, the ocean is blue, and another name for
the ocean is the sea. I am going to write this down on our story board. This is just the start of our
story! Let’s leave this for now and add to it tomorrow.

Day Three

T Let’s review the parts of our story that we started yesterday. Do we remember the
character names?

S Olivia the Octopus! Sam the Shark.

T What great memories! And the place? Or setting?

S The deep blue sea.

T Great. It looks like we are ready to move on to the meaty part of our story. Let’s start with
a problem. It could be the same problem some of you face every day. Any ideas?

S ...sometimes I get scared of school. This response will vary. Validate creativity by using
their ideas, not yours.

T That can definitely be overwhelming and scary! Who is going to be scared in our story?

S Sam the Shark. This response will vary. Validate creativity by using their ideas, not yours.

T Great. Now, why is he scared? Is there a reason?

S It’s his first time. This response will vary. Validate creativity by using their ideas, not
yours.
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T Oh, that makes sense! Let’s write that as a sentence. How about, “Sam the Shark is scared
about going to sea school for the first time.” That sentence who has the problem and why.
Teacher writes it up on the visual organizer.

T Your creativity is brilliant! Since we have a problem, there must be solution. Somehow
the problem has to be solved. Think about how you became comfortable with going to school for
the first time. How did you overcome your fear? How did you stop being scared?

S I made a good friend! This response will vary. Validate creativity by using their ideas, not
yours.

T Wow, friends definitely help us from being scared. Who is going to be a good friend to
Sam the Shark?

S Olivia the Octopus.

T Great idea! That is how our other character comes into the story. Let’s write this in a
sentence. Any ideas?

S Olivia the Octopus is a good friend to Sam the Shark by being his “school buddy.” This
response will vary. Validate creativity by using their ideas, not yours.

T What a great sentence! I will write this up on our story board. Lastly, we need a title for
our story. It should say what the story is about. Let’s start with, “A Story about...”

S Friendship. This response will vary. Validate creativity by using their ideas, not yours.

T Great! I will write the title on our story board. It looks like we have all the pieces of our
story. Let’s review together. Students help read the character, setting, problem, solution, and
title. Great work today! We will leave this for tomorrow.

Day Four/Five

T It time to start writing our story! We want it to sound just like any story you would tell
your friends. The picture stories we told the first day are good examples. Let’s review a couple of
those. Choose a couple volunteers to retell their picture stories. Encourage children to name the
character and setting. Help students tell the stories in logical sequence.

T Lovely storytelling! Now, we are going to write our own story as a class using the story
board we created. Let’s start our story with, “Once upon a time...” It should introduce either the
characters or setting. What are they?

S Olivia the Octopus! Sam the Shark. The deep blue sea.
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T Great memories! Turn to a partner. Brainstorm how that first sentence should continue
using Olivia the Octopus, Sam the Shark, or the deep blue sea. Remember, it starts with, “Once
upon a time...”

S Students share ideas informally with one another.

T Can I have some volunteers share what they came up with?

S These responses will vary. Validate creativity by using their ideas, not yours.

T That is a great start to our story! Let’s write it down. Teacher writes the opening sentence
on a new chart. Repeat this process several times until a story is created. Because this process is
student guided, this section cannot be scripted. Take your time. The characters, setting, problem,
and solution should be addressed. Writing the story can take several days depending on the level
of student understanding.

Day Six

T We have officially published our first book! I am going to pass out copies to every boy
and girl. On each page, you will find one of the sentences from our story. Your job is to illustrate
—draw the pictures to go with the words! Before we do that, let’s read the story together. Get
your “magic reading fingers” out to scan the words while our friends read them aloud. Who
would like to read the first page? Second? Third? And so forth...

S Students read the story. It should be very familiar at this point, so students will not need
much guidance.

T How impressive! You all are becoming such great readers. Now, it is the moment you all
have been waiting for. You job is to make the illustrations that go with the words on each page.
Remember to include the characters and setting! Let’s review what those are...

S Olivia the Octopus. Sam the Shark. The deep blue sea.

T I think you are ready to illustrate! Take your time. Use lots of color and detail to make
your illustrations magnificent. Are there any questions? Turn to your partner and tell him/her
what you are going to do.

S Students repeat the directions to one another. Informally check for understanding by
listening in on their conversations.
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T Sounds like you know exactly what to do! Gather your pencil and some crayons. I will
dismiss you by the first letter of your name. Students whose names begin with the letter D,
please stand up...

Assessment:
Students’ grasp of character, setting, problem, and solution, is assessed informally throughout the
lesson: (1) ability to include in picture stories, (2) student input for visual organizer, (3) ability to
include in the story itself. Students’ ability to tell story in logical sequence is assessed informally
by listening to their picture stories and input during the writing process. Students’ illustrations
are assessed formally by their ability to match the pictures with the words. Lastly, students are
assessed in a formal reading of the book after its completion.

Story Board (Example):

The DEEP blue sea. 1. Olivia the Octopus

2. Sam the Shark

NEXT STEP?
A Story About Friendship Collaborative
story writing.

Sam the Shark is Olivia the Octopus is a

scared about going good friend to Sam the
to sea school for Shark by being his
the first time. “school buddy.”