Story Writing for class 4 English
Concept:Retelling a Story with the help of prompts (Oral)
The students will learn several things about retelling a story with the help of prompts. They will also study some story retelling examples along with images.
In this learning concept, the students will learn:
- To retell stories
- To identify prompts
Every concept is taught to class 4 English students with the help of examples, illustrations, and concept maps. Once you go through a concept, assess your learning by solving the two printable worksheets given at the page’s end.
Download the worksheets and check your answers with the story retelling worksheet solutions for the concept provided in PDF format.
Retelling a Story Definition
Retelling is a way of presenting an already heard story after summarizing it in a short form. In story retelling, you have to present the story just like the way you read or heard it. You cannot leave out any important information or include any unnecessary details. It is the best way to remember, recall, and sequence a storIy.
Example:
Once upon a time, there was a fox in the forest. One day, he was very hungry and went to search for some food. He searched high and low, but couldn’t find anything that he could eat. Finally, as his stomach rumbled, he stumbled upon a farmer’s wall.
At the top of the wall, he saw the biggest, juiciest grapes he’d ever seen. They had a rich, purple colour, telling the fox they were ready to be eaten. To reach the grapes, the fox had to jump high in the air. As he jumped, he opened his mouth to catch the grapes, but he missed. The fox tried again but missed yet again. He tried a few more times but kept failing. Finally, the fox decided it was time to give up and go home. While he walked away, he muttered, “I’m sure the grapes were sour anyway.”
Retelling the story:
> One day in a forest, a fox was very hungry and went to search for some food. He searched but couldn’t find anything that he could eat. Finally, he came upon a farmer’s wall where he saw the juiciest grapes he’d ever seen. He jumped high into the air to catch the grapes, but he missed. The fox repeatedly tried but missed yet again. Finally, the fox decided it was time to give up and went home. As he walked back home, he thought to himself that the grapes were sour, so he didn’t get to eat them.
What are the points that should be included in a story retelling?
Story retelling should include the points given below:
- Characters: Characters are an important part of a story. Make sure to include all the names of the characters in the story retelling.
- Features of the characters: There has to be some description about the look of the characters. You can include information like their style of speaking, their nature, etc.
- Events: Mention the events that are taking place in the story. It could be any problem presented in the story that the central character is facing.
Also, mention the solution to that problem.
- Events are presented in sequential order All the events in the story will have a sequence. While retelling the story, the sequence has to be correct.
- Main Idea Try to give the main idea. Include all the necessary information and avoid the things that are not important.
How will you prepare a story for retelling?
- Pick a fiction or non-fiction story.
- Identify the key details like characters, setting, conflict, resolution, and other key elements.
- Identify the main idea.
- Remember the sequence.
- Now narrate the story.
Story Retelling Prompts
Let us have a look at the prompts for story retelling. They are:
| Prompts |
|---|
| a) Setting |
| b) Beginning of the story |
| c) Characters in the story |
| d) Location |
| Actions |
| e) Conclusion |
Common Mistake
Avoid adding anything extra to the story while retelling it. Only that information should be included, which happened in the original story.
Concept:Story Writing in English with the Main Idea and Key details
The students will learn story writing in English using the main idea and key details. There are also story writing examples with pictures for the students to refer to. Common mistakes should be avoided while using this topic.
In this learning concept, the students will learn the following:
- To identify the main idea and key details.
- To create a story with the help of the main idea and key details.
Every concept is taught to class 4 English students with the help of examples, illustrations, and concept maps. Once you go through a concept, assess your learning by solving the two printable story writing worksheets given at the end of the page.
Download the worksheets and check your answers with the worksheet solutions for the concept provided in PDF format.
Story Writing Definition
Story writing with the main idea and key details can be challenging.
The writer has to find the main idea that he or she wants to convey through the story. There have to be key details that will be connected to the main idea.
Example:
Rahul is a 7-year-old boy. He is in grade 7. Rahul does his homework regularly. He secured good marks in the exam. After returning from school, he always studies for 3 hours.
Now, let’s find out more about main idea and key details.
What is the Main Idea?
The main idea of a story is the main concept that the author wants to convey through the narrative, characters, and settings. Observing the actions of the character, the placement of the settings will help the reader understand the main idea. The main idea in stories is not directly expressed but is hidden in the story.
