CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.5

ELA2nd GradeCraft and Structure

The Standard

Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Reading Standards for Literature

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students identify the beginning, middle, and ending of a story. They explain how the beginning introduces characters, setting, or a problem, and how the ending closes the action.
What Mastery Looks Like: After reading an unfamiliar story, students can identify its beginning, middle, and ending. They explain what the beginning sets up and how the ending resolves or closes the action.
Common Misconceptions: Students may retell every event instead of explaining how the parts work. They may treat the beginning as only the first sentence or assume every ending must be happy.
How to Assess It: Give students a short story and ask: “How does the beginning set up the story, and how does the ending finish the action?”

Lesson moves

Give pairs three illustrated scene cards from a familiar story; students order them and label how the first and last scenes function.
After reading a picture book, ask students to write: “The beginning sets up ___, while the ending shows ___.”
Play a story structure sort using event cards labeled beginning, middle, and ending, then have students justify each placement.
Have students sketch the beginning and ending of a real event, such as losing and finding a lunchbox, then explain the change.

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