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Why Did They Change?!

sherri

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Why Did They Change?!

Students will be able to explain how setting and conflict cause characters to change and how conflict(s) contribute to plot development in a story.

Understanding how setting and conflict influence characters and plot helps students become more insightful readers and effective storytellers. It also builds critical thinking skills as they analyze cause and effect within narratives.

Audience

4th Grade

Time

45 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, direct instruction, and guided analysis of a short story.

Materials

Whiteboard or projector, Character and Conflict Slides, Our Story Worksheet, and Pencils or pens

Prep

Teacher Preparation

15 minutes

  • Review the Why Did They Change?! Lesson Plan and all generated materials, especially the Character and Conflict Slides and Our Story Worksheet.
  • Ensure projector or whiteboard is ready for displaying slides.
  • Print copies of the Our Story Worksheet for each student.

Step 1

Warm-Up: What's Your Story?

5 minutes

  • Begin by asking students to think about a time a place (setting) changed how they felt or acted, or a small problem (conflict) they faced and how it made them change something they did.
  • Have a few students share their experiences with the class.
  • Transition by explaining that stories are similar: settings and problems make characters change!

Step 2

Introduction to Setting and Conflict

10 minutes

  • Display Character and Conflict Slides (Slide 1-3).
  • Introduce the terms 'setting' and 'conflict.'
  • Setting: Explain that setting is where and when a story takes place. Discuss how different settings can make characters feel and act differently (e.g., a spooky forest vs. a sunny beach).
  • Conflict: Explain that conflict is a problem or challenge a character faces. Discuss how conflicts force characters to make choices and often lead to changes.
  • Use examples from familiar stories (e.g., 'Little Red Riding Hood' - forest setting creates fear, wolf conflict forces her to be more cautious).

Step 3

How They Connect: Character Change & Plot Development

15 minutes

  • Display Character and Conflict Slides (Slide 4-6).
  • Explain that setting and conflict aren't just background details; they are powerful forces that make characters change.
  • Character Change: Discuss how a character might start one way (e.g., shy) and, because of a challenge or environment, become another way (e.g., brave).
  • Plot Development: Explain that conflicts are like engines for the story. They create rising action, a climax, and lead to the resolution. Without conflict, there's no story!
  • Read a short, simple story or a well-known fable aloud (e.g., "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"). As you read, pause and ask:
    • "What is the setting here? How might it affect the boy?"
    • "What is the main conflict the boy creates?"
    • "How does this conflict make the boy change by the end?"
    • "How did this conflict move the story along?"

Step 4

Guided Practice: Our Story Worksheet

10 minutes

  • Distribute the Our Story Worksheet.
  • Guide students through the first section, applying the concepts to a short story you read or a brief scenario you create together.
  • For example, tell a very short story: "Lily moved from a bustling city to a quiet farm (setting change). She missed her friends (conflict). At first, she was lonely. Then, she decided to help with the farm animals, and found joy in a new friend, a baby lamb." Ask students to identify the setting change, conflict, and character change.
  • Have students work individually or in pairs to complete the rest of the worksheet, identifying these elements in a provided short paragraph or a story discussed earlier.

Step 5

Wrap-Up: Reflect & Connect

5 minutes

  • Bring the class back together.
  • Ask students to share one thing they learned about how setting or conflict changes a character or develops a plot.
  • Reiterate that understanding these connections makes stories come alive! Collect the Our Story Worksheet for review.
lenny

Slide Deck

Why Did They Change?!

How do places and problems make characters grow?

Greet students and start with the warm-up activity from the lesson plan. Ask them to think about how a place or problem changed them. This slide sets the stage.

What is a SETTING?

Where and When a Story Happens

  • Where? A spooky forest, a sunny beach, a busy city, a quiet farm.
  • When? Long ago, today, in the future, summer, winter.

How Setting Affects Characters

  • Feelings: Does it make them happy, scared, calm?
  • Actions: Does it make them run, hide, explore?

