Lesson Plan
My Story Map: Charting Your Journey
Students will create a timeline of three significant life events and articulate how each event influenced and shaped their personal perspective.
Understanding how past experiences shape who we are helps students develop self-awareness and empathy. This lesson encourages personal reflection and respectful sharing of individual journeys.
Audience
5th Grade
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Students will brainstorm, create a visual timeline, and share personal reflections.
Materials
Smartboard or Projector, Past to Present Slides, Timeline Graphic, Reflection Journal Page, and My Story Map Script
Prep
Review Materials
10 minutes
- Review the Past to Present Slides to familiarize yourself with the content and flow.
- Print enough copies of the Timeline Graphic for each student.
- Print enough copies of the Reflection Journal Page for each student.
- Read through the My Story Map Script to prepare for guiding the discussion and activities.
- Ensure the projector/smartboard is set up and ready to display the slides.
Step 1
Warm-Up & Introduction
5 minutes
- Use the Past to Present Slides to introduce the concept of life events and perspective.
- Engage students with a brief discussion: "What is a 'story map' for our lives?"
- Explain the lesson objective clearly.
Step 2
Brainstorming & Modeling
10 minutes
- Guide students through a quick brainstorming session for significant life events (e.g., learning to ride a bike, moving to a new house, making a new friend).
- Distribute the Timeline Graphic.
- Model how to select three events and plot them on a simple timeline, emphasizing how each event might have changed your perspective using examples from your own life (age-appropriate and general).
Step 3
Independent Creation
10 minutes
- Students will independently complete their Timeline Graphic by choosing three life events and writing a brief description of how each event shaped their perspective.
- Circulate to provide support and answer questions.
Step 4
Pair-Share & Reflection
5 minutes
- Ask students to pair up and share one event from their Timeline Graphic and how it impacted them.
- Distribute the Reflection Journal Page as a cool-down activity or homework, prompting deeper individual reflection. Collect these to assess understanding.
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Slide Deck
Your Life, Your Story!
Every single one of us has a unique story.
What makes your story special?
Today, we're going to become 'life cartographers' and map out some important parts of your journey!
Greet students and introduce the idea of a 'story map' for their lives. Ask what a story map usually contains (characters, setting, plot). Explain that today, they are the main character!
What's a 'Life Event'?
A 'life event' is something significant that happens in your life.
It could be big or small, but it often makes you think or feel differently.
- Your first day of kindergarten
- Learning to ride a bike
- Making a new best friend
- Moving to a new town
Explain what a life event is. Give a few general, age-appropriate examples (e.g., first day of school, learning a new skill, a family trip). Ask students to think about one or two moments in their own lives that felt important.
Changing Your View: Perspective
Have you ever looked at something from a different angle and seen it totally new?
That's kind of like perspective!
Perspective is how you see and understand the world, and it can change based on what you experience.
Introduce the concept of 'perspective.' Use a simple analogy, like looking at the same object from different angles. Explain that experiences can change how we see things.
Events Shape Perspective
Think about it: when something happens to you, it often changes how you think or feel about things.
- If you learned to swim, maybe you gained confidence!
- If you helped someone, maybe you understood kindness better.
Life events are like plot twists in your personal story!
Connect life events to perspective. Give a simple example: 'When I learned to cook, I started to see food in a new way – not just as something to eat, but as an art form!' Encourage students to think about how their chosen events might have shifted their own views.
Your Story Map: The Timeline
Now it's YOUR turn to create a Story Map!
We'll pick three important life events.
Then, you'll think about how each event changed your perspective.
Get ready to chart your unique journey!
Introduce the activity. Explain they will create a visual timeline and choose three events. Emphasize that these are their stories and there are no right or wrong answers. Point them towards the worksheet.
Worksheet
My Personal Story Map: Timeline Graphic
Name: ____________________________
Instructions:
- Think of three important life events that have happened to you. These can be big or small, but they should be moments that you remember clearly.
- Write each event on the timeline below.
- For each event, describe in a few sentences how it changed your perspective or how you saw the world afterward.
My Life Events Timeline
Event 1:
What happened?
How did this event shape your perspective? (How did it change how you saw or understood something?)
Event 2:
What happened?
How did this event shape your perspective? (How did it change how you saw or understood something?)
Event 3:
What happened?
How did this event shape your perspective? (How did it change how you saw or understood something?)
Journal
My Story Map: Reflection Journal Page
Name: ____________________________
Instructions:
Now that you've created your Story Map, let's reflect a little deeper. Answer the following questions thoughtfully.
