Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to create your own imaginative setting and world, and write a short story using descriptive language.

Materials and Prep

• Paper
• Pencils or pens

Before starting this lesson, make sure you have a good understanding of what a setting is and how it contributes to a story.

Activities

1. Brainstorming: Spend a few minutes brainstorming ideas for your own unique setting. Think about the time period, location, and any magical or fantastical elements you want to include.

2. Descriptive Writing: Choose one of your ideas and start describing it in detail. Use your senses to paint a vivid picture for your readers. Think about what you would see, hear, smell, taste, and touch in this setting.

3. Creating Characters: Now that you have a setting, think about the characters that would inhabit it. Develop at least two interesting characters with unique personalities, appearances, and backgrounds.

4. Short Story Writing: Use your setting and characters to write a short story. Make sure to include a problem or conflict for your characters to overcome, and a resolution to the story.

Third Grade Talking Points

• "A setting is where a story takes place. It can be a real or imaginary location."
• "When we write, we can use descriptive language to help our readers imagine what the setting looks like. We can describe what we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch."
• "Characters are the people or animals in a story. They have different personalities, appearances, and backgrounds."
• "In a story, there is usually a problem or conflict that the characters need to solve. This makes the story interesting!"
• "The resolution is the end of the story, where the problem gets solved or the conflict is resolved."