Introduce the concept of 'setting.' Explain that it's more than just a backdrop; it actively influences characters. Use simple, relatable examples. Ask students for examples of different settings and how they might feel in them.

What is a CONFLICT?

A Problem or Challenge in the Story

  • Big Problem: A character might be lost in a jungle.
  • Small Problem: A character might disagree with a friend.

Conflicts Make Things Happen!

  • Characters have to face challenges.
  • They have to make choices.

Introduce 'conflict.' Emphasize that it's the 'problem' that drives the story. Give simple examples of different types of conflicts (character vs. character, character vs. nature).

Setting & Conflict: Power Duo!

They Work Together to Change Characters

  • Example: If a character is shy (how they start) and gets lost in a big, scary castle (setting + conflict)...
    • ...they might have to become brave to find their way out! (how they change)

Explain how setting and conflict are connected and how they lead to character change. Provide an example or ask students to think of one from a story they know.

Conflicts Drive the PLOT!

Plot: The Events of the Story (Beginning, Middle, End)

  • Conflicts are like the engine of the story.
  • They create action and excitement.
  • Without a problem, there's no story for the characters to solve!

Focus on how conflict drives the plot. Use the analogy of a car engine. The conflict moves the story forward from beginning to end.

Remember This!

When you read, look for:

  • Setting: How does where and when the story takes place make characters act or feel?
  • Conflict: What problems do characters face?
  • Character Change: How do characters grow or learn because of the setting or conflicts?
  • Plot Development: How do conflicts move the story forward?

Summarize the key takeaways and transition to the worksheet activity. Reiterate the importance of noticing these elements when reading.

lenny

Worksheet

Our Story Worksheet: Setting, Conflict, and Change

Name: _________________________

Date: _________________________

Part 1: Guided Practice - "Lily's New Life"

Read the short story below and answer the questions.

Lily moved from a bustling city to a quiet farm. She missed her friends and the familiar sounds of sirens and taxis. At first, she was very lonely and spent her days reading indoors. One afternoon, her grandpa asked her to help feed a newborn lamb that was struggling. Lily was nervous, but she carefully held the bottle for the lamb. Day after day, she cared for the lamb, and slowly, she started to explore the farm, discovering all the wonderful things it had to offer. She even made a new friend, a neighboring farm girl who loved animals too!

  1. Setting Change: Describe the change in setting for Lily.



  2. Initial Conflict: What was Lily's first big problem or challenge?



  3. Conflict with the Lamb: What new conflict or challenge did Lily face involving the lamb?



  4. Character Change: How did Lily change from the beginning of the story to the end? What caused this change?






  5. Plot Development: How did the conflicts (missing friends, helping the lamb) move Lily's story forward and lead to a new ending for her?






Part 2: Independent Practice - Your Turn!

Read the following story excerpt and answer the questions.

Young Leo loved to draw, but he was always too shy to show anyone his artwork. His family moved to a small mountain town where the winters were long and snowy. One day, a huge blizzard trapped everyone indoors for a week! Leo ran out of drawing paper, and the only paper left was a stack of old, brown grocery bags in the pantry. He felt frustrated and almost gave up. But then, he remembered his grandma always said, "A true artist finds a way!" He started drawing on the bags, using charcoal from the fireplace. When the snow finally cleared, and the town held a

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Answer Key

Our Story Worksheet: Answer Key

Part 1: Guided Practice - "Lily's New Life"

  1. Setting Change: Describe the change in setting for Lily.

    • Thought Process: The story states, "Lily moved from a bustling city to a quiet farm." I need to identify both the starting and ending locations.
    • Answer: Lily moved from a busy city to a quiet farm.

  2. Initial Conflict: What was Lily's first big problem or challenge?

    • Thought Process: I'm looking for the first internal or external struggle Lily faces after the move. The text mentions her feelings and activities immediately after.
    • Answer: Lily missed her friends and the familiar city sounds, leading to loneliness.

