Question

The _____________ in a story are the people or animals the story is about.

The _____________ tells us where and when the story takes place.

The main _____________ is the conflict or challenge the characters must face.

The _____________ are the important things that happen as the story moves forward.

The _____________ is how the problem is solved or how the story ends.Choose the correct answer from the choices for each question:

Which finger in the Five Finger Retell Strategy stands for the story’s setting?
A) Thumb

B) Index Finger

C) Middle Finger

D) Ring Finger



7. What does the pinky finger represent in the Five Finger Retell Strategy?

A) Characters

B) Events

C) Setting

D) Solution



8. In the Five Finger Retell, the middle finger reminds you to talk about:

A) The beginning of the story

B) The main problem

C) The setting

D) The solution



9. Which part of the Five Finger Retell focuses on the actions the characters take?

A) Solution

B) Events

C) Characters

D) Setting



10. Why is it helpful to use the Five Finger Retell Strategy?

A) To remember the author’s name

B) To retell the important parts of a story

C) To memorize every detail

D) To only talk about the ending



11. A student uses the Five Finger Retell and lists: "Main character, town, learns to forgive, conflict with friend, ends with a party." Which element most directly answers the "what happened" part of the retell?

A. Setting
B. Plot
C. Theme
D. Character traits



12. How does using the Five Finger Retell help a reader meet the requirements of RL.6.5 (analyzing how a part fits into the whole)?

A. It focuses only on vocabulary, so readers ignore structure.
B. It forces readers to copy sentences from the text verbatim.
C. It directs readers to identify key parts (who, where, problem, events, resolution) and see how each part shapes theme, setting, or plot.
D. It asks readers to list every detail, making the main idea less clear.



13. In the Five Finger Retell, which element best helps a student explain how a single scene contributes to the overall theme of a text?

A. Naming every minor character in the scene
B. Describing the problem and how characters respond
C. Counting the number of paragraphs in the scene
D. Listing unrelated facts from the end of the book



14. A teacher asks students to use the Five Finger Retell to analyze a chapter where a character faces a difficult choice. Which student response best shows understanding of how that chapter fits the text structure and contributes to the plot?

A. "The character bought a snack; the author used long sentences."
B. "The chapter shows the character's choice (problem) and the events that follow (actions), which move the plot toward the resolution."
C. "The chapter uses fancy words and lots of description, so it's the longest chapter."
D. "The chapter only describes the setting, so it does not affect the plot."



Answer the following questions

15. Why do you think it is important to include all five parts when retelling a story?



16. How can the Five Finger Retell Strategy help you understand stories better?

Answer 1

The characters in a story are the people or animals the story is about.
The setting tells us where and when the story takes place.
The main problem is the conflict or challenge the characters must face.
The events are the important things that happen as the story moves forward.
The solution is how the problem is solved or how the story ends.

Which finger in the Five Finger Retell Strategy stands for the story’s setting?
B) Index Finger

7. What does the pinky finger represent in the Five Finger Retell Strategy?
D) Solution

8. In the Five Finger Retell, the middle finger reminds you to talk about:
B) The main problem

9. Which part of the Five Finger Retell focuses on the actions the characters take?
B) Events

10. Why is it helpful to use the Five Finger Retell Strategy?
B) To retell the important parts of a story

11. A student uses the Five Finger Retell and lists: "Main character, town, learns to forgive, conflict with friend, ends with a party." Which element most directly answers the "what happened" part of the retell?
B) Plot

12. How does using the Five Finger Retell help a reader meet the requirements of RL.6.5 (analyzing how a part fits into the whole)?
C) It directs readers to identify key parts (who, where, problem, events, resolution) and see how each part shapes theme, setting, or plot.

13. In the Five Finger Retell, which element best helps a student explain how a single scene contributes to the overall theme of a text?
B) Describing the problem and how characters respond

14. A teacher asks students to use the Five Finger Retell to analyze a chapter where a character faces a difficult choice. Which student response best shows understanding of how that chapter fits the text structure and contributes to the plot?
B) "The chapter shows the character's choice (problem) and the events that follow (actions), which move the plot toward the resolution."

15. Why is it important to include all five parts when retelling a story?
Including all five parts (characters, setting, problem, events, solution) gives a complete, organized summary. It ensures you explain who is involved, where/when it happens, what the main conflict is, how events move the story, and how it ends — so the listener understands the story’s whole arc.

16. How can the Five Finger Retell Strategy help you understand stories better?
It helps you focus on the essential elements and their relationships, making it easier to remember, summarize, and analyze how scenes and events shape the plot and theme. By using the five prompts, you notice cause-and-effect, character choices, and how parts contribute to the whole.