Narrative Elements Teaching Resources
Are you teaching narrative elements and looking for worksheets and activities to get students excited about tone, narration, plot and a host of other elements to writing a great story? Wondering how to engage primary students on the concept of character traits and make plot development as exciting as recess?
The English teachers on the Teach Starter team have done just that with a collection of printable worksheets and digital activities built around this core reading standard. Aligned with the Australian English curriculum, each narrative elements activity in this collection has undergone a careful review by a member of our teacher team to ensure it's ready for your lesson plans and your students.
Explore our teacher team's guide to learn more about the various narrative elements and how to bring them to life in your classroom!
Is this your first year teaching about these story elements? Or the first year in a while? Our teacher team has put together a quick refresher to get you ready to rock and roll in the classroom, including a way to explain what narrative elements are.
What Are Narrative Elements? A Kid-Friendly Definition
First thing's first: Let's talk about the definition.
Narrative elements are the basic components of writing that the author uses to share the story with the reader. Without them, the narrative falls apart!
They are sometimes referred to as story elements or literary elements. No matter what you call them, these elements give a piece of writing structure and help the author convey information to the reader.
On the reading side, literary elements are also key to breaking down a story to understand better what the author is trying to say.
What Are Examples of Narrative Elements? 8 Examples That Can Help Your Students
There are eight main examples of narrative elements that students will encounter in narrative texts:
1. Setting
This element is crucial for developing a story as it provides the time in which the story takes place as well as where it takes place. Setting helps ground the story.
2. Plot
The plot is the way a story unfolds. It's essentially a pattern for the text.
3. Conflict
Conflict helps move a plot forward as it offers the reader a climax to move toward as they read.
4. Characterisation
This element of writing covers the way characters are developed within a story.
5. Point of View
Also called narration, this literary element is the perspective from which a story is told, such as first person or third person.
6. Tone
The tone of a story can be boiled down to the author's attitude about the subject of the story.
7. Genre
Genre covers the type of story written, such as realistic fiction, science fiction or even magical realism.
8. Figurative Language
Similes, metaphors and onomatopoeia are just some examples of the figurative language students may encounter in a text.
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Story Settings - Graphic Organisers
Encourage your students to write and draw about story settings with this set of differentiated graphic organisers.
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Beginning, Middle and End Mini-Book - The Three Little Pigs
Teach your students about the beginning, middle and end of a story with this mini-book retell of The Three Little Pigs.
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Jack Be Nimble Worksheets
Identify characters, settings and parts of a story with early years reading worksheets featuring the Jack Be Nimble nursery rhyme.
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Story Basics: Narrative Features - Teaching Presentation
Use this interactive teaching presentation to introduce your early years students to the basic features of stories.
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Elements of Plot Teaching Presentation
Teach your students about the elements of a story with this engaging teaching presentation.
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Character Traits Graphic Organiser
Describe the most notable mental and moral qualities of a real or fictional person.
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Novel Study – Important Events Worksheet
A worksheet for students to explore how decision making in a story changes the course of the plot.
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Novel Study – Create a New Cover Worksheet
Create a new book cover for a shared class novel.
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Novel Study – Draw a Scene Worksheet
Explore important scenes from a class novel through a drawing activity.
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Literary Mood – Teaching Presentation
An editable PowerPoint presentation to use when teaching mood.
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Character Profile Flip Book - Upper Primary
Explore how authors use language to describe characters with this versatile flipbook template.
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Guided Reading Groups - Retelling a Text Template
Use this template during a guided reading session for a scaffold to help your students retell a text.
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Character Emotions Worksheet
Make inferences about character's feelings with this one-page worksheet.
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Why Bears Have Stumpy Tails – Sequencing Worksheet
Identify the story beginning, series of events and ending with this narrative text sequencing activity.
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Read and Roll - Comprehension Dice Game
A fun reading comprehension strategy game to play in the classroom during literacy groups.
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Character Adjective Concertina Template – Blank
Learn how adjectives can be used to describe a character's appearance and personality with a hands-on craft activity aligned to the English curriculum.
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Character Adjective Concertina Template – The Gingerbread Man
Learn how adjectives can be used to describe a character's appearance and personality with a hands-on craft activity aligned to the English curriculum.
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Character Development - Fakebook Page Template
Use research and creative writing skills to design a social media profile for fiction or nonfiction persons.
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Reader Response Journal for Literature
Help students think critically about key story elements such as character, plot and theme with this 22-page reader response journal set.
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Literary Comparison Task Cards
Encourage deeper thinking through literary comparison with this engaging set of task cards designed to prompt meaningful analysis between two texts.
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Problem and Solution Worksheets
Explore narrative elements with this set of problem and solution worksheets.
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Story Structure Sentence Strips
Explore sentences that form the beginning, middle and end of 5 short stories with this sorting activity for younger year levels.
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Hansel and Gretel Retelling Activity Cards
Teach your students about retelling with this set of sequencing cards for Hansel and Gretel.
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Story Retell Interactive Graphic Organisers
Explore the elements of a retell with your students using this digital activity.
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Story Retell Flipbook
Explore retelling a story with your students with this I Can Retell a Story flipbook template.
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Jack and Jill Retelling Activity Cards
Teach your students about retelling with this set of sequencing cards for Jack and Jill.
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Story Retell Graphic Organisers (Differentiated)
Help students confidently retell a story with this set of differentiated graphic organisers.
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SCOOP Retelling Poster
Display this SCOOP retelling poster to help students remember how to give an effective retell.
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5 Finger Retelling Flipbook
Explore the 5 finger retell strategy with this guided flipbook.
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Retelling Caterpillar Writing Template
Help students break down their retells with this cute caterpillar writing template.
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Story Retell Interactive Activity
Use this Interactive activity to practise retelling stories.
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Story Elements Worksheets – The Fox and the Grapes
Practise identifying the story characters, settings and main events with this set of worksheets based on a traditional tale.
- Narrative Elements Worksheets
- Narrative Elements Templates
- Narrative Elements Games
- Narrative Elements Teaching Presentations
- Narrative Elements for Foundation Year
- Narrative Elements for Year 1
- Narrative Elements for Year 2
- Narrative Elements for Year 3
- Narrative Elements for Year 4
- Narrative Elements for Year 5
- Narrative Elements for Year 6