How to Develop the Setting of a Story [WORKSHEET] - Free Printable

Let's solve each question on the "Setting Worksheet: Strange Places" by identifying the setting (time and place) and explaining how we know based on clues in the passage.

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1. Zandra looked out the window of the space deck. The ship was traveling at warp speed. The stars zoomed past like laser beams. She thought about the mission ahead of her. She smiled. She liked challenges.

- Where? A spaceship in outer space
- When? Sometime in the future

✔ How do you know?
The mention of a "space deck," "warp speed," and stars "zooming past like laser beams" are all futuristic, science fiction elements. Warp speed is not possible with current technology, so this must be set in the future. Also, the setting is clearly in space because she’s looking out a window of a space ship.

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2. Oog studied the mammoth as it grazed in the field. The mammoth was big and wooly. It had a lot of meat on its body. Oog was hungry. He sharpened his spear and climbed to the top of a cliff. It was windy on the plains.

- Where? On a grassy plain during prehistoric times
- When? During the Ice Age (prehistory)

✔ How do you know?
Mammoths lived during the Ice Age and went extinct thousands of years ago. The character Oog uses a spear, which indicates primitive tools. There are no modern technologies mentioned—just natural surroundings and hunting behavior. This suggests a time long before recorded history.

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3. Dr. Samson mixed the chemicals. The beaker smoked. He adjusted his safety goggles. His cell phone started ringing. He ignored it. Dr. Samson examined the bubbling solution with curiosity. Then he scrawled in his notebook.

- Where? A science laboratory
- When? Present day (or near present)

✔ How do you know?
The presence of a beaker, safety goggles, and a cell phone (a modern device) shows that this is happening in the modern era. The actions—mixing chemicals, taking notes—are typical of a scientist working in a lab today.

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4. Abraham Lincoln adjusted his hat as he sat in his office at the White House. He had a lot to think about. Lots of folks wanted to avoid war. They wanted Lincoln to quit. That was never an option. He would keep the Union together at all costs.

- Where? The White House in Washington, D.C.
- When? During the American Civil War (1860s)

✔ How do you know?
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from 1861 to 1865. The reference to people wanting to avoid war and Lincoln’s determination to "keep the Union together" directly points to the Civil War period. The setting is explicitly stated as "his office at the White House."

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✔ Final Answers:

#### 1.
- Where? A spaceship in outer space
- When? Sometime in the future
- How do you know? The use of "space deck" and "warp speed" indicates advanced technology and space travel, which only exists in the future.

#### 2.
- Where? A grassy plain (prehistoric Earth)
- When? During the Ice Age (prehistory)
- How do you know? Mammoths existed during the Ice Age, and Oog uses a spear, indicating a prehistoric time without modern tools.

#### 3.
- Where? A science laboratory
- When? Present day
- How do you know? The use of a cell phone and lab equipment like beakers and safety goggles shows a modern scientific setting.

#### 4.
- Where? The White House in Washington, D.C.
- When? During the American Civil War (1860s)
- How do you know? Abraham Lincoln was president during the Civil War, and the mention of keeping the Union together refers to that historical conflict.

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This worksheet helps students identify setting by analyzing clues in the text, such as technology, clothing, animals, locations, and historical figures.