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    Story Elements

    Story elements are used to make 

narratives more interesting to read. It is 

important for students in 5th grade to 

be able to recall the elements of stories 

they read. Understanding these 

elements allow readers to think more 

deeply about stories.

Let's review the elements of 

a story:

Characters

Setting

Problem, events and solution

Theme

Characters are the people, animals or 

creatures in a story. Readers learn 

about characters through their 

actions, their physical appearance, 

what they say, what he or she thinks or 

feels and how they interact with others. 

    The setting is when (time) and where 

(place) a story takes place. The setting creates 

the mood or tone of the story and makes the 

action seem real. 

    The setting does not have to be a real time 

and place. It can be imaginary, like the island, 

Neverland, in the story, Peter Pan. The setting 

is often given or implied in the title or the first 

paragraph of a story. 

On a farm in Pennsylvania, during the Great 

Depression 

The bride and groom were married in a small, 

white church in the country on a beautiful 

summer day.

    In most stories, characters face a problem. 

Many times the problem is introduced at the 

beginning of the story and the main character 

has to figure out how to solve the problem, 

which is called the solution. The solution 

usually happens at the end of the story.

    The order of events in a story is important 

for the story to make sense. The beginning of 

a story is where the characters and setting are 

introduced. The author introduces the problem 

during the beginning of a story. In the middle 

of the story, the author creates events and by 

the end, the author presents the solution.

    The theme is the point the author wants 

to make or a message he or she is trying to 

convey. You can look at theme as it often 

appears as a lesson the character or 

characters learn. Some common themes 

are loyalty, friendship, love, truth and 

hope. The theme of a story is implied.

Once upon a time there were three little pigs 

and the time came for them to leave home and 

seek their fortunes.

Before they left, their mother told them 

"Whatever you do , do it the best that you can 

because that's the way to get along in the 

world."

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