Literary Elements Teaching Resources
Are ou teaching literary 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? How do you engage elementary students on the concept of character traits and make plot development as exciting as recess?
The ELA 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 both TEKS and the Common Core English curriculum, each literary elements activity in the 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 literary elements and how to bring them to life in your classroom!
Is this your first year teaching this sector of ELA? 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 literary elements are to students.
What Are Literary Elements? A Kid-Friendly Definition
First thing's first: Let's talk about the definition.
Literary 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 narrative 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 Literary Elements? 8 Examples That Can Help Your Students
There are eight main examples of literary 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. Characterization
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 encounter in a text.
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Story Settings - Graphic Organizers
Encourage your students to write and draw about story settings with this set of differentiated graphic organizers.
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Story Setting or Not? - Sorting Activity
Explore the difference between story settings and non-settings with this hands-on sorting activity.
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Beginning, Middle and End Mini-Book - Itsy Bitsy Spider
Teach your students about the beginning, middle and end of a story with mini-book retelling of The Itsy Bitsy Spider.
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Story Elements: Sequencing Jack Be Nimble
Teach your students the art of sequencing with an instructional slide deck surrounding the Jack Be Nimble nursery rhyme.
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Little Miss Muffet - Story Elements Worksheet Pack
Identify characters, setting, and parts of a story with kindergarten reading worksheets featuring the Little Miss Muffet nursery rhyme.
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Jack Be Nimble - Story Element Worksheets
Demonstrate learning about the parts of a story with a printable set of Jack be Nimble Story Element worksheets.
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Hey Diddle Diddle Worksheets
Identify characters, setting, and parts of a story with kindergarten reading worksheets featuring the “Hey, Diddle, Diddle” nursery rhyme.
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Hey Diddle Diddle - Story Elements Slide Deck
Engage young readers in texts and learn about setting with an instructional slide deck featuring the Hey Diddle Diddle rhyme.
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Humpty Dumpty Worksheets - Character, Setting, and Story Elements
Identify characters, setting, and parts of a story with kindergarten reading worksheets featuring the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme.
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Christmas Finger Puppets - Read and Retell Christmas Craft for Kindergarten
A cute set of Christmas finger puppets for students to make and enjoy!
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Character Traits, Motivations and Feelings Worksheet
Analyze character traits, feelings and motivations with this two-page worksheet.
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What's the Theme? - Graphic Organizer
Outline and determine the theme of a text with this 1-page graphic organizer worksheet.
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Novel Study - How Thinking Changes Worksheet
Examine how events in a novel can change the main character's thinking with this one-page worksheet.
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Character Analysis: New Year's Activity
Practice inferring how a character would ring in the new year with this 7-activity booklet.
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Novel Study – Important Events Worksheet
Explore how decision making in a story changes the course of the plot with this one-page worksheet.
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Story Elements - Worksheet
Practice identifying characters, settings, problems and solutions in fictional texts with this set of worksheets.
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Crabbing at Night – Sequencing Worksheet
Identify the story beginning, series of events and ending with this narrative text sequencing activity.
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Character Profile Flip Book – Intermediate Grades
Use this flip book template with your upper elementary students when teaching about the features of literary characters.
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Sequencing Worksheets Bundle (Why Bears Have Stumpy Tails)
Print a sequencing worksheet for 1st or 2nd grade with an engaging bear story! Give students practice identifying the story beginning, series of events and ending.
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Story Retelling Strips
Explore a story with your students with this story-retelling cut-and-paste worksheet.
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5 Finger Retelling Drawing Flipbook
Help your students understand the different aspects of a retell with this drawing to retell flipbook.
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Story Retell Flipbook
Explore retelling a story with your students with this I Can Retell a Story flipbook template.
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Story Retell Brochure Template
Explore retelling a story with this brochure template covering the major elements of a retell.
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Retelling a Story Workbook
Help your students retain the elements of a retell with this printable retelling stories student workbook.
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SCOOP Story Retell Bookmarks
Teach your students how to retell using the SCOOP acronym with these handy bookmarks.
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Retelling Stories Mini Book
Introduce how to retell a story using this easy to follow printable mini book.
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5 Finger Retell Worksheets
Guide your students through using the 5 finger retell strategy with this set of worksheets.
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Robot-Themed Retelling Writing Template
Explore the elements of a retell with this cute robot-themed retell writing template.
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Hansel and Gretel Retelling Activity Cards
Teach your students about retelling with this set of sequencing cards for Hansel and Gretel.
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SCOOP Retell Writing Template
Help students give quality retells by using this SCOOP retell writing template.
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5 Finger Retelling Interactive Activity
Practise using the 5 finger retelling strategy with this interactive activity.
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SCOOP Retelling Poster
Display this SCOOP retelling poster to help students remember how to give an effective retell.
- Literary Elements Worksheets
- Literary Elements Templates
- Literary Elements Games
- Literary Elements for Kindergarten
- Literary Elements for 1st Grade
- Literary Elements for 2nd Grade
- Literary Elements for 3rd Grade
- Literary Elements for 4th Grade
- Literary Elements for 5th Grade
- Literary Elements for 6th Grade