Unit Plan 3 (Grade 1 ELA): Characters, Settings, and Major Events
Build comprehension with this first-grade unit on describing characters, settings, and events using both pictures and words. Students learn to identify who, where, and what happened while applying strong vocabulary and clear sentence structure for vivid story retells.
Focus: Describing who/where/what happened; using pictures + words
Grade Level: 1
Subject Area: English Language Arts (Reading Literature • Language)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Readers learn to notice who is in the story (characters), where/when it takes place (setting), and what happens (major events). Students will use pictures and words as evidence to describe each part and practice precise vocabulary (L.1.6) to make their descriptions clear.
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…
- Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story using key details (RL.1.3).
- Use illustrations and text details to describe characters, setting, and events (RL.1.7).
- Use grade-appropriate words and phrases (e.g., trait words, setting nouns, action verbs) when speaking/writing about stories (L.1.6).
Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 1
- RL.1.3 Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
- RL.1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.
- L.1.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts.
Success Criteria — student language
- I can tell who the story is about, where/when it happens, and what happened first/next/last.
- I can point to the picture or the words that show my idea.
- I can use precise words (e.g., brave, worried, forest, stormy, rushed) to describe.
- I can share in complete sentences that include a detail.