Story Maps to Practice Beginning, Middle, End
During our literacy time we have been busy learning about beginning, middle, end and story elements. To be honest, this is one of my favorite units to teach! The students always get so excited to listen to the different stories and talk about the beginning, middle, end and story elements. I feel like it is a concept they quickly understand and can discuss. We spend a good amount of our time reading different versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears as well as The Three Little Pigs. They love to compare and contrast the different versions. It always makes my teacher heart pitter patter when they want to hear a story for a second or third time. My goal by the end of the unit is to have students be able to use a story map to create their own story using the different story elements and sequencing it into beginning, middle, and end.
I like to start off the unit by introducing a Beginning, Middle, End Anchor Chart to refer to as we read each story.
We talk about who the characters are and what the setting is and how those two story elements take place at the beginning of the story. Then, we discuss what the problem is and that it takes place in the middle of the story. Finally, we talk about what the solution and how it ties everything together and can be found at the end of the story.
As I introduce each story element I like to hold up these visuals.
I keep these story element posters by our reading area and before we read each story we review each story element and then we refer to them throughout the story.
Over the years I have collected a variety of different versions of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Here are a few of my favorites to read during this unit.
Goldilocks and The Three Bears by James Marshall (I always start with this story first and refer back to it as we compare and contrast the different versions)
Goldilocks and Just One Bear by Leigh Hodgkinson
Goldilocks and the The Three Bears by Caralyn Buehner and Mark Buehner
Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas by Natasha Yim
Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears by Corey Rosen Schwartz
Goatilocks and the Three Bears by Erica S. Perl
After we have spent some time reading and exploring Goldilocks and the Three Bears we practice beginning, middle, and end with The Three Little Pigs.
The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf by Mark Teague
The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz
The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
The Three Little Superpigs by Claire Evans
The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot by Margaret McNamara & Mark Fearing
Where’s the Big Bad Wolf? by Eileen Christelow
The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark by Ken Geist
The Three Little Pigs by David Wiesner
By the end of the unit I pass the pencil to the students and it is their turn to try to write their own story. Some like to write another version of the books we have already read. I have had students write The Three Dinosaurs and the Big Bad Caveman, or The Unicorn and the three Horses. It is always fun to see where their imagination takes them.
If you are interested I have a Story Map Graphic Organizer Freebie you can download by clicking the picture.
Story Map Graphic Organizer FREEBIE
I hope this post has been full of helpful tips and ideas as you practice beginning, middle, and end with your students. Happy Reading!