Moreno 1
Lesson 1: Introducing Short Story Elements Through Pixar
Grade 12
(75 Min)
Stephanie Moreno
English
Objectives:
 Students will begin to learn the starting elements of a short story such as:
terminology, plot structure, conflict, basic principles of theme and combining it
together.
 Students will receive notes to learn about plot structure, types of conflict, and
theme through discussion with the help of four Pixar short films: Knick Knack,
Geri’s Game, For the Birds, and One Man Band.
PLOs
Thinking (Oral Language)
 A10 – speak and listen to synthesize and extend thinking, by
o Personalizing ideas and information
o Explaining relationships among ideas and information
o Applying new ideas and information
o Transforming existing ideas and information
o Contextualizing ideas and information
Purposes (Reading and Viewing)
 B3 – view, both collaboratively and independently, to comprehend a variety of
visual texts with increasing complexity and subtlety of ideas and form, such as
o Broadcast media
o Websites
o Graphic novels
o Film and video
o Photographs
o Art
o Visual components of print media
o Student-generated material
Thinking (Reading and Viewing)
 B10 – synthesize and extend thinking about texts, by
o Personalizing ideas and information
o Explaining relationships among ideas and information
o Applying new ideas and information
o Transforming existing ideas and information
o Contextualizing ideas and information
Features (Reading and Viewing)
 B12 – recognize and explain how structures and features of text shape readers’
and viewers’ construction of meaning and appreciation of author’s craft, including
o Form and genre
o Functions of text
o Literary elements
o Literary devices
o Use of language
Moreno 2
o Non-fiction elements
o Visual/artistic devices
Materials:
 TV set
 Pixar Short Films Collection
 30 copies of Literature Vocabulary booklet
 30 copies of Short Story Vocabulary booklet
Introduction: (5 Minutes)
 Go over agenda:
o Finish presentations
o Start short story unit
 To start the short story unit ask this question:
o If someone came up to you and handed you a book and