Journal Prompts:
-
Look at your Timeline Graphic. Was it easy or difficult to choose just three events? Why do you think some events feel more important than others?
-
Think about one event from your timeline that truly changed how you see something. Describe that change in more detail. What was your perspective before the event, and what is it after?
-
When you shared an event with a classmate, did you learn anything new about them or yourself? How can understanding each other's perspectives help us be better friends or classmates?
Script
My Story Map: Teacher Script
I. Warm-Up & Introduction (5 minutes)
(Teacher): "Good morning/afternoon, everyone! Today, we're going to embark on an exciting journey – a journey through your lives. Every single one of you has a unique story, full of different experiences and moments that have made you who you are today."
"Think about a map. What does a map usually show us? (Pause for student responses, e.g., roads, cities, mountains). That's right! Today, we're going to create a special kind of map: a story map of your life!"
(Teacher): (Display Past to Present Slides, Slide 1: "Your Life, Your Story!") "Our objective for today is to create a timeline of three important events from your life and explain how those events changed how you see things, or your perspective. By the end of this lesson, you'll have a clearer picture of your own journey and how your experiences have shaped you."
II. Brainstorming & Modeling (10 minutes)
(Teacher): (Display Past to Present Slides, Slide 2: "What's a 'Life Event'?") "First, let's talk about what a 'life event' is. A life event is something significant that happens in your life. It could be something big, like moving to a new city, or something smaller, like learning to tie your shoes or making a new best friend. The key is that it's something you remember and that might have made you think or feel differently."
"Let's brainstorm a few together. What are some examples of important things that can happen in a person's life?" (Write student ideas on the board. Guide them to a variety of examples if needed).
(Teacher): (Display Past to Present Slides, Slide 3: "Changing Your View: Perspective" and Slide 4: "Events Shape Perspective") "Now, let's talk about 'perspective.' Imagine you're looking at a tree. If you stand far away, you see the whole tree. If you stand close, you see the bark and leaves. Your view changes depending on where you stand, right? Perspective is like that – it's how you see and understand the world, and it can change based on what you experience."
"For example, when I was younger, I used to be very scared of public speaking. But then, I had to give a presentation for a school project, and even though I was nervous, it went really well! After that event, my perspective on public speaking changed. I realized it wasn't as scary as I thought, and I even started to enjoy it a little. That one event shaped my perspective on speaking in front of groups."
"Now, I'm going to hand out your Timeline Graphic worksheets. We're going to create a personal story map. I'll model how to do this first. I'll pick three general events from my own life (keep it age-appropriate and general, e.g., 'learning to play an instrument,' 'getting a pet,' 'trying a new food')."
(Teacher): (On the board or a projector, draw a simple timeline similar to the Timeline Graphic).
"My first event was learning to ride a bike when I was about 7. Before that, I thought it was impossible! After I learned, I felt so proud and independent. My perspective changed from 'I can't' to 'I can!'"
"My second event was getting a pet dog when I was 10. Before that, I only thought about myself. After getting my dog, I learned a lot about responsibility and caring for another living thing. My perspective shifted to thinking more about others."
"My third event was moving to a new school in 6th grade. I was nervous about making new friends. But once I got there, I met so many wonderful people and learned that it's exciting to experience new things. My perspective changed from being scared of new things to embracing them."
III. Independent Creation (10 minutes)
(Teacher): (Display Past to Present Slides, Slide 5: "Your Story Map: The Timeline") "Now it's your turn! On your Timeline Graphic, I want you to choose three important life events that have happened to you. Write down what happened, and then, in the space provided, describe how that event shaped your perspective. How did it change how you saw or understood something? Remember, there are no right or wrong answers – this is your story."
"I'll be walking around to help if you have any questions or need ideas. Take your time and think carefully about these moments."
(Circulate and provide individual support, prompting students to think about how events led to changes in their thinking or feelings.)
IV. Pair-Share & Reflection (5 minutes)
(Teacher): "Okay, everyone, let's bring it back together. I want you to pair up with the person next to you. Each of you will share one event from your Timeline Graphic and explain how it impacted your perspective. Listen carefully to your partner's story and be respectful."
(Allow 2-3 minutes for pair-sharing).
(Teacher): "Wonderful sharing! It's amazing to hear all the different experiences and how they've shaped each of you. To wrap up, I'm going to hand out a Reflection Journal Page. This is for you to complete as homework or if we have a few extra minutes at the end of class. It asks you to think a little more deeply about your story maps and what you learned today."
"Great work today, everyone! You've all done an excellent job charting your unique journeys and understanding the power of your own stories!"