Prep Bulletin
A Snapshot into Writing
Learning Intention (Lesson 1) to reread the pictures so it sounds like a story.
Learning Intention (Lesson 2) to create a story using a circular structure.
Learning Experience
A circular story structure is where the story begins and ends in the same place, often with the same or a similar phrase. In this two-part learning experience, students explored the text ‘If you Give a Mouse a Cookie’. This story has a strong and memorable circular ending, where the first and last lines of the book are the same. Students develop an awareness and explore cause and effect and sequencing as they recreate the book’s predictable structure and create their own, following the structure.
Lesson 1 - to reread the pictures so it sounds like a story.
Whole:
As a class, we read the story ‘If you Give a Mouse a Cookie’. During our discussion, students were quick to notice a pattern in the book - each time the mouse does something, it leads to him needing something else. They also observed that the story starts and ends in the same way, forming what we call a circular structure.
To support students to understand this idea, we talked about how circles start and end in the same place, just like the story does. The teacher modelled drawing a circle on the board to show how the story loops back to the beginning, helping students make the connection between the shape and the narrative structure.
Small:
After our discussion, students participated in a hands-on activity where they were given pictures representing each part of the story. They completed a cut and paste task, arranging the pictures in a circle to retell the story in the correct order. This helped reinforce their understanding of the circular narrative while practising sequencing skills. It was a fun and engaging way for students to visualise the story structure and retell the events.
Whole:
Celebrate and Share!
Students sat in a circle and retold the story as a class, pointing to each picture in their circle to help them read the story.
Lesson 2 - to create a story using a circular structure.
Whole:
Students revisited the circular narrative structure by reading the story again. Then the teacher explained to the class that they are going to create their own story that follows a circular structure. Students were required to form a story that started and ended at the same place.
The teacher modelled their own circular story.
Small:
Students created their own circular story using pictures to represent their ideas. Some students also labelled their drawings. They used the mentor text to help them.
Whole:
Students read their story to a partner, pointing to each picture.
Student Examples:
In this learning experience, students are working towards:
- Recognising patterns and repetition in narrative structure
- Developing sequencing skills by arranging events in the correct order
- Enhancing comprehension by retelling the story
What you can do now to continue the learning at home from this experience:
- Ask your child to retell ‘If You Give a Mouse a Cookie’. Encourage them to describe how one event leads to another, and how the story starts and ends in the same place, like a circle.
- Read another story with a circular structure, like ‘If You Give a Pig a Pancake’ or ‘If You Give a Moose a Muffin’, and ask your child to point out similarities.
- Notice and discuss other patterns or structures in stories.
- Use books as mentor texts to inspire your child’s own writing and storytelling.
Alyssa, Ruby and Julian
Prep Team
Alyssa.Thermos@education.vic.gov.au