Navigation
Students learn to find the main action or problem that happens in the middle of a story.
Imagine you are eating a sandwich. The bread is okay, but the middle is where all the yummy flavors are! Stories are the same way—the middle is where all the excitement lives. Do you know how to find it?
Quick Check
Is the middle of a story usually shorter or longer than the beginning?
Answer
The middle is usually the longest part of the story because that is where most of the action happens.
Every good middle has a problem. This is often called the conflict. To find the middle, ask yourself: 'What is going wrong?' or 'What is the character trying to do?' For example, if a girl is building a tower and it keeps falling down, the falling tower is the problem in the middle. The character spends the middle of the story trying to fix it.
1. Beginning: Tim plays with his dog, Sparky, in the park. 2. Middle: Sparky sees a squirrel and runs away! Tim looks behind trees and calls Sparky’s name. He asks a park ranger for help. 3. End: Tim finds Sparky hiding under a bench and they go home.
In this story, the middle is Tim searching for his lost dog.
Quick Check
In the story about Tim, what was the main problem in the middle?
Answer
The main problem was that Sparky the dog ran away and was lost.
Once there is a problem, the characters must take action. Action is what the characters do to solve the problem. They might run, jump, talk, or think of a plan. The middle is full of these actions. You can track the middle by counting the steps a character takes. If a character tries three different ways to solve a problem, those three ways are the heart of the middle!
Mia wants to build a birdhouse, but she doesn't have enough nails. 1. First, she tries to use tape, but it is too weak. 2. Next, she asks her neighbor for extra nails. 3. Then, she uses a hammer to put it all together.
The middle is Mia trying different ways (tape, asking a neighbor, hammering) to build the house.
Leo is in a bike race. Suddenly, it starts to rain (the problem). The ground gets muddy. Leo has to decide: should he stop, or should he pedal harder? He chooses to pedal slowly and carefully around the puddles. He uses his focus to stay on the path even when it is slippery. All of these choices and movements make up the middle of Leo's story.
What is usually found in the middle of a story?
If a story is like a sandwich, what part is the middle?
The middle of a story shows characters taking action to solve a problem.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow, when you read a book, try to find the 'Big Problem' in the middle. Ask yourself: 'What is the character doing to fix it?'
Practice Activity
Draw a picture of a sandwich. On the middle layer, draw a picture of a character trying to solve a problem, like finding a lost toy!