A Creative Teaching Tool for Developing Critical Thinking and Storytelling Skills
Guess the Story is a reverse storytelling activity where students are given the ending of a story and must work backwards to create the beginning and middle through strategic questioning and creative thinking.
• Develop critical thinking and deductive reasoning skills
• Enhance creative writing and storytelling abilities
• Practice formulating thoughtful questions
• Improve logical sequencing and cause-and-effect understanding
• Build collaborative discussion skills
Share only the final scene or conclusion of a story with your students. This could be a dramatic moment, a resolution, or an intriguing final image.
Students ask yes/no questions to gather information about what might have happened earlier in the story. Encourage thoughtful, strategic questions.
Based on the answers, students collaborate to construct the beginning and middle of the story, working backwards from the known ending.
Share the original story and discuss how the students' version compares. Celebrate creative differences!
• Simple, concrete endings
• Visual story cards
• Guided question prompts
• Shorter story segments
• More complex narratives
• Character motivation focus
• Independent questioning
• Written story creation
• Literary analysis elements
• Multiple possible beginnings
• Theme exploration
• Advanced storytelling techniques
"Tommy smiled as he watched his little sister take her first wobbly steps across the living room, straight into his waiting arms."
• Was Tommy teaching his sister to walk?
• Were their parents watching?
• Was this her very first time walking?
• Did Tommy help her before this moment?
"As Maya held the trophy high above her head, she couldn't help but think about the basement where it all began, and the grandmother who never got to see this moment."
• What kind of competition did Maya win?
• Did her grandmother teach her this skill?
• What happened in the basement?
• Is her grandmother no longer alive?
• How long did Maya practice for this moment?
"The courthouse steps had never felt so significant beneath her feet. As Sarah descended them for the last time as a defendant, she realized that losing everything had taught her what truly mattered. The verdict had set her free in ways the jury would never understand."
• Was Sarah found guilty or innocent?
• What was she accused of?
• Did she actually commit the crime?
• What did she lose during this process?
• How did this experience change her perspective?
• Were there family or relationship consequences?
End with the revelation or solution. Students work backwards to uncover clues and red herrings.
End with the hero's return or victory. Explore the journey and challenges faced.
End with reconciliation or celebration. Discover the conflict and resolution path.
End in a changed world. Explore the discovery or invention that led there.
Your questions and answers will appear here...
Materials: Story-ending images or illustrations
Time: 30-45 minutes
Instructions: Show students a compelling final image from a story. Have them ask questions to understand what led to this moment, then write or tell their version.
Assessment: Evaluate creativity, logical sequence, and question quality.
Materials: Interesting news headlines or article endings
Time: 45-60 minutes
Instructions: Present the conclusion of a news story. Students investigate backwards to understand the full story through questioning.
Assessment: Focus on logical reasoning and real-world connection skills.
Materials: Character ending statements or final dialogue
Time: 60 minutes
Instructions: Give students a character's final words or thoughts. They must discover the character's journey through strategic questioning.
Assessment: Evaluate character development understanding and empathy.
Act out the ending scene, then work backwards to create and perform the full story.
Create a comic strip or storyboard working backwards from the final panel.
Use the final verse of a song and create the preceding verses through questioning.
Students become investigative reporters uncovering the full story behind a dramatic conclusion.
| Skill Area | Excellent (4) | Good (3) | Satisfactory (2) | Needs Improvement (1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question Quality | Strategic, insightful questions that efficiently gather key information | Well-formed questions that gather useful information | Basic questions that gather some relevant information | Unclear or ineffective questions |
| Story Logic | Highly logical sequence with clear cause-and-effect relationships | Generally logical with good connections | Mostly logical with some unclear connections | Illogical or disconnected sequence |
| Creativity | Highly original and imaginative interpretation | Creative with some original elements | Some creative elements present | Limited creativity or originality |
| Collaboration | Actively contributes and builds on others' ideas | Participates well and supports group work | Basic participation in group activities | Limited participation or collaboration |
Click on any resource below to download printable materials for your classroom:
Printable worksheets with story endings and question prompts for different age groups.
Word Format50 ready-made story endings on printable cards for instant classroom use.
Word Format