Story Plot Order of Events Worksheet - Free Printable

Let's solve this step-by-step by reading the story and ordering the events in the correct sequence.

Step 1: Read the Story Carefully

The story describes Frankie’s preparations for his first day of school. Here are the key events in order:

1. Frankie was excited about his first day of school.
→ This is the opening sentence, so it's the first event.

2. He chose a blue shirt and brown pants to wear and laid them on a chair.
→ He lays out his clothes for school.

3. In his backpack, he placed his new pencil box with his markers, crayons, and pencils.
→ He packs his supplies.

4. Frankie left a note for his mom to make him peanut butter and jelly for lunch.
→ He leaves a note for lunch.

5. After brushing his teeth, he set his alarm for 6:00 a.m. and climbed into bed.
→ He sets the alarm and goes to bed.

6. Frankie lay still for an hour wondering about the next day. Finally, his eyes shut and he fell asleep.
→ He tries to sleep and eventually falls asleep.

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Step 2: Match Each Sentence to Its Correct Order

Now, let's go through the sentences listed below the story and number them correctly based on the timeline.

1. He placed his pencil box into his backpack.
→ This happens after choosing clothes and before leaving the note? Wait — actually, the story says:
> "In his backpack, he placed his new pencil box..."
This comes *after* laying out clothes but *before* leaving the note. Let's check the exact order from the story:

- Chose clothes → laid them on chair
- Placed pencil box in backpack
- Left note for mom
- Brushed teeth → set alarm → climbed into bed
- Laid still → fell asleep

So the correct chronological order is:

1. Frankie was excited about his first day of school.
2. He laid out his shirt and pants for school.
3. He placed his pencil box into his backpack.
4. Frankie left a note for his mom to make him lunch.
5. His alarm was set and Frankie climbed into bed.
6. Frankie lay still wondering, then finally fell asleep.

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Step 3: Fill in the Numbers

Now, fill in the blanks in the table:

| Number | Sentence |
|--------|---------|
| 1 | He placed his pencil box into his backpack. |
| 5 | His alarm was set and Frankie climbed into bed. |
| 1 | Frankie was excited about his first day of school. |
| 2 | He laid out his shirt and pants for school. |
| 4 | Frankie left a note for his mom to make him lunch. |
| 6 | Frankie lay still wondering, then finally fell asleep. |

Wait! There's a problem: we have two sentences that should be #1, but only one can be.

Let’s double-check the first sentence in the story:
> "Frankie was excited about his first day in school."

That's clearly the very first thing mentioned — the beginning of the narrative.

Then:
> "The night before, he chose a blue shirt and brown pants..." → So he laid out clothes.

So the correct order is:

1. Frankie was excited about his first day of school. ✔
2. He laid out his shirt and pants for school. ✔
3. He placed his pencil box into his backpack. ✔
4. Frankie left a note for his mom to make him lunch. ✔
5. His alarm was set and Frankie climbed into bed. ✔
6. Frankie lay still wondering, then finally fell asleep. ✔

So now assign numbers accordingly:

| Number | Sentence |
|--------|---------|
| 3 | He placed his pencil box into his backpack. |
| 5 | His alarm was set and Frankie climbed into bed. |
| 1 | Frankie was excited about his first day of school. |
| 2 | He laid out his shirt and pants for school. |
| 4 | Frankie left a note for his mom to make him lunch. |
| 6 | Frankie lay still wondering, then finally fell asleep. |

✔ That matches the story perfectly.

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Final Answer:

| Number | Sentence |
|--------|---------|
| 3 | He placed his pencil box into his backpack. |
| 5 | His alarm was set and Frankie climbed into bed. |
| 1 | Frankie was excited about his first day of school. |
| 2 | He laid out his shirt and pants for school. |
| 4 | Frankie left a note for his mom to make him lunch. |
| 6 | Frankie lay still wondering, then finally fell asleep. |

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Explanation:

We ordered the events based on the sequence described in the story:
1. Excitement about school (beginning)
2. Laying out clothes
3. Packing the pencil box
4. Leaving a lunch note
5. Setting alarm and going to bed
6. Falling asleep after lying awake

This logical timeline ensures the events follow the natural progression of preparing for school the night before.