Narrative Elements Teaching Resources
Are you teaching narrative elements and looking for worksheets and activities to get students excited about tone, narration, plot and a host of other elements to writing a great story? Wondering how to engage primary students on the concept of character traits and make plot development as exciting as recess?
The English teachers on the Teach Starter team have done just that with a collection of printable worksheets and digital activities built around this core reading standard. Aligned with the Australian English curriculum, each narrative elements activity in this collection has undergone a careful review by a member of our teacher team to ensure it's ready for your lesson plans and your students.
Explore our teacher team's guide to learn more about the various narrative elements and how to bring them to life in your classroom!
Is this your first year teaching about these story elements? Or the first year in a while? Our teacher team has put together a quick refresher to get you ready to rock and roll in the classroom, including a way to explain what narrative elements are.
What Are Narrative Elements? A Kid-Friendly Definition
First thing's first: Let's talk about the definition.
Narrative elements are the basic components of writing that the author uses to share the story with the reader. Without them, the narrative falls apart!
They are sometimes referred to as story elements or literary elements. No matter what you call them, these elements give a piece of writing structure and help the author convey information to the reader.
On the reading side, literary elements are also key to breaking down a story to understand better what the author is trying to say.
What Are Examples of Narrative Elements? 8 Examples That Can Help Your Students
There are eight main examples of narrative elements that students will encounter in narrative texts:
1. Setting
This element is crucial for developing a story as it provides the time in which the story takes place as well as where it takes place. Setting helps ground the story.
2. Plot
The plot is the way a story unfolds. It's essentially a pattern for the text.
3. Conflict
Conflict helps move a plot forward as it offers the reader a climax to move toward as they read.
4. Characterisation
This element of writing covers the way characters are developed within a story.
5. Point of View
Also called narration, this literary element is the perspective from which a story is told, such as first person or third person.
6. Tone
The tone of a story can be boiled down to the author's attitude about the subject of the story.
7. Genre
Genre covers the type of story written, such as realistic fiction, science fiction or even magical realism.
8. Figurative Language
Similes, metaphors and onomatopoeia are just some examples of the figurative language students may encounter in a text.
- Plus Plan
Beginning, Middle and End Mini-Book - The Three Bears
Teach your students about the beginning, middle and end of a story with this mini-book retell of The Three Bears.
- Plus Plan
Narrative Sequencing Teaching Presentation - Little Miss Muffet
Engage young readers in texts and learn about narrative sequencing with a teaching presentation featuring the Little Miss Muffet nursery rhyme.
- Plus Plan
Jack Be Nimble - Sequencing Cards
Read and retell the story within the Jack Be Nimble tale with a set of retelling sequencing cards.
- Plus Plan
Narrative Sequencing Teaching Presentation - Jack Be Nimble
Engage young readers in texts and learn about narrative sequencing with an instructional slide deck featuring the Jack Be Nimble nursery rhyme.
- Plus Plan
Narrative Features Worksheets - Hickory Dickory Dock
Identify characters, settings and parts of a story with early years reading worksheets featuring the Hickory Dickory Dock nursery rhyme.
- Plus Plan
Character Analysis Task Cards
Use these task cards to practise analysing characters within any fictional text.
- Plus Plan
Crabbing at Night - Sequencing Worksheet
Identify the story beginning, series of events and ending with this narrative text sequencing activity.
- Plus Plan
Novel Study - How Thinking Changes Worksheet
Examine how events in a novel can change the main character's thinking with this one-page worksheet.
- Plus Plan
Novel Study – Create a New Cover Worksheet
Create a new book cover for a shared class novel.
- Plus Plan
Guided Reading Groups - Retelling a Text Template
Use this template during a guided reading session for a scaffold to help your students retell a text.
- Plus Plan
Read and Roll - Comprehension Dice Game
A fun reading comprehension strategy game to play in the classroom during literacy groups.
- Plus Plan
Introduction to Story Characters Teaching Slides
Introduce your students to the wonderful world of story characters with this visually appealing teaching presentation.
- Plus Plan
Story Characters - Mini Book
Teach your little learners about the various types of story characters with this fun-sized mini-book.
- Plus Plan
Character or Not? - Sorting Activity
Explore the difference between characters and non-characters with this hands-on sorting activity.
- Plus Plan
Story Settings - Flipbook
Teach your students about story settings with this hands-on flipbook.
- Plus Plan
Story Settings - Graphic Organisers
Encourage your students to write and draw about story settings with this set of differentiated graphic organisers.
- Plus Plan
Story Setting or Not? - Sorting Activity
Explore the difference between story settings and non-settings with this hands-on sorting activity.
- Plus Plan
Beginning, Middle and End Mini-Book - Jack Around Town
Teach your students about the beginning, middle and end of a story with this narrative mini-book.
- Plus Plan
Little Miss Muffet - Story Elements Worksheet Pack
Identify characters, setting and parts of a story with early years reading worksheets featuring the Little Miss Muffet nursery rhyme.
- Plus Plan
Narrative Features Worksheets - Hey Diddle Diddle
Identify characters, settings and parts of a story with early years reading worksheets featuring the Hey Diddle Diddle nursery rhyme.
- Plus Plan
Narrative Features Teaching Presentation - Hickory Dickory Dock
Engage young readers in texts and discover parts of a story with an interactive version of Hickory Dickory Dock.
- Plus Plan
Christmas Finger Puppets Template
Craft a fun set of Christmas finger puppets for your students to have fun with during dramatic play.
- Plus Plan
Reading Response Retelling Important Events– Template
A comprehension template for students to revise important parts of a text.
- Plus Plan
Character Profile Flip Book - Lower Primary
Explore story characters with this flipbook template for lower primary students.
- Plus Plan
Literary Mood – Teaching Presentation
An editable PowerPoint presentation to use when teaching mood.
- Plus Plan
Mood - Literary Element Poster
A poster with a description and example of mood, a literary element.
- Plus Plan
Retelling a Story Workbook
Help your students retain the elements of a retell with this printable retelling stories student workbook.
- Plus Plan
SCOOP Retell Writing Template
Help students give quality retells by using this SCOOP retell writing template.
- Plus Plan
5 Finger Retelling Interactive Activity
Practise using the 5 finger retelling strategy with this interactive activity.
- Plus Plan
SCOOP Retelling Poster
Display this SCOOP retelling poster to help students remember how to give an effective retell.
- Plus Plan
Who Is the Main Character? Interactive Game
Practise identifying the main characters in nursery rhymes with this interactive digital activity.
- Plus Plan
Character or Not? - Colouring Worksheet
Explore the difference between characters and non-characters with this colouring worksheet.
- Narrative Elements Worksheets
- Narrative Elements Templates
- Narrative Elements Teaching Presentations
- Narrative Elements for For Foundation Year
- Narrative Elements for For Year 1
- Narrative Elements for For Year 2
- Narrative Elements for For Year 3
- Narrative Elements for For Year 4
- Narrative Elements for For Year 5
- Narrative Elements for For Year 6