Lesson 03 — Stories Have a Beginning, Middle, and End

Learners discover that stories move in order — a beginning, a middle, and an end — and practice telling a story back one part at a time in that order.

D04 P3: Intellectual & Cognitive Awareness D04.S1 45 minutes Draft

Objectives

D04.S1.K.01 Listen to a story or speaker and retell one important part in their own words.

Essential question

How do I find the beginning, middle, and end of a story?

beginningmiddleendfirstnextlast

Materials

Standard materials

A short story with a clear order · 1 A story with an obvious beginning, middle, and end (a journey, a meal, a day)
Three picture cards · 1 set One picture for the beginning, one for the middle, one for the end

Low-tech / no-cost

Three stones, leaves, or sticks Three found objects stand in for "first, next, last" as learners walk the story's order
Body positions Learners curl small for the beginning, stand for the middle, and stretch tall or sit for the end

Enriched / lab & device

Three hoops or mats laid on the floor · 1 set Learners step into "beginning," "middle," and "end" spaces while telling each part

Works in different contexts

large-group Split the group into three teams — beginning, middle, end — and let each team act out its part when called
self-directed A learner draws three boxes and puts one picture in each — first, next, last — then tells the story across the boxes
outdoor-only Mark three spots on the ground (a rock, a puddle, a tree); walk to each spot in order while telling that part

Three frames labeled beginning, middle, and end show a rising sun, a high sun, and a setting sun, with arrows showing the story order.

Lesson 3 — Stories Have a Beginning, Middle, and End

Summary

Learners notice that stories, like days and meals and journeys, have an order — a beginning, a middle, and an end. They retell a story by walking or acting through the three parts in sequence.

Objectives

Listen to a story and retell one important part in their own words. (D04.S1.K.01)

Connection

Everything that happens has a before, a during, and an after — a day, a meal, a walk home. Stories are the same: they start, something happens in the middle, and then they end. Knowing the order helps you hold a whole story in your mind and tell it back so others can follow along.

Materials

A short story with a clear order (a journey, a meal, a day)
Three picture cards — beginning, middle, end (optional)

Preparation

Choose a story with an unmistakable three-part order.
Prepare three picture cards or three found objects to stand in for first, next, last.

Facilitator note

This lesson is written to the learner (“you”) so it works in a classroom and for a self-directed learner. Keep the order concrete and physical — moving the body through “first, next, last” helps children hold the idea before they can say it. Some stories have more than three parts; at this age, three is plenty, and “middle” can be loose. Accept any part a learner names as long as it is genuinely from the story. Acting out, pointing to the three cards, or drawing the three parts all count as retelling — a learner who does not speak aloud can still tell the story’s order with their body, hands, or pictures.

Procedure

Gather (5 min). Think about your morning so far. What happened first? What happened next? What happened last? You just told a story in order.
Hear the story (10 min). Listen to the story and look for its three parts: the beginning (how it starts), the middle (what happens), and the end (how it finishes).
Find the three parts (10 min). With a partner, say what happened first, next, and last. Use three fingers to count them.
Walk the story (15 min). Stand on a “first” spot, a “next” spot, and a “last” spot — three stones, three hoops, or three drawn boxes. Step to each spot and tell that part aloud. Your body helps your words remember the order.
Close (5 min). Remember: first, next, last. That order is the shape of a story, and it helps your listeners follow you.

Differentiation

Support: Tell the story in just two parts (first and last); offer the three picture cards and let the learner point to them in order.
Extension: Invite learners to tell a story from their own day with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

Assessment

Formative (observation): Can the learner place three parts of the story in order — first, next, last — while telling?
Formative (oral): Can the learner retell at least one part and say whether it came first, next, or last — by saying, pointing, drawing, or acting?

Home connection

At home, retell your day to a grown-up in three parts — first, next, last — and see if they can guess which part was the middle.