Story Map
Characters, setting, problem, solution boxes.
A story map is a simple graphic organizer that breaks any narrative into its essential building blocks: Characters, Setting, Problem, and Solution — sometimes with Events or Plot steps added in between. Each element gets its own labeled box, giving students in grades 1–5 a clear, low-pressure frame for reading comprehension and story planning alike. Teachers use it after reading aloud to check for understanding, during guided reading for note-taking, and before writing assignments as a pre-draft planner. Parents find it handy for book-report prep at home. Because the boxes are completely blank, the template fits a picture book as easily as a chapter novel — students scale the depth of their responses to the text they are working with.
Learning objectives
- Identify and record the key story elements in a fictional text
- Distinguish between the narrative problem and its resolution
- Describe setting with specific detail about time and place
- Summarize a story concisely using a structured visual format
- Use completed story maps as a planning tool before original writing
- Build reading-to-writing transfer skills through structured retelling
How to use this template
- Download and print the blank story map on letter or A4 paper.
- Write the book or story title and author at the top of the page.
- Fill in the Characters box with the names and brief descriptions of the main character(s).
- Complete the Setting box with where and when the story takes place.
- Record the Problem and Solution — what challenge drives the story, and how it is resolved — in their respective boxes.
Classroom & home ideas
- Read-aloud follow-up: After a shared picture book, students fill in the map independently or in pairs, then compare responses as a class.
- Guided reading debrief: Use at the end of each guided reading session so students practice summarizing incrementally as the story unfolds.
- Pre-writing planner: Have students invent their own characters, setting, problem, and solution before writing an original short story.
- Compare two texts: Provide two copies of the story map for two related books and ask students to compare how different authors solved similar problems.
- Book-report scaffold: Attach a completed story map to a simple written book report as the visual evidence supporting the student's summary.
Skills & curriculum links
Frequently asked questions
Can this story map template be used for non-fiction texts?
It is best suited to fiction. For non-fiction, consider a different organizer. However, some teachers adapt it for narrative non-fiction (biographies, true-event accounts) by relabeling 'Problem' as 'Challenge' and 'Solution' as 'Outcome'.
What if a story has multiple problems or settings?
Students can list the most important or central problem in the box and note 'see also' for secondary ones. For complex chapter books, teachers sometimes distribute one map per chapter.
Is this template suitable for kindergarten students?
Grade 1 is the lower bound for this version. For kindergarten, pair the map with drawing — students illustrate each box instead of writing, with the teacher scribing labels.
How does a story map differ from a plot diagram?
A story map focuses on story elements (who, where, what problem, what solution). A plot diagram focuses on the sequence of events — rising action, climax, falling action — making it better for analyzing narrative structure in grades 4 and up.
Make it your own in the Worksheet Studio
Combine this with other worksheets, duplicate it, or generate a fresh version for any grade and language — free, no sign-up.
Open the Worksheet StudioYou might also like
All About Me Graphic Organizer — Kindergarten
All About Me Graphic Organizer — Grade 2
