What are the parts of a plot?

The beginning sets things up, the problem starts the trouble, and the solution and ending wrap it up. Second graders find each part right in the story.

How can I help without giving answers away?

Ask what went wrong and what fixed it. Those two questions unlock nearly every item on the page, and your child does the finding.

2nd grade plot

2nd grade plot worksheets

Second grade plot worksheets pair a short story with questions in story order: what happens at the beginning, what the problem is, how it gets solved, and how the story ends. Every passage is a complete arc, so every part is really there to find.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core RL.2.5.

Each click picks one of the 13 passages written for this grade. Every sheet comes with its answer key. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of passages you'll get

Read the passage. Then circle the letter of the best answer for each question.

Due on Friday

Nora's library book was due on Friday. It was a fat book about sharks. On Friday morning, the book was gone. It was not in her backpack. It was not on her shelf. Nora looked under her bed and found two socks and a crayon.…

What happens at the beginning of the story? Nora has a library book that is due on Friday · Max builds a tall block tower inside his toy box · Mom buys Nora a brand new book about sharks · Nora finds two socks and a crayon under her bed
Answer: Nora has a library book that is due on Friday
What is the problem in the story? the book is missing on the day it is due · the library is closed every Friday morning · Nora does not like books about sharks · Max loses all of his blocks

Each print picks one of the 13 passages written for this grade, and its questions come with it. With 13 to pick from, a second print can land on one you've used, so check the title before you hand it out.

What's on a 2nd grade sheet

2nd grade sheets draw from 13 passages, 120 to 142 words long. All 13 are on 3rd grade sheets too, along with 13 more. On 3rd grade sheets they run 120 to 296 words.

Some of the titles: The Kite in the Oak, The Sock Thief, The Seedling Mystery, The Backup Goalie, Training Wheels, Ruby's Sandcastle.

Reading passage. Read the passage. Then circle the letter of the best answer for each question. One passage per sheet, with its own question set.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

After reading, ask for the story in three sentences: beginning, problem, ending. Three is the whole trick; it forces your child to drop the little stuff and keep the load-bearing events, which is exactly what the questions reward.

Watch for: Kids retell every event with equal weight. Plot questions ask them to rank: which event CHANGED things? A story has many moments and only a few hinges. The problem is not the same as the ending. A worksheet answer that names how the story ends, when the question asks what went wrong, has the right story and the wrong part.

Common questions about 2nd grade plot

What are the parts of a plot?: The beginning sets things up, the problem starts the trouble, and the solution and ending wrap it up. Second graders find each part right in the story.
How can I help without giving answers away?: Ask what went wrong and what fixed it. Those two questions unlock nearly every item on the page, and your child does the finding.

Related worksheets

Ready to print one?

Want a different passage? Print again. Each print picks one of the 13.

Aligned to Common Core RL.2.5. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated October 2026.

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