Mini-Lesson

Retelling

Mini-Lesson: Grades 2-3

Students will retell a news story in their own words.

1. After reading aloud the timeforkids.com news story A Jaw-Dropping Find, say, "Now that we've read the TIME For Kids news story together, I'm going to challenge you to retell the whole story in your own words. That's a big job. But I'm going to help you do it. Watch what I write on the board."

2. On the board or on chart paper list the words What, Why, When, Where, Who, and How. Say, "I need some volunteers to help me fill in these details. These are the important things to remember when you're retelling a story. They're important because you don't want to leave anything out!"

3. Call on volunteers to help fill in the details. Start by asking, "What happened in this story that was important?" (Answer: Pieces of a human jawbone were found.) Then ask, "Why is this important?" (Answer: It's important because scientists think this jawbone might be the oldest known fossil of a human ancestor ever found in Europe." List responses on the chart. Continue until all the details are filled in.

3. Now, challenge students to retell the whole story using the details from the chart.