  3. Conflict with the Lamb: What new conflict or challenge did Lily face involving the lamb?

    • Thought Process: I need to find the specific challenge related to the lamb mentioned in the story.
    • Answer: She had to overcome her nervousness to help feed a struggling newborn lamb.

  4. Character Change: How did Lily change from the beginning of the story to the end? What caused this change?

    • Thought Process: I will compare Lily's initial state (lonely, indoors, nervous) with her later state (exploring, finding joy, making friends) and link it to the events.
    • Answer: Lily changed from being lonely, nervous, and introverted to being more engaged, joyful, and sociable. This change was caused by her helping the lamb, which led her to explore the farm and make a new friend.

  5. Plot Development: How did the conflicts (missing friends, helping the lamb) move Lily's story forward and lead to a new ending for her?

    • Thought Process: I need to explain how these problems weren't just isolated events but pushed the story from her initial unhappiness to her eventual happiness and new life.
    • Answer: Missing her friends was the initial conflict that made her unhappy. The conflict of helping the struggling lamb forced her out of her comfort zone. Her decision to care for the lamb and explore the farm was a direct result of this, leading to her discovering new joys and making a new friend, effectively moving the plot from sadness to a happier new life.

Part 2: Independent Practice - Your Turn!

Read the following story excerpt and answer the questions.

Young Leo loved to draw, but he was always too shy to show anyone his artwork. His family moved to a small mountain town where the winters were long and snowy. One day, a huge blizzard trapped everyone indoors for a week! Leo ran out of drawing paper, and the only paper left was a stack of old, brown grocery bags in the pantry. He felt frustrated and almost gave up. But then, he remembered his grandma always said, "A true artist finds a way!" He started drawing on the bags, using charcoal from the fireplace. When the snow finally cleared, and the town held a "Winter Art Show," Leo, encouraged by his unique creations, decided to submit his grocery bag art. To his surprise, it was a huge hit, and he even won a prize!

  1. Setting: Describe the main setting of this part of the story.

    • Thought Process: Identify the main location described in the excerpt.
    • Answer: The main setting is a small mountain town during a long, snowy winter, specifically indoors during a blizzard.

  2. Initial Character Trait: How is Leo described at the beginning of the excerpt?

    • Thought Process: Look for adjectives or phrases describing Leo's personality or habits at the start.
    • Answer: Leo is described as loving to draw but being very shy to show his artwork to anyone.

  3. Main Conflict: What is the biggest problem Leo faces in this excerpt?

    • Thought Process: Identify the core challenge or obstacle Leo encounters.
    • Answer: The main conflict is when a huge blizzard traps him indoors, and he runs out of drawing paper, leaving him only with old grocery bags to draw on.

  4. How Setting Contributes to Conflict: How does the setting (the snowy mountain town, the blizzard) create or worsen Leo's conflict?

    • Thought Process: Connect the environment to the problem. How does the winter/blizzard specifically cause or intensify his paper shortage problem?
    • Answer: The long, snowy winter and the blizzard trap him indoors and cause him to run out of supplies (drawing paper), which creates his main conflict.

  5. Character Change: How does Leo change by the end of this excerpt, and what caused this change?

    • Thought Process: Compare his initial shyness and frustration with his actions at the end and identify the catalyst.
    • Answer: Leo changes from being too shy to show his art and feeling frustrated, to being encouraged by his unique creations and bravely submitting his art to a show. This change was caused by the conflict of running out of paper and his grandma's words inspiring him to find a creative solution, which built his confidence.

  6. Plot Development: How does Leo's main conflict contribute to the plot developing into an exciting ending?

    • Thought Process: Explain how the problem wasn't a dead end but a turning point that led to the resolution and positive outcome.
    • Answer: Leo's conflict of running out of paper forces him to be creative and draw on grocery bags. This unique approach leads him to submit his art to the show, which directly results in his success and winning a prize, driving the plot towards a triumphant resolution and overcoming his shyness.
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