Lesson Plan
Story Map Plan
Students will craft a timeline of three personal life events and describe how each shaped their perspective, building narrative and reflective skills.
This lesson fosters self-awareness and empathy by helping students connect personal experiences to larger life lessons, strengthening critical thinking and narrative writing.
Audience
5th Grade
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Guided modeling, independent creation, peer reflection
Materials
Prep
Prepare Lesson Materials
5 minutes
- Print one Timeline Graphic worksheet per student
- Print one Reflection Journal Page per student
- Load the Past to Present Slides into your presentation software
- Review the teacher prompts in My Story Map Script
- Skim the Story Map Plan to familiarize yourself with pacing
Step 1
Brainstorm Pivotal Moments
5 minutes
- Introduce the lesson objective and explain key terms: life events, perspective, reflection
- Ask students to silently recall three significant events in their lives
- Invite volunteers to share one event; list these on the board
- Model how to note why each event matters and how it might shape a person’s view
Step 2
Model Timeline Creation
7 minutes
- Display the Past to Present Slides
- Walk through an example timeline with three events
- Explain how each event changed the example student’s perspective
- Use the phrasing from My Story Map Script to illustrate reflective language
Step 3
Create Personal Map
10 minutes
- Distribute the Timeline Graphic to each student
- Instruct students to plot their three events in chronological order
- Under each event, write a sentence on how it influenced their perspective
- Offer sentence starters (e.g., “This event helped me learn…”) for students who need support
- Circulate to provide guidance and encouragement
Step 4
Pair-Share Reflections
8 minutes
- Pair students and have them exchange timelines
- Give each student a Reflection Journal Page to note interesting insights from their partner
- Encourage active listening and asking clarifying questions
- Collect journal pages to assess understanding and provide feedback
Slide Deck
My Story Map: From Past to Present
A journey of self-discovery through your personal experiences.
Welcome students! Today we begin our journey of creating a Story Map. Introduce the title and set a positive, encouraging tone. Mention that we’ll explore how our past experiences shape who we are today.
Lesson Objectives
• Craft a timeline of three life events
• Describe how each event shaped your perspective
• Build narrative and reflective skills
Read each objective aloud. Emphasize that by the end of the lesson, they will craft a timeline, reflect on their experiences, and practice writing about how events changed them.
Key Concepts
• Life Events
• Perspective
• Reflection
Define and discuss each key concept briefly. Ask for quick student examples for life events, perspective, and reflection to check understanding.
What Is a Timeline?
A timeline is an ordered list of events arranged by when they happened. It helps us see how experiences connect over time.
Explain what a timeline is and why we use it. Highlight how seeing events in order can help us tell our story more clearly.
Example Timeline
2005: First day at new school – helped me make new friends
2008: Learned to ride a bike – taught me perseverance
2012: Community clean-up project – showed me the value of teamwork
Walk through this sample timeline. Point out how each event includes a date, a brief description, and a note on impact—model the style students will use.
Reflection Prompts
For each event:
- What happened?
- How did this event change your perspective?
- What did you learn from it?
Encourage students to think deeply about why each event mattered. Remind them to use full sentences that explain both what happened and how it changed them.
Your Turn: Create Your Story Map
- Choose three personal events
- Plot them in order on the Timeline Graphic
- Write a sentence under each explaining its impact
- Be ready to share with a partner
Transition to the hands-on activity. Instruct students on the materials they will use and explain that you will circulate to support them.
Worksheet
Timeline Graphic
Plot your three personal life events below. For each event, write the date, describe what happened, and explain how it shaped your perspective.
Event 1
Date: _______________________________
Event description: ____________________________________________________________________
How did this event change your perspective?
Event 2
Date: _______________________________
Event description: ____________________________________________________________________
How did this event change your perspective?
Event 3
Date: _______________________________
Event description: ____________________________________________________________________
How did this event change your perspective?
Journal
Reflection Journal Page
Use this page to jot down insights as you listen to your partner’s story map. Write clearly and thoughtfully.
