Setting

Setting

The monkeys were throwing things at Sam again. They usually missed, so he wasn’t very worried, but it was annoying. Occasionally he threw a banana peel back at them, but he usually missed, too. He was starting to get tired of sweeping the dead bugs out of his tropical tree house. He wondered if following his dream of living here had been a big mistake. He really missed the comforts of home. I better quit thinking and work, he thought. The one thing he knew for sure was that he wanted to finish sweeping and get the mosquito net up before nightfall.

1. The setting of this passage is:

A. a tropical beach

B. a rain forest

C. a tree house in Malaysia

D. a banana plantation

Setting

The monkeys were throwing things at Sam again. They usually missed, so he wasn’t very worried, but it was annoying. Occasionally he threw a banana peel back at them, but he usually missed, too. He was starting to get tired of sweeping the dead bugs out of his tropical tree house. He wondered if following his dream of living here had been a big mistake. He really missed the comforts of home. I better quit thinking and work, he thought. The one thing he knew for sure was that he wanted to finish sweeping and get the mosquito net up before nightfall.

1. The setting of this passage is:

A. a tropical beach

B. a rain forest

C. a tree house in Malaysia

D. a banana plantation

Setting

The monkeys were throwing things at Sam again. They usually missed, so he wasn’t very worried, but it was annoying. Occasionally he threw a banana peel back at them, but he usually missed, too. He was starting to get tired of sweeping the dead bugs out of his tropical tree house. He wondered if following his dream of living here had been a big mistake. He really missed the comforts of home. I better quit thinking and work, he thought. The one thing he knew for sure was that he wanted to finish sweeping and get the mosquito net up before nightfall.

2. The reader can tell that the time of day is probably:

A. noon

B. early morning

C. the middle of the night

D. evening

Setting

The monkeys were throwing things at Sam again. They usually missed, so he wasn’t very worried, but it was annoying. Occasionally he threw a banana peel back at them, but he usually missed, too. He was starting to get tired of sweeping the dead bugs out of his tropical tree house. He wondered if following his dream of living here had been a big mistake. He really missed the comforts of home. I better quit thinking and work, he thought. The one thing he knew for sure was that he wanted to finish sweeping and get the mosquito net up before nightfall.

2. The reader can tell that the time of day is probably:

A. noon

B. early morning

C. the middle of the night

D. evening

Setting

The setting of a story is where and when the story takes place.

The time, place, and weather are all part of the setting.

The setting can contribute to the plot or it may play only a minor role in the story.

Sensory details such as the sounds, sights, and smells of a place and time can all be part of the setting.

1. Where does the story take place?

2. When does the story take place?

3. Do any details about time, place, or weather affect the plot?

4. Do any sensory details of setting affect the mood of the story?

To identify the setting and how it works within a story, ask these questions:

Setting

Read the story and answer the questions that follow.

As Jannie walked up the creaking stairs onto the front porch of the old house, she turned to make sure Eva was with her. Jannie was wishing she had never agreed to this harebrained scheme. In the dim light of dusk, the thick vines growing all over the porch looked like they could be hundreds of snakes twined together. Jannie forced herself not to look. Eva pushed ahead of her and reached for the front door. They each put a hand on the doorknob and tried to turn it, but it was stuck. They tried again, and this time the knob turned. They pushed against the heavy door, and it swung wide open with an eerie moan. Startled, the girls jumped back. Then they gingerly stepped through the door into the house. Inside, it was pitch black. Suddenly, something small flew past them, right by their heads.

“That’s it!” cried Jannie, as she ran out of the house, down the stairs and down the street. Eva ran right after her. “I’m not going through with this,” yelled Jannie. “This was a crazy idea from the start. We should never have taken this dare."

Setting

Use the story on the previous slide to answer these questions.

Where does the story take place?

When does the story take place?

Do any details about time, place, or weather affect the plot?

Do any sensory details of setting affect the mood of the story?

Setting

Use the story on the previous slide to answer these questions.

Where does the story take place?

When does the story take place?

Do any details about time, place, or weather affect the plot?

Do any sensory details of setting affect the mood of the story?

The time of day (dusk) and the place (a scary, old house) affect the plot.

The setting is what makes Jannie change her mind about taking the dare.

The creaking stairs, the dim light of dusk, the vines that look like snakes, the door swinging wide open, the eerie moan sound the door makes, the darkness inside, and

something flying by the girls’ heads all contribute to the scary mood of the story.

at dusk

a scary, old house

Guided Practice with Setting

Read the story and answer the questions that follow.

The sky was a bright blue, almost turquoise. From where Louisa was sitting, she could see little, puffy white clouds floating by. It was almost time to go, and today seemed like a perfect day for their first day sailing on their own. She and her father had been taking lessons ever since the family had moved to the beach house four months ago.

They had packed a picnic basket with water, juice, and lunch because they planned to be out all day. At 10 A.M., they set off for the island that they could see from their house. According to what they had been told, there was nothing much on the island, but it was a place to go in their sailboat. They planned to sail out there, drop anchor, and go ashore with their picnic lunch. The breeze was just right for sailing, and they made great time going out to the island. They dropped anchor in a cove next to a beautiful, white sandy beach and waded through the water to the shore with their picnic basket.

(continued on next slide)

Guided Practice with Setting

After you finish reading this story, answer the questions that follow.

The fine white sand on the beach was like powder, and the palm trees swayed in the light wind. What an amazing place! Then, something started to feel wrong. Louisa told her father that she was getting a bad feeling, but he told her she was being silly. After they ate, went for a swim in the cove, and then Louisa noticed that the sky off to the west was starting to get dark.

(continued from previous slide)

A. around midnight.

B. after lunch.

C. in the morning.

D. in the early evening.

1. Most of the passage from the story takes place:

Guided Practice with Setting

A. Everything is beautiful in the beginning, and then it starts to rain.

B. In the morning it is cloudy, and then it clears up.

C. There is a little rain when they start out, and then it gets really windy.

D. The sky is beautiful at first, and then it begins to get dark to the west.

2. How does the setting change from the beginning of the story to the end?

A. The fine white sand on the beach was like powder.

B. It was a place to go in their sailboat.

C. They had packed a picnic basket.

D. Louisa and her father had been taking lessons.

3. Which detail from the story vividly describes the setting?

Guided Practice with Setting

After you finish reading this story, answer the questions that follow.

(continued from previous slide)

A. around midnight

B. after lunch

C. in the morning

D. in the early evening

1. Most of the passage from the story takes place:

Guided Practice with Setting

A. Everything is beautiful in the beginning, and then it starts to rain.

B. In the morning it is cloudy, and then it clears up.

C. There is a little rain when they start out, and then it gets really windy.

D. The sky is beautiful at first, and then it begins to get dark to the west.

2. How does the setting change from the beginning of the story to the end?

A. The fine white sand on the beach was like powder.

B. It was a place to go in their sailboat.

C. They had packed a picnic basket.

D. Louisa and her father had been taking lessons.

3. Which detail from the story vividly describes the setting?

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