Lesson 5: Setting – Time and Place in Stories

🟦 Introduction

Hello explorer! 👋
Have you ever imagined yourself inside a story — maybe standing on a snowy mountain, walking through a busy market, or sailing across a great river?
Where and when a story happens is called the setting.
The setting is like the stage on which all the characters act out their parts.

In today’s lesson, you’ll learn:

• What setting is,

• The two main parts of setting,

• How setting affects the story,
  and

• How to describe and analyze setting like a pro!

Let’s step into the world of time and place! 🏞️🕰️

🟩 Key Concepts and Explanations

1. What is Setting?

• Setting means the time and place where a story, poem, or play happens.

• It answers two questions:

  • Where does the story happen? (Place)

  • When does the story happen? (Time)

2. Two Parts of Setting

3. Types of Settings

4. How Setting Affects the Story

• Mood: A dark forest at night creates fear; a sunny beach creates happiness.

• Characters’ behavior: Life in a warzone makes characters act differently from life in a peaceful village.

• Events: A story set during a drought will likely involve water struggles.

• Themes: The setting can strengthen the message of the story (e.g., hardship during war).

5. Setting vs Plot (Important Difference!)

🟨 Step-by-Step Walkthroughs

Walkthrough 1: Identifying Place and Time

Story:
“Kojo lived in a small fishing village by the Atlantic Ocean. Every morning before sunrise, he and his father sailed out to catch fish.”

Step 1: Where is the place?

• A small fishing village by the ocean.

Step 2: When is the time?

• Early morning.

Answer:
Setting → Place: Fishing village near the Atlantic Ocean.
Setting → Time: Early mornings.

Walkthrough 2: How Setting Affects Mood

Story:
“The forest was silent except for the whisper of leaves. A full moon hung low in the sky, and shadows moved between the trees.”

Step 1: What feeling does this place create?

• A mysterious, spooky, or scary feeling.

Step 2: Why does it feel this way?

• Because it’s dark, quiet, and shadowy.

Answer:
Mood → Fear and mystery.

🟨 Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Identify the Setting

For each short text, find:

• Place

• Time

Text A:
“Amma stood in the busy market square, the midday sun beating down on her.”

Text B:
“At the first snowfall of winter, Kofi pulled on his boots and raced outside.”

Answers:

• Text A → Place: Market square, Time: Midday.

• Text B → Place: Outside (snowy place), Time: Winter.

Exercise 2: Matching Setting to Mood

Answers:

• Haunted house → Scary

• Festival → Cheerful

• Library → Calm

Exercise 3: Create a Setting Description

Use your imagination! Write 3–5 sentences describing:

• A hot desert

• A busy city street

• A dark cave

Example:
“The hot desert stretched for miles, waves of heat rising off the sand. The only sound was the crunch of my boots as I crossed the empty land.”

Exercise 4: Setting Sorting Table

Fill the table:

Answers:

• Space station → Place: Space station, Time: Future.

• Small farm → Place: Farm, Time: Harvest festival.

🔁 Recap

Today you learned:

• Setting = time and place of a story.

• It includes when (time) and where (place) things happen.

• Setting can affect mood, characters, events, and even the theme.

• Describing setting well helps readers enter the story world.

🪞 Reflection Prompt

Think of a story, poem, or movie you love.

• Where is it set? (Place)

• When is it set? (Time)

• How does the setting make you feel?

Write a short paragraph answering these questions!