teaching resource

Adapt a Short Story – Change the Narrative Setting

Updated: 19 Dec 2025

Explore the role the narrative setting plays within a story with this engaging and fully scaffolded writing project booklet for primary students.

Editable: Google Slides
Non-Editable: PDF
Pages: 1 Page
Years: 3 - 4

Curriculum

AC9E3LE03

Discuss how an author uses language and illustrations to portray characters and settings in texts, and explore how the settings and events influence the mood of the narrative
AC9E3LE05

Create and edit imaginative texts, using or adapting language features, characters, settings, plot structures and ideas encountered in literary texts
AC9E3LY06

Plan, create, edit and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive written and multimodal texts, using visual features, appropriate form and layout, with ideas grouped in simple paragraphs, mostly correct tense, topic- specific vocabulary and correct spelling of most high-frequency and phonetic
AC9E4LE03

Discuss how authors and illustrators make stories engaging by the way they develop character, setting and plot tensions
AC9E4LE05

Create and edit literary texts by developing storylines, characters and settings
AC9E4LY06

Plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, using visual features, relevant linked ideas, complex sentences, appropriate tense, synonyms and antonyms, correct spelling of multisyllabic words and simple punctuation

VC2E3LE03

Discuss how an author uses language and illustrations to build plots and portray characters and settings in literary texts, and explore how mood is created through settings and events
VC2E3LE05

Create texts, using or adapting language features, characters, settings, plot structures and ideas from literary texts they have encountered
VC2E3LY11

Create narrative, informative and persuasive texts, written and spoken, with ideas grouped in simple paragraphs, using topic-specific and precise vocabulary and multimodal elements as appropriate
VC2E3LY12

Re-read and edit texts for meaning, appropriate structure, grammatical choices and punctuation
VC2E4LE03

Compare how authors and illustrators make literary texts exciting, moving and absorbing and hold readers' interest by using plot tension, character and setting
VC2E4LE05

Create texts by developing storylines, characters and settings, and using language features from literary texts they have encountered and from their own experiences
VC2E4LY11

Re-read and edit texts for meaning by adding, deleting or moving words or word groups to improve content and structure
VC2E4LY12

Write words using clearly formed joined letters, with developing fluency and automaticity

teaching resource

Adapt a Short Story – Change the Narrative Setting

Updated: 19 Dec 2025

Explore the role the narrative setting plays within a story with this engaging and fully scaffolded writing project booklet for primary students.

Editable: Google Slides
Non-Editable: PDF
Pages: 1 Page
Years: 3 - 4

Explore the role the narrative setting plays within a story with this engaging and fully scaffolded writing project booklet for primary students.

Narrative Setting: The Backdrop for Storytelling

Narrative setting is the foundation of any story. It’s what gives a story its mood, context and sense of place. Narrative setting influences the characters’ actions, the challenges they face and how the reader feels in response to the environment.

This short story writing project has been designed to support your students in understanding the importance of a narrative setting when shaping a story. To complete the project, students will read and analyse the short story, Forest Friends. They will then take a closer look at the text’s narrative elements through a series of guided questions before planning a narrative of their own that changes the narrative setting of the sample text. This resource conveniently combines reading comprehension, text analysis and creative writing in one activity.

The student workbook contains everything your students need to adapt a short story by changing the narrative setting. It includes:

Instruction page
Example short story, Forest Friends
Guided analysis questions
Setting adaptation ideas
Graphic organisers for plot and language planning
Lined pages for drafting and editing
Narrative writing checklist
Assessment rubric

This ready-to-use, curriculum-aligned resource provides structured support for your students while encouraging creativity as they explore their own adaptation ideas.

Change Where a Story Takes Place: Scaffolded Support for Students

When it comes to narrative writing, coming up with a story idea from scratch can be very daunting for younger students. Working from a sample text like Forest Friends gives students a clear starting point and reduces overwhelm. Here’s how this approach supports success:

Provides a model – Students see how narrative elements work in an example story that is well-structured and age-appropriate.
Guided analysis – Questions highlight key features like setting, character and plot and how authors use language to create these.
Supported creativity – Students adapt a story rather than invent a new one, making the task achievable and enjoyable.

Download to Adapt the Setting of a Story

Teach narrative settings and their role in stories with this comprehensive writing project, specifically designed for primary students. It downloads as an easy-print PDF or editable Google Slides file. Use the dropdown menu on the Download button to access your preferred version. (Note: You will be prompted to make a copy of the Google Slides template before accessing it).

For sustainability purposes, please consider printing this workbook double-sided.

More Resources for Exploring Story Settings

Looking for more teacher-created, curriculum-aligned resources to use when teaching your students about story settings? Click below to explore a sample of our resources from our extensive library.

teaching resource

Describe a Story Setting Worksheets

Download these engaging story setting worksheets that help students brainstorm descriptive language and write vivid setting descriptions with ease.

teaching resource

Examples of Story Settings Teaching Slides

Discover engaging examples of story settings with this teaching presentation that introduces students to ten classic settings in children’s literature.

teaching resource

Story Settings Booklet

Explore common story settings in literature with this engaging 8-page mini book that helps students analyse settings from their own reading.

Curriculum

AC9E3LE03

Discuss how an author uses language and illustrations to portray characters and settings in texts, and explore how the settings and events influence the mood of the narrative
AC9E3LE05

Create and edit imaginative texts, using or adapting language features, characters, settings, plot structures and ideas encountered in literary texts
AC9E3LY06

Plan, create, edit and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive written and multimodal texts, using visual features, appropriate form and layout, with ideas grouped in simple paragraphs, mostly correct tense, topic- specific vocabulary and correct spelling of most high-frequency and phonetic
AC9E4LE03

Discuss how authors and illustrators make stories engaging by the way they develop character, setting and plot tensions
AC9E4LE05

Create and edit literary texts by developing storylines, characters and settings
AC9E4LY06

Plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal imaginative, informative and persuasive texts, using visual features, relevant linked ideas, complex sentences, appropriate tense, synonyms and antonyms, correct spelling of multisyllabic words and simple punctuation

VC2E3LE03

Discuss how an author uses language and illustrations to build plots and portray characters and settings in literary texts, and explore how mood is created through settings and events
VC2E3LE05

Create texts, using or adapting language features, characters, settings, plot structures and ideas from literary texts they have encountered
VC2E3LY11

Create narrative, informative and persuasive texts, written and spoken, with ideas grouped in simple paragraphs, using topic-specific and precise vocabulary and multimodal elements as appropriate
VC2E3LY12

Re-read and edit texts for meaning, appropriate structure, grammatical choices and punctuation
VC2E4LE03

Compare how authors and illustrators make literary texts exciting, moving and absorbing and hold readers' interest by using plot tension, character and setting
VC2E4LE05

Create texts by developing storylines, characters and settings, and using language features from literary texts they have encountered and from their own experiences
VC2E4LY11

Re-read and edit texts for meaning by adding, deleting or moving words or word groups to improve content and structure
VC2E4LY12

Write words using clearly formed joined letters, with developing fluency and automaticity

Teach Starter Publishing

We create premium quality, downloadable teaching resources for primary/elementary school teachers that make classrooms buzz!

0 Comments

Write a review to help other teachers and parents like yourself. If you'd like to request a change to this resource, or report an error, select the corresponding tab above.