Level 1 • Lesson 35 — Illustrating my story

Objective

I can illustrate my own story with clear pictures that show the beginning, middle, and end, using color, detail, and labels that match my words.

Materials

One short story you have already written (or a new simple story)
Plain paper or a small booklet (3 pages if possible)
Pencil, eraser, and crayons/colored pencils
Tracing Pad (below)

You can reuse a story from earlier lessons. It is easier to illustrate a story you already know well.

Mini-lesson — What does it mean to illustrate a story?

When you illustrate a story, you draw pictures that match the words.

Your pictures should help a reader see:

Who is in the story,
Where the story happens,
What is happening,
How the characters feel.

A good set of pictures usually shows the beginning, middle, and end of your story.

When you draw, you can:

Start with light pencil lines,
Add faces, hands, and background,
Use color to show feelings,
Add short labels like “park,” “dog,” or “night.”

Pictures do not need to be perfect. They just need to match the story and help it make sense.

When you are not sure what to draw, read one sentence and ask: “What do I see in my mind?” Then sketch that idea.

Picture strip: "A story with pictures"

Guided Practice — Plan three pictures for one story

First, warm up your hand on the Tracing Pad. Then use this tiny story to practice planning three pictures: beginning, middle, and end.

Tiny practice story:

“I lost my red ball at the park. I looked for it behind the bench and under the slide. At last, I found it near the big tree and smiled.”

Warm up on the Tracing Pad:
Trace words like draw, color, ball, park, scene, begin, middle, and end.
Find the beginning, middle, and end:
Read the tiny story with your grown-up. Underline or point to:
- Beginning: losing the red ball,
- Middle: looking for the ball,
- End: finding the ball and smiling.
Plan three pictures:
On your paper, draw three light boxes or three pages. In pencil, write tiny notes:
- Picture 1: “ball at park, kid looks sad”
- Picture 2: “kid searching under slide”
- Picture 3: “kid smiling with ball by tree”
Draw your pictures slowly:
In each box, sketch the characters, the place, and the action. Add faces that show how the kid feels.
Add color and labels:
Color the important parts (ball, shirt, tree, slide). Add tiny labels like ball, park, or tree if you want.
Try it with your own story:
Choose a short story you wrote before. Plan three pictures for the beginning, middle, and end in the same way.

You do not need fancy art. Simple stick figures and clear ideas are perfect, as long as the pictures match your words.

Tracing Pad

Lines Trace

Pen

Drag & Drop — Match the picture to the story

Each open book shows a short part of the lost red ball story on the left page. Drag the picture card that matches and drop it on the right page of the book.

On the device:
Read the story on the left page. Look at the picture cards. Drag the picture that matches and drop it inside the big box on the right page. Chips stay in their own question.

On paper:
Choose one book. Copy the story part and draw your own big picture to match it on your paper. Under your drawing, write a short caption sentence.

1) Beginning — “I lost my red ball at the park.”

begin found

2) Middle — “I looked for it behind the bench and under the slide.”

middle bench

3) End — “At last, I found it near the big tree and smiled.”

end empty

Quick Check — Illustrating my story

Answer each question about illustrating stories, drawing pictures, and matching pictures to words. This is a gentle 10-question check.

What does it mean to illustrate a story?

To read the story in your head only To draw pictures that match the story To close the book and put it away

What should your pictures show?

Only shapes and lines with no people Only your favorite animal every time The characters in your story

Why do you add a background?

To show where the story happens To hide the characters So the page stays empty

How can you show how a character feels?

By leaving out the character completely By drawing faces and body language By covering the picture with scribbles

Where is a good place to use color?

Only in the corners of the page On random spots that do not match the story On the most important parts of the picture

What should a set of story pictures show?

The beginning, middle, and end Only one random scene Only the title of the book

How can labels help your pictures?

They make the picture hard to see They tell what objects and places are They erase the drawing when you write them

What should your pictures always do?

Show a different story than your words Cover the words so no one can read Match what your story is saying

Why is it helpful to plan your pictures first?

So you never draw anything So you know what to draw in each scene So you can color over the words by mistake

What can you do if you are not sure what to draw?

Read a sentence and picture it in your mind Close the book and give up Draw random shapes that do not match the story

Assessment (parent/teacher)

Can explain that illustrating means drawing pictures that match a story Shows who is in the story in the pictures Shows where the story happens using simple backgrounds Draws beginning, middle, and end for the tiny practice story Adds color to the most important parts of the pictures Adds simple labels or details that help the story make sense Can begin to illustrate their own story with at least two clear pictures

Exit ticket (student)

😀 I can draw pictures that match my story. 🙂 I can illustrate my story with help. 😅 Illustrating my story still feels a bit tricky.

Next time I will…

Show the beginning, middle, and end in my pictures Add faces and backgrounds that match the story Use color on important parts of each picture Add small labels to help my reader

Lesson 35: Illustrating my story