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Students learn to identify where and when a story takes place using words and pictures.
If you saw a story about a polar bear, would you look for him in a hot, sandy desert or on cold, white ice? The answer tells you the story's secret location!
Every story happens somewhere and at some time. This is called the setting. Think of the setting as a map and a clock for your story. To find the setting, we ask two big questions: Where is the character? and When is this happening?
Look at a picture of a girl on a swing. 1. Look at the ground: There is green grass and a sandbox. The 'where' is a park. 2. Look at the sky: The sun is high and bright. The 'when' is daytime. 3. Put it together: The setting is a park during the day.
Quick Check
What are the two parts that make up a story's setting?
Answer
The 'where' (location) and the 'when' (time).
In many books, the pictures tell us more than the words! We call these illustrations. Illustrations give us 'clues' about the environment. If you see tall trees and a tent, the setting is likely the woods. If you see a dark sky with stars, the 'when' is night.
Authors use colors to help us too. Bright yellows and blues often mean it is a happy day outside. Dark purples and blacks often mean it is late at night. Always look at the background of the picture, not just the characters!
Imagine a picture of a boy in pajamas under a blanket. 1. Look at the furniture: There is a bed and a lamp. The 'where' is a bedroom. 2. Look at the window: You see a silver moon and tiny stars. The 'when' is night. 3. The setting is a bedroom at night.
Quick Check
If you see a picture with a snowman and white ground, what is the 'where' and the weather?
Answer
The 'where' is outside, and the weather is cold or snowy.
Sometimes we have to be Word Detectives. We look for special words that tell us the setting. - Location words: 'kitchen', 'ocean', 'castle', 'farm'. - Time words: 'morning', 'long ago', 'winter', 'bedtime'.
Even if there are no pictures, these words paint a picture in our minds. If a story says, 'The knight walked across the drawbridge,' we know the setting is a castle because only castles have drawbridges!
Read this sentence: 'The hot sun beat down on the salty water as Leo built a giant castle out of sand.' 1. Find the 'where' clues: 'salty water' and 'sand'. This is the beach. 2. Find the 'when' clues: 'hot sun'. This is daytime. 3. The setting is the beach on a sunny day.
If a story happens in a place with lots of hay, cows, and a big red barn, where is the setting?
Which clue tells you that a story happens at NIGHT?
A story can only have one setting and it never changes.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow, look at the cover of your favorite book. Can you name the 'where' and 'when' just by looking at the picture?
Practice Activity
Draw a picture of your own setting! Include three clues that show if it is day or night.