Example:
My name is Ravi. I had a pet dog whose name was Rocky. Rocky came to my house when he was just 3 months old. He loves to play with me all the time. I spend a lot of time with Rocky. I also take him for a walk in the evening.
How to Find the Main Idea in a Story
To find out the main idea, one has to apply various strategies and approaches to make sure that the main idea is guessed correctly. You can use various clues to find the main idea in the story. The table given below will help you find the main idea in the story.
| Strategy |
| Look for the situation the central character is in. |
| See the patterns in the plot. There will be similar patterns that the main character will go through. |
| Read what the characters are saying. |
| Try to tell the story in a single sentence. |
What are the key details in a story?
Key details are essential pieces of information that support the main idea of the story. Key details are the who, what, where, and why of the story.
Example:
My name is Kunal. I stay in Kolkata. It is monsoon time here and there is rain for most of the days. There is a slight wind blowing during the night and the days are cold.
Key Details
How to Find the Key Details in the Story?
Asking the following questions will help you to find out the key details of the story.
Common Mistakes
Don’t confuse between a summary and the main idea. Although there is similarity between summary and main idea but both are different. Refer to the table below for better understanding.
|
A |
Similarity |
Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | States the important details. | Summary is long. |
| Main Idea | States the important details. | Main Idea is of one sentence. |
Concept : Writing a Story Outline
A story outline is a method used to form your story. It’s a way to develop a visual look and a comprehensive plan for your story. In this chapter students will learn to develop a story outline with examples.
In this learning concept, students will learn:
- Story outline meaning with story outline example.
- Writing a short story based on a given outline
- Common errors to avoid while writing a story outline
Every concept for class 4 English students has been covered using examples, illustrations, and concept maps. Once you go through a concept, assess your learning by solving the two printable worksheets given at the end of the page. Download the worksheets and check your answers with the worksheet solutions for the concept provided in PDF format.
What is an Outline of a story?
The outline of a story describes a sequence of events in the form of points and small phrases.
How to Develop a Story using an Outline?
Have a look at the following points to develop a story using an outline.
- First, read the story outline thoroughly and understand what it is all about.
- Note down the characters from the outline. They could be humans or animals or even non-living things.
- Next, develop the points into complete sentences to form a story.
- Follow the story outline as it is.
- Track the events of the story in order as the points are given accordingly. It is these points that form the series of the story.
- Do no overlook any part of the story outline.
- Do not mention unnecessary or unrelated events that may change the story totally.
- Follow the Beginning, middle and end methods to develop the story.
- A story is generally written in the past tense form, even if the outline is in the present form.
- To make the story more interesting dialogues or conversations can be used.
- Give a suitable title to your story. Choose a title that is related to the events or the main characters of the story. The main words of the title must be in capital letters. Do not use punctuation or quotation marks unless it is a sentence. The article and conjunction are not in capital letters.
Example:
The Wolf and the Sheep
Let us have a look at an example of a story developed using an Outline:
Birbal - courtiers jealous of him - ask Akbar to test his wisdom – a courtier asks him a question - How many crows in the city - Birbal asks for time of a week to know it - everyday Birbal seen on the terrace counting crows- courtier asks him again after 1 week - Birbal says as many crow as hairs on the head of the courtier -Akbar bursts into laughter.
The Clever Birbal
Some courtiers in Akbar's court were jealous of Birbal. They suggested King Akbar to test Birbal’s wisdom. Akbar granted them permission. One of the courtiers walked up to Birbal and said, "You are very clever. You can surely tell me how many crows are there is this city."
Birbal thought for some time and said, "Give me one week and I will let you know the number." From that evening onwards, Birbal would go to the terrace and stare at the crows that were perched on various places or flew by.
A week later, Birbal has questioned again in Akbar’s court the same question. Birbal asked him, "Can you tell me how the number of hair on your head?"
"No," said the man. Birbal wittily replied "I am extremely sorry, then, as that is exactly the number of crows here in the city". Akbar and other courtiers laughed.
Moral: Cleverness is strength.
Common Mistakes
- Do not mention unnecessary or unrelated events. Even if you are adding such details, make sure that it does not change the story.
- Follow the sequence as given in the outline as it will proper development of the story.
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