Partner’s Name: ________________________________
Event 1
Partner’s event description:
Why do you think this event was important to your partner?
What question would you ask your partner to learn more?
Event 2
Partner’s event description:
Why do you think this event was important to your partner?
What question would you ask your partner to learn more?
Event 3
Partner’s event description:
Why do you think this event was important to your partner?
What question would you ask your partner to learn more?
My Personal Takeaway
One thing that surprised me about my partner’s experiences:
How did listening to this story change my own perspective?
One way I can apply what I learned from my partner:
Script
My Story Map Script
1. Brainstorm Pivotal Moments (5 minutes)
Teacher: “Good morning, storytellers! Today we’re going to explore our own life stories. We’ll start by brainstorming three important moments—big or small—that have shaped who you are.”
Teacher: “First, let’s define some key words. A life event is something that happens to you and leaves an impression. Perspective is the way you see and understand the world because of your experiences. And reflection is when you think back on an event to discover what you learned.”
Teacher: “Close your eyes for a moment. Think of one event that felt meaningful—perhaps the day you learned to ride a bike, moved to a new house, or made a new friend.”
Pause for 10 seconds.
Teacher: “Okay, open your eyes. Would someone like to share one event they remembered?”
Invite 2–3 volunteers.
Teacher: “Thank you for sharing! I’m writing these on the board. Now I’ll model how to note why each event matters.”
Teacher (modeling on board): “Moved to a new neighborhood – I felt nervous at first, but this event taught me the value of being brave when meeting new people.”
Teacher: “Notice how I said what happened and then explained how it changed me. You’ll do the same on your timeline.”
Check for understanding: “What does it mean to reflect on an event? Turn and tell your partner.”
Wait 30 seconds, then call on two students.
2. Model Timeline Creation (7 minutes)
Teacher: “Now let’s look at our model on the Past to Present Slides.”
Advance to the Example Timeline slide.
Teacher: “This example shows three events with dates, descriptions, and a short reflection on each impact. Listen as I read the first one: ‘2005: First day at new school – helped me make new friends.’”
Teacher: “What do you notice about how this timeline is organized?”
Wait for responses.
Teacher: “Exactly—each entry has a date, an action, and an explanation of change. Now, what feeling or skill did the bike-riding event teach the example student?”
Student answers (perseverance).
Teacher: “Right! And that shows how their perspective grew. When you create your own, use words like learned, realized, or understood.”
3. Create Personal Map (10 minutes)
Teacher: “It’s your turn! I’m passing out the Timeline Graphic.”
Distribute worksheets.
Teacher: “Step 1: Choose three personal events. Step 2: Write the date and a brief description. Step 3: Under each event, write one sentence about how it shaped your perspective.”
Teacher: “If you get stuck, use these sentence starters:
- ‘This event helped me learn…’
- ‘Because of this event, I began to…’
- ‘I realized that…’”
Circulate and provide support.
Teacher (to a student): “I see you wrote about winning a spelling bee. Can you tell me how that changed the way you feel about trying new challenges?”
Teacher: “Great! Use that insight to write: ‘This event helped me learn that practice leads to confidence.’”
Midway check: “Two-minute warning! Finish your third event so we can share with a partner.”
4. Pair-Share Reflections (8 minutes)
Teacher: “Now, turn to your neighbor and share your first event.”
Teacher: “As you listen, use your Reflection Journal Page to write:
- Your partner’s event description
- Why you think it was important to them
- One question you’d ask to learn more”
Students share and write for 3 minutes.
Teacher (after 3 minutes): “Switch roles—now the other partner shares Event 2. Continue until you’ve talked through all three events.”
After sharing:
Teacher: “Look at your notes. With your partner, discuss:
- What surprised you about their experiences?
- How did hearing their story give you a new perspective?”
Allow 2 minutes for discussion.
Teacher: “Fantastic work, everyone. Please hand in your Reflection Journal Pages, and give yourself a round of applause for exploring your own story maps!”