New
New
Year 2

Character, setting and plot in 'The Wolf, The Duck and the Mouse'

I can explore the story through discussing the characters, setting and plot.

New
New
Year 2

Character, setting and plot in 'The Wolf, The Duck and the Mouse'

I can explore the story through discussing the characters, setting and plot.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. ‘The Wolf, The Duck and The Mouse’ is a children’s story told through narrative writing and illustrations.
  2. Using what we know to make a prediction can help to build our understanding of a text.
  3. There can be multiple main characters in a story, e.g. the wolf, the duck and the mouse are all main characters.
  4. The main setting of the story is inside the stomach of the wolf.
  5. The plot follows the story of how the duck and the mouse decide to make a home inside the wolf’s stomach.

Common misconception

The word 'woe' is repeated at several points by all characters in the story. Children may be unfamiliar with the meaning of this word or have questions around why it is repeated.

Provide the definition of 'woe' (great sorrow or distress). Ask the children to consider the different points at which the characters say the word and the impact this has on them as the reader, (e.g. not knowing the fate of each character).

Keywords

  • Character - a person or an animal in a story

  • Setting - where the story takes place

  • Plot - what happens in the story

  • Prediction - making a guess using what we already know

Incorporate an opportunity for children to retell the story with a partner using illustrations to support them.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need a copy of the 2017 Walker Ltd. edition of ‘The Duck, The Wolf & The Mouse’ written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen for this lesson.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
True or false? A story is always told through only words.
Correct Answer: False, false
Q2.
What is a character in a story?
where the story takes place
Correct answer: a person or animal in the story
what happens in the story
Q3.
What is a setting?
Correct answer: where the story takes place
a person or an animal in the story
what happens in the story
Q4.
What is a plot?
where the story takes place
a person or an animal in the story
Correct answer: what happens in the story
Q5.
What is an illustration?
the words in a book
the back of a book
Correct answer: a picture in a book
Q6.
What is a prediction?
a summary of what you already know
Correct answer: making a guess using what you already know
asking questions about what you have read

6 Questions

Q1.
Who are the main characters in 'The Wolf, The Duck and The Mouse'?
Correct answer: the wolf
Correct answer: the duck
Correct answer: the mouse
the hunter
Q2.
Where is the story of 'The Wolf, The Duck & The Mouse' mainly set?
in the woods
in a pond
Correct answer: inside the stomach of the wolf
Q3.
Why did the duck prefer living inside the wolf's stomach than the outside world?
because it was quieter
Correct answer: because it was safer
because it was warmer
Q4.
How did the duck and the mouse trick the wolf?
They made him fall asleep so they could escape
Correct answer: They got him to swallow the things they wanted for their home
They led the wolf towards a hunter
Q5.
True or false? The duck and the mouse decided to help the wolf when he was in danger from a hunter.
Correct Answer: True, true
Q6.
What favour did the wolf grant the duck and the mouse?
He freed them
He hunted food for them
Correct answer: He let them live inside his stomach