How a Story Begins and Ends
A 40-minute Grade 2 lesson on the overall structure of a story: what a beginning introduces and what an ending concludes.
How a Story Begins and Ends is a free 40-minute Grade 2 English lesson plan for Common Core standard RL.2.5 — describe how a story opens and how it closes. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 2
- Length:
- 40 minutes
- Standard:
- RL.2.5
Grade 2 · Reading: Literature
RL.2.5
Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.
Objective
Students will be able to say what a story's beginning introduces and what its ending concludes.
Students are successful when they can
- Names what the beginning sets up.
- Names what the ending settles.
- Matches an ending to what its beginning promised.
What you need
- Two short stories
- Beginnings and endings cut apart for matching
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — match four
5 min- Give four beginnings and four endings on cards. Match them.
- Ask what made each match obvious.
Teach — the beginning makes a promise
13 min- Read the beginning only. List what it introduces: who, where, and the problem.
- Say what the ending will have to settle, before reading it.
- Read the ending. Check the list.
- Show an ending that settles nothing and ask what is missing.
- Name the pattern: the beginning promises, the middle complicates, the ending settles.
“Read the beginning and tell me what the ending will have to fix.”
Guided practice — predict from the beginning
12 min- Pairs read only the beginning of a new story and list what it introduces.
- They write what the ending will need to settle.
- Then they read the ending and check.
Independent practice
8 min- Students complete the story-structure page.
- Beginning and ending are both on the sheet.
Close
2 min- Read a beginning. Take one thing the ending will have to settle.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Says the beginning is 'the first page'.
Why: Structure is being read as position rather than as job.
Fix: Ask what it does, not where it is. A beginning can run for three pages.
Says the ending is when the story stops.
Why: That is literally true and requires nothing further.
Fix: Compare a real ending with one that just stops. The difference is whether the promise was kept.
Cannot find the problem in the beginning.
Why: In many stories it arrives a page or two in.
Fix: Read until something changes. The change is where the beginning ends.
If they are not there yet
- Match beginnings and endings only.
- A story with the problem in the first sentence.
If they finish early
- Write an ending for a beginning with none.
- Find a story whose ending settles only part of the promise.
- Say what the middle added.
Exit ticket
What does this beginning introduce? What will the ending have to settle?
What to look for: A promise stated before the ending is read. Naming the ending's content is the same task done backwards.
Printable practice for RL.2.5
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- How a Story OpensRead the story, then answer the questions.
Questions about How a Story Begins and Ends
How long does the How a Story Begins and Ends lesson take?
40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does How a Story Begins and Ends teach?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.5 — RL.2.5, Reading: Literature for Grade 2: “Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.” In plain terms, describe how a story opens and how it closes.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
Two short stories, beginnings and endings cut apart for matching and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: says the beginning is 'the first page'; says the ending is when the story stops and cannot find the problem in the beginning. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “What does this beginning introduce? What will the ending have to settle?.” A promise stated before the ending is read. Naming the ending's content is the same task done backwards. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with How a Story Begins and Ends?
Yes — 1 printable RL.2.5 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is How a Story Begins and Ends free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to RL.2.5 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.