What if?
Say the start of a story with a problem. Children whisper to a partner how it could end, then share one idea.
Writing · Level 1 · Years 1 and 2 · Unit 6 of 6 · Story ending
A story ending
Children are given the start of a story and a problem, and write how it is solved and how everyone feels.
6sessions
30 to 40minutes each
Years 1 and 2ages 6 to 8
Pre-A1 to A1CEFR
By the end
Children write an ending of three to five sentences that solves the problem, uses but or so, and ends with a feeling.
How the unit runs
6 sessions, 8 parts
Every writing unit follows the same eight parts: read, talk, learn the sentence skill, plan, write together, write alone, check, publish. This unit fits them into 6 sessions of about 30 to 40 minutes.
| Session | Parts | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | Part 1: Read and enjoy + Part 2: Talk it | Read and enjoy "Zara's kite". Find 3 features to notice. Oral rehearsal games: What if?, Happy, sad or surprising?, Retell with story fingers. |
| Session 2 | Part 3: Sentence skill | Teach the sentence skill: But, so and because. |
| Session 3 | Part 4: Plan | Plan on the frame: my story ending. |
| Session 4 | Part 5: Shared write | The teacher models the writing, thinking aloud. |
| Session 5 | Part 6: Independent write | Children write independently, with support and stretch. |
| Session 6 | Part 7: Check + Part 8: Publish | Check against the success criteria and the editing checklist. Publish for a real reader on the printable template. |
Curriculum link. Year 2 composition: writing narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional); considering what to write before beginning. Appendix 2: subordination (when, if, that, because) and co-ordination (or, and, but). Sources: see the end of this page.
Part 1 of 8
Read and enjoy a model text
Read it aloud first, or press the button. Talk about what the writer has done before anyone writes. This text was written for Litlings and is free to copy for your class.
Zara's kite flew high above the hill. Then the wind pulled and the string snapped! The kite sailed away over the trees. Zara felt sad, but then she heard a shout. Kofi had found the kite in a tall tree. He climbed up and got it back, so Zara gave him a big hug. They flew the kite together until tea time.
What to notice
- The string snapped!This is the problem. The ending needs to solve it.
- but then she heard a shoutBut shows a change from the problem to the solution.
- so Zara gave him a big hugSo shows what happened as a result. The last sentence says how it ends.
Part 2 of 8
Talk it: oral rehearsal
Talk comes before writing. Children say the sentences, then the paragraph, before the pencil moves.
Happy, sad or surprising?
Tell three endings to the same story: happy, sad and surprising. Vote for the best. Talk about why.
Retell with story fingers
Use five fingers: who, where, problem, solution, feeling. Retell the model story on the fingers, then your own idea.
Part 3 of 8
Sentence skill: But, so and because
But shows a problem or a surprise. So shows what happened as a result. Because gives the reason.
Teach it in four steps
- Say the problem again in your own words.
- Think of a way to solve it. Use but or so to link problem and solution.
- Write how everyone feels.
- Check the ending answers the problem.
Examples
| Start | Becomes or shows |
|---|---|
| The kite flew high. The string snapped. | The kite flew high, but the string snapped. |
| Zara was sad. Kofi found her kite. | Zara was sad, but Kofi found her kite. |
| Kofi got the kite back. Zara hugged him. | Kofi got the kite back, so Zara hugged him. |
Part 4 of 8
Plan: My story ending
Read the start. Plan how the problem is solved. Children say each part aloud to a partner first, then jot notes. Type here, or print the frame to use on paper. It prints on one A4 page.
My story ending
NameDate
Read the start. Plan how the problem is solved.
The problemWhat went wrong?
How is it solved?Who helps? What do they do?
How do they feel?Use a feeling word.
My endingWrite 3 to 5 sentences.
Part 6 of 8
Independent write
The task
Read the story start, then write an ending that solves the problem. Use but or so, and say how the characters feel.
Three story starts with a problem
- Mo the duck loved to swim on the pond. One windy morning, his little red boat floated away from the bank, and Mo could not reach it.
- Leo was carrying his birthday cake to the party. At the top of the hill, he tripped over a stone, and the cake slid out of the box.
- Ava and her grandad were planting seeds in the garden. In the night, a fox dug up the seeds, and the bed was empty by morning.
Sentence starters
- Then ___.
- ___ helped ___.
- ___, but ___.
- ___, so ___.
- At the end, ___ felt ___.
Word bank
- but
- so
- then
- helped
- found
- happy
- sad
- proud
- relieved
- hug
Support
Give two possible solutions as pictures. Children choose one and write about it.
Stretch
Add a surprise at the end, or write the ending twice in two different ways.
English as an additional or foreign language. Give picture sequences for the story start. Children can tell their ending in home language first.
Part 7 of 8
Check: success criteria and editing
Children read their writing aloud, tick what they have done and fix what they have not. Ticks are saved on this device only.
Success criteria
Editing checklist
Part 8 of 8
Publish for a real reader
Add the ending to the given story start in a class book. Read the two endings aloud and compare them.
Printable template: Picture and writing page
One A4 page, blank for handwriting. Print from the browser or download the PDF.
My page
NameDate
Draw your picture, then write underneath.
Title
Picture
My writing
Keep going
In this course
Elsewhere on the site
Sources
- National curriculum in England: English programmes of study (DfE)
- English Appendix 2: vocabulary, grammar and punctuation (DfE)
- Improving Literacy in Key Stage 1 (EEF)
Curriculum statements are paraphrased from the documents above. Model texts and activities are original to Litlings.