1. Retelling What is retelling?
What information should you convey when you retell a story?
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2. Look carefully at the pictures.
Warm-Up
Look carefully at the pictures. 1 3 2 4
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3. What do the pictures show? What happens first? Second? Next? Last?
Discuss Responses
What do the pictures show? What happens first? Second? Next? Last? 1 3 2 4
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4. 1 3 2 4
These pictures show the steps in making M&M cookies. First, mix the dough. Next, add the M&Ms. Then, scoop the dough onto a cookie sheet. Finally, you have the baked cookies. 4
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5. What is “retelling”?
Retelling is giving relevant information about the main points of a story or event.
After that, Helen served the most delicious cookies I have ever tasted.

6. When you retell, you give the reader or listener relevant information about the main points of a story or event.
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7. Retelling fictional stories
If your teacher asks you to retell a fictional story such as “Little Red Riding Hood,” you should focus on the setting, characters, and plot.
Setting: where the story takes place
Characters: who is in the story
Plot: the order of events
“Little Red Riding Hood” takes place at the grandmother’s cottage in the woods. The story is about a wolf who tries to eat Little Red Riding Hood.

8. Retelling nonfiction events
If your teacher asks you to retell the events leading up to the Great Depression or some other real event, you should focus on the sequence of events, the key people involved, and the setting.
The Great Depression began after the stock market crash of It affected all Americans. President Franklin Roosevelt led the country’s economic recovery.
Sequence of events: the order in which the events happened People: the key people involved in the events
Setting: where the events took place

9. Key terms associated with retelling
In the beginning, …
At the start, …
First, …
Example
First, the stock market crashed.

10. Key terms associated with retelling
Example
Second, …
Next, …
After that, …
After that, many companies closed down and people lost their jobs.

11. Key terms associated with retelling
Example
Then, …
Last, …
Finally, …
Finally, President Franklin Roosevelt created programs to get Americans working again.

12. For Reference and More Practice …
Refer to the Retelling Student Reference Sheet.
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