Lesson 50: Main characters and setting

📖 READING (40 Lessons) • 🔵 B. Understanding Stories

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Objective

Find the main characters and the setting in short stories using pictures and words.

Materials

Mini-lesson — What are characters and setting?

Every story has characters and a setting.

  • Characters are the people, animals, or creatures in the story.
  • Main characters are the most important ones. They show up a lot and do the big actions.
  • Setting is where the story happens and sometimes when it happens.

Look at this tiny story idea:

“Anna and her dad look out the window. It is raining outside.”

  • The main characters are Anna and her dad.
  • The setting is at home, near the window, on a rainy day.

Good readers use both the pictures and the words to find these clues.

  • To find characters, look for names and who is doing the action.
  • To find the setting, look for place words (park, school, home) and time words (at night, in the morning).

In this lesson, you will practice saying:

  • “The main characters are…”
  • “The setting is…”

This helps the story feel clear in your mind, like a little movie you can see and talk about.

Picture strip: “Anna and Dad on a rainy day”

Guided Practice — Mini-book: The Rainy Walk

How to use this mini-book:

  • On each page, circle or point to the characters.
  • Underline or point to the setting words (where and when).
  • Say out loud: “The main characters are…” and “The setting is…”

After reading, draw one picture that shows the main characters and the setting together.

Story clues
who? where? when? character setting

Tip: If you are not sure, ask: “Who do I see most?” and “Where do I see them?”

Mini-Book: The Rainy Walk

1

Anna and her dad look out the window.

It is raining outside.

Who are the main characters here? Anna and her dad.
Where are they? Inside, at the window.

2

They put on boots and coats.

They open the door and step into the rain.

The setting is now outside, in the rain.

3

Anna jumps in a puddle on the sidewalk.

Her dad laughs and holds an umbrella.

The characters are still Anna and her dad, on the sidewalk.

4

They walk home when the clouds move away.

The sun peeks out over the houses.

The setting is now the street near their home, after the rain.

Reading Practice — Characters or setting?

Read each tiny story. Decide if the underlined words show the characters or the setting, and answer the question. Then press “Check answers”.

1) “Liam and Zoe ride their bikes to the park.”
Do the underlined words show the main characters or the setting?
2) “Liam and Zoe ride their bikes at the park.”
What is the setting?
3) “The cat sleeps on the chair in the living room.”
Who is the main character?
4) “The cat sleeps on the chair in the living room.”
What is the setting?
5) “The teacher and the class read a book together.”
Who are the main characters?
6) “The teacher and the class read a book in the classroom.”
What is the setting?
7) “Two foxes run through the forest at night.”
Do the underlined words show characters or setting?
8) “Two foxes run in the forest at night.”
What is the setting for this story?

Quick Check (10 questions)

1) What is a main character?

2) What is the setting of a story?

3) Story: “Ben and his sister build a sandcastle on the beach.”
Who are the main characters?

4) Story: “Ben and his sister build a sandcastle on the beach.”
What is the setting?

5) Which words are characters?

6) Which words show the setting?

7) Why is it important to know who the main characters are?

8) Why is it important to know the setting?

9) To find the main character, you can…

10) To practice at home, you can…

Assessment (parent/teacher)

Exit ticket (student)

I will practice…

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