Lost and Found
Write a story that starts with finding something unusual. Include a choice the main character has to make.
- Time
- 30 min
- Length
- 100-130 words
Writadia · B1 · Stories
NameClassDate
The situation
Your teacher has asked you to write a story. It must begin with this sentence:
The wallet was lying on the pavement, and there was no one else in the street.
Your task
Write your story. Include what was in the wallet, what the main character decided to do and what happened next.
Writing toolkit
Open these only when you need them. Try the first draft on your own.
Plan it in steps
- Start with the given sentence.
- Describe what was inside: make one detail surprising.
- Show the character's choice: what did they think?
- Describe what they did and the result.
- Finish with a short final sentence.
Useful phrases
Thinking
Deciding
What happened next
Ending
Tap a phrase to add it to your text. Gaps (…) are selected so you can type over them.
Vocabulary
- pavement
- the path at the side of a streetBe careful on the wet pavement.
- owner
- the person something belongs toI found the owner of the dog.
- hand in
- give something to a person in chargeI handed the wallet in to the police.
- reward
- money or a present for doing something goodShe gave me a reward.
Model answer (132 words)
Read it after you’ve written your own version. Notice the highlighted parts. The numbers explain why they work.
The wallet was lying on the pavement, and there was no one else in the street.1 I picked it up. Inside, there were two hundred euros, an ID card and an old black-and-white photo of a young couple on a beach.
Part of me wanted to keep the money. I needed a new bike, after all. But I couldn't stop looking at the photo.2
In the end, I found the address on the ID card and walked there. An old man opened the door. When he saw the photo, his eyes filled with tears. "My wife and I, fifty years ago," he said. "I thought I'd lost it forever."
He didn't give me a reward. He gave me something better: a cup of tea and three hours of stories about his life.3
- The given sentence starts the story.
- The character's thoughts make the choice feel real.
- A twist: the reward is not money.
Teacher notes
Moral dilemma: before writing, ask "What would you do?" and collect reasons for each choice on the board. Students choose the path for their story.
Extra challenge
Write the old man's diary entry for that day.
Lesson plan
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: pavement, owner, hand in, reward.
- 12 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “I didn't know what to do.”, “Part of me wanted to ..., but ...”, “In the end, I decided to ...”.
- 38 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (100-130 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
Assessment rubric
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task and content | All points covered in detail; purpose and reader clear. | All points there, one is thin. | One point missing or some off-topic content. | Task mostly not met. | |
| Organisation and flow | Clear paragraphs; varied linking words. | Paragraphs present; linkers repetitive. | No paragraphs or jumpy flow. | Ideas scattered. | |
| Vocabulary | Topic-specific, varied vocabulary. | Adequate; some repetition. | Limited; some wrong word choices. | Very limited. | |
| Grammar and accuracy | Range of structures, few errors. | Some errors, meaning clear. | Frequent errors affect meaning. | Errors block understanding. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- I started with the given sentence.
- The character had to make a choice.
- I used past tenses correctly.
Teacher comment
Peer-review sheet
Students swap texts and give each other feedback with this sheet.
Before you finish
Before you finish
- I started with the given sentence.
- The character had to make a choice.
- I used past tenses correctly.
Writadia · B1 · Stories
Assessment rubric: Lost and Found
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task and content | All points covered in detail; purpose and reader clear. | All points there, one is thin. | One point missing or some off-topic content. | Task mostly not met. | |
| Organisation and flow | Clear paragraphs; varied linking words. | Paragraphs present; linkers repetitive. | No paragraphs or jumpy flow. | Ideas scattered. | |
| Vocabulary | Topic-specific, varied vocabulary. | Adequate; some repetition. | Limited; some wrong word choices. | Very limited. | |
| Grammar and accuracy | Range of structures, few errors. | Some errors, meaning clear. | Frequent errors affect meaning. | Errors block understanding. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- I started with the given sentence.
- The character had to make a choice.
- I used past tenses correctly.
Teacher comment
Writadia · B1 · Stories
Peer-review sheet: Lost and Found
WriterReviewer
Read your partner’s text carefully. Be kind and specific: say why, not just “good”.
Task checklist
| Yes | Partly | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I started with the given sentence. | |||
| The character had to make a choice. | |||
| I used past tenses correctly. |
Questions
- Does the text cover every point in the task?
- Are there paragraphs? What is each one about?
- Write two linking words the writer used.
- Is there a sentence you had to read twice?
Two stars and a wish
★ Something I liked
★ Another thing I liked
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Writadia · B1 · Stories
Lesson plan: Lost and Found
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: pavement, owner, hand in, reward.
- 12 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “I didn't know what to do.”, “Part of me wanted to ..., but ...”, “In the end, I decided to ...”.
- 38 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (100-130 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
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