A story has to happen in a place. The place
where a story happens is called the setting.
In The Knight at Dawn, Jack and Annie travel back in time to a castle in the
middle ages. The castle is the setting for their adventure.
When you write a story, you decide what the setting
will be. The setting might be your backyard. It might be a
place you've visited with your family. It might be a place
you've learned about in school. The setting might even be
another planet!
A setting doesn't even have to be a real place. Many fairy tales take place
in lands that never really existed. A setting can be a world you create
completely in your imagination.
Morgan's Mission:
Think about a setting for a story.
- Is the setting indoors or outdoors?
- Is it a place you know? Or is it a place you create in your imagination?
Pretend that Jack and Annie have an adventure in your setting.
- Write the first chapter of their adventure.
- Start the chapter by describing the setting.
Annie's Secret Writing Tip:
The "I See" Game
Before you write about a setting, pretend
to really be there!
Close your eyes. Picture yourself in the setting you've chosen. Imagine
yourself looking around. What do you see?
Open your eyes. Write down the name of the setting. Keep
imagining that you are there. Then write as many sentences
as you can, starting each sentence with "I see."
For example:
Setting: My School Lunchroom
I see tables and chairs
I see other kids
I see a bulletin board
I see posters on the wall
I see big windows
I see people cooking
I see lots and lots and lots of food!
Extra Tip!
You can also play the game using "I hear" and "I
smell."
Jack's Research Tip: Finding the Facts
About Your Setting
The setting for your story might be a real place you've never seen before.
You don't have to actually go to a place to be able to write about it. But
you do need to know the facts about that place. You find out the facts by
doing research.
Be a Fact Finder:
Pick a place you've never been to. You can choose a place from this list, or
pick another place you've read or heard about.
A tropical island
The South Pole
An Amazon rain forest
Ancient Egypt
Tokyo, Japan
Go to the library. Take a notebook. Ask your librarian to help you find
some facts about that place.
- What's the weather like?
- Are there trees and plants there?
- Are there any famous buildings there? What do they look like?
- Are there animals? What kind?
Imagine Jack and Annie visit this place. Write about it!
Learn more about reading and writing when you check out other lessons:
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