A Story With Feelings and an Ending
A 40-minute Grade 2 lesson on writing a narrative with a sequence of events, details, feelings and a proper ending.
A Story With Feelings and an Ending is a free 40-minute Grade 2 English lesson plan for Common Core standard W.2.3 — write a story with actions, thoughts and feelings, in a clear order. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 2
- Length:
- 40 minutes
- Standard:
- W.2.3
Grade 2 · Writing
W.2.3
Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.
Objective
Students will be able to write a narrative with three ordered events, one described feeling and a closing sentence.
Students are successful when they can
- Writes three events in order.
- Uses temporal words to signal the order.
- Says how somebody felt, and shows why.
- Closes the piece.
What you need
- Three-box planning strips
- Temporal word cards
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — show, don't tell
5 min- Give a sentence: 'He was nervous.'
- Take three sentences that show it instead of saying it.
Teach — the feeling needs a cause
13 min- Plan three events on the strip.
- Write event one with a temporal word.
- Add a feeling — and then the reason for it from the event.
- Say the rule: a feeling with no cause is a label. Attach it to what happened.
- Write events two and three and a closing sentence that says how it left the character.
“You told me she was excited. Now tell me what happened that made her excited.”
Guided practice — three boxes
12 min- Students plan three events, then write.
- Each event gets one detail; one of them gets a feeling with a cause.
- Partners read for the feeling and its cause.
Independent practice
8 min- Students complete the narrative writing page.
- The prompt and the checklist are on the sheet.
Close
2 min- Read one feeling sentence with its cause.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Names feelings without causes — 'she was happy, then she was sad'.
Why: Feelings are easy to name and hard to build.
Fix: Require the cause in the same sentence. 'Because' is doing real work here.
Uses a temporal word at the start of every sentence.
Why: The word was praised, so more of it must be better.
Fix: One per event, not one per sentence. Read it aloud to hear the difference.
Ends by stopping mid-event.
Why: The time ran out and the last event was still going.
Fix: Plan three events, not five. A finished small story beats an abandoned large one.
If they are not there yet
- Two events rather than three.
- Give the feeling and collect the cause.
If they finish early
- Give two characters different feelings about one event.
- Show a feeling without naming it.
- Write an ending that changes how the beginning reads.
Exit ticket
Write one event with a feeling and the reason for it.
What to look for: A cause attached. A named feeling alone means the show-don't-tell warm-up needs repeating.
Printable practice for W.2.3
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Actions, Thoughts and FeelingsWrite on the lines. Use the checklist.
Questions about A Story With Feelings and an Ending
How long does the A Story With Feelings and an Ending lesson take?
40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does A Story With Feelings and an Ending teach?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.3 — W.2.3, Writing for Grade 2: “Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.” In plain terms, write a story with actions, thoughts and feelings, in a clear order.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
Three-box planning strips, temporal word cards and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: names feelings without causes — 'she was happy, then she was sad'; uses a temporal word at the start of every sentence and ends by stopping mid-event. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Write one event with a feeling and the reason for it.” A cause attached. A named feeling alone means the show-don't-tell warm-up needs repeating. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with A Story With Feelings and an Ending?
Yes — 1 printable W.2.3 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is A Story With Feelings and an Ending free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to W.2.3 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.