
Story mapping is a powerful strategy that helps students to deconstruct and visually arrange the elements of a novel or short story. Students can analyze important story elements such as characters, setting, plot, and theme using graphic organizers. Visual maps help students better understand literature and see how various story elements interrelate.
Why Use Story Maps?
Story maps are excellent tools for a wide range of learning levels. A simple story map may ask beginning readers to summarize a story’s beginning, middle, and end. More advanced readers can use story maps to analyze elements like tone, point of view, and the author’s purpose. The great thing about story maps is that you can customize them to suit different reading levels and teaching objectives.
Story Maps and Common Core Alignment
In addition to being an excellent comprehension tool, story mapping supports a wide range of Common Core standards:
- Theme and Summarizing: RL.4.2, RL.5.2, RL.6.2
- Characters, Setting, and Plot: RL.4.3, RL.5.3, RL.6.3
- Meaning and Tone: RL.6.4
- Structure: RL.5.5, RL.6.5
- Point of View: RL.4.6, RL.5.6, RL.6.6
Just by adding story mapping to your lessons, you can address multiple standards while keeping students engaged.
Types of Story Maps
There are countless variations of story maps, each designed to target different aspects of a story. Some common types include:
- Basic Story Maps: These maps ask students to break down the beginning, middle, and end of the story or summarize elements such as the title, setting, characters, and problem.
- Detailed Story Maps: These maps require students to analyze the story’s theme, tone, mood, conflict, and resolution.
- Comparison Story Maps: Comparison maps ask students to assess two stories, looking for similarities and differences in characters, themes, and settings.
No matter the type, story maps provide students with a visual, structured way to understand what they’ve read.
Classroom Story Mapping Ideas
To make story mapping more engaging, try adding these activities to your lessons:
Group Story Mapping: Have students work in small groups to complete a story map together. Assign each student a different map element (like plot, setting, or characters), and then have them present their findings to the class.
Interactive Story Maps: Use sticky notes on a large story map poster or interactive whiteboard. Students can write their contributions and place them in the appropriate spots on the map.
Comparative Story Mapping: Challenge students to read two short stories or novels and create maps highlighting their similarities and differences. This activity is a great way to introduce compare and contrast skills.
Digital and Printable Story Maps
To make things more interactive, give digital story maps a try. Here are a few resources to help you get started:
Google Slides Story Map

This free story map on Google Slides lets students identify elements like characters, setting, plot, symbolism, and theme. The slides are editable, so you can customize them to fit your needs. You can even add or remove slides based on the skills you’ve covered.
Printable Story Map

The handout includes a printable mini-book. Completing a booklet is a fun way to map stories. Students can fill in story elements such as mood, conflict, and meaningful quotes. It’s perfect for individual or small-group work.
Story Elements Google Slides Presentation

This Google Slides presentation covers many story elements, making it an excellent teaching tool. The presentation includes:
- Character Traits: Slides 1-19, with practice examples that you can customize to fit novels you’ve taught.
- Setting: Slides 20-24 introduce and explore the setting in literature.
- Point of View: Slides 25-47 focus on understanding narrative perspectives, using examples from novels like Hatchet.
- Types of Conflict: Slides 48-72 provide an explanation and interactive practice using response cards, which students can create using index cards.
- Roller Coaster Plot Diagram: Slides 73-78 provide a visual guide to plot structure.
- Theme: The final slides cover themes with examples that you can tailor to the books your students are reading.
Story mapping is a flexible and fun way to help students understand the key parts of a story. Whether you use a simple printable organizer or an interactive Google Slides presentation, adding story maps to your lessons will boost your students’ comprehension and analytical skills. Check out these resources to make story mapping a core part of your teaching.
See the product that inspired this post.
Our Story Elements Series offers engaging activities in both digital (Google Slides) and printable formats, easily convertible to PowerPoint for offline use. It includes a vocabulary list with definitions, a multiple-choice quiz, question stems by grade level, video lessons with organizers, and various activities. Check out the previews of each book in the bundle, covering Point of View, Characters and Settings, Plot Development, and Theme.

2 comments
Love this…thank you so much! My kids struggle with this concept…they love your short stories. Thank you for sharing and for being so awesome!
Author
You are most welcome. I hope your students will like this.