This lesson gives students practice recognizing the connection between characters and setting as well as reinforcing their grasp of context. At the end of the lesson, students are able to: 
- Clarify the phrase setting. 
- Elucidate how a story's setting relates to its characters.

- How do knowledgeable readers interpret literary and factual texts? 
- What is the true purpose of this text? 
- How can literary and factual texts become meaningful to strategic readers?

- Characters: The people or animals in a story. 
- Setting: The time and place in which a story happens. 
- Physical Characteristics: The appearance of a character.

- Steven Kellogg. (1997). Jack and the Beanstalk. HarperCollins.
- Jim Harris. (1997). Jack and the Giant: A Story Full of Beans. Cooper Square Publishing.
Familiar fairy tales and versions of the same stories with settings that are different from the originals. Examples include the following:
- Fiona French. (1990). “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and Snow White in New York. Oxford University Press.
- Susan Lowell. (2000). “Little Red Riding Hood” and Little Red Cowboy Hat. Square Fish.
- Susan Lowell. (2004). “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” and Dusty Locks and the Three Bears. Owlet Paperbacks.
Teachers may substitute other books with familiar fairy tales or versions of the same story with different settings to provide a range of reading and level of text complexity.
- student copies of Character and Setting Cards (L-3-3-1_Character and Setting Cards)
- Character and Setting Cards answer key (L-3-3-1_Character and Setting Cards KEY)
- student copies of the Fractured Fairy Tale Activity Sheet (L-3-3-1_Fractured Fairy Tale Activity Sheet)

This lesson's objective is to assist students in seeing the relationship between a story's setting and characters. Analyze each student's development using observation and anecdotal notes.
- Utilize the subsequent checklist to evaluate pupils' comprehension:
- Students are able to recognize a story's characters and environment.
- Students are able to articulate how a change in setting would affect a character's physical attributes.

Guidance and Clear Instruction 
W: Using well-known stories with various settings, define the term "setting" and discuss the connection between setting and characters in a story. 
H: Use a lighthearted exercise to get students thinking about how important the relationship is between the main character and the location. 
E: Assign students to exercises that help them learn how to recognize the connection between a character and a location and how a shift in the environment affects the characters in a story. 
R: Give students the chance to work independently to come up with solutions. After they discuss them in a group, they can revise their solutions as they get a deeper comprehension of how characters and settings relate to one another. 
E: Let pupils match characters and places to put what they've studied into practice. 
T: Give pupils a range of resources so they may show that they comprehend concepts at their conceptual levels. 
O: This lesson's learning exercises include large-group instruction and discussion, small-group inquiry, pair work, and individual application of the material. 

Focus Question: How do characters and settings interact in a story?

Inquire, "What is the story's setting?" Assist pupils with defining the setting, which is the period and location of a tale. For the benefit of the pupils, write the term on the board or interactive whiteboard.

Partially cut and give each student a copy of the Character and Setting Cards (L-3-3-1_Character and Setting Cards). Ask the class to pair each character with a setting. Instruct students to discuss their responses in small groups. For your convenience, the answers are available in L-3-3-1_Character and Setting Cards Key.

Ask pupils to switch up the setting and character cards after that. Talk about the amusing character and setting combinations that the students came up with. Teach students that humor comes from placing specific people in specific situations.

Part 1

Have pupils retell the fable "Jack and the Beanstalk." Read an adaptation of the original work, like the one recommended in the Materials list, if they are not familiar with the story. Ask pupils to name the place (farm, long ago) and the characters (Jack, mother, and old man). Consider the following question: "How might the story vary in a new setting? In what ways might the characters differ?" Ask pupils to express their thoughts.

Say out loud Jim Harris's book "Jack and the Giant: A Story Full of Beans". Ask students to share their answers to the following questions with their peers and the class:

“What is the new setting for Jack and the Beanstalk's tale?” (Southwest, era of pioneers)
“What effects did the story's new location have on the characters?” (The characters have varied wardrobes. Their speech differs.)

Draw attention to the fact that the characters' physical attributes have changed. Put the term on the interactive whiteboard or board and assist the students in coming up with a list of physical attributes. Examples include appearance, dress sense, and speech pattern.

Part 2

Assign students to read both the original fairy tale and a "fractured fairy tale," which is the same story told in a different location, in small groups. The materials list contains examples, but you are free to use any other examples you like. After this lesson, a source is included in Related Resources.

Give out the L-3-3-1_Fractured Fairy Tale Activity Sheet, which is the activity sheet for the fractured fairy tale. After each student has finished the worksheet on their own, have the class discuss the answers. Motivate pupils to revise their work as needed.

As you move around the classroom, comment on the students and record anecdotes regarding their comprehension of the relationship between the characters and the setting.

Extension:

Use a choice of original stories for pupils who require extra learning opportunities. Assist them in recognizing the setting and the characters. Ask them to enumerate the characters' physical attributes. Students should then design a new location for the plot. Assist them in analyzing how the characters' physical attributes would alter in that context.
If students are prepared to go above and beyond the call of duty, assign them to pick a well-known tale, rewrite it, modify the setting and time, and consider how this might affect the characters. Allow pupils to share their experiences with a companion. Encourage them to provide feedback on how to make their stories better as they are reading each other's works.
Students can take part in Kids' Blog by visiting the Indianapolis Public Library at http://www.imcpl.org/kids/blog/?page_id=12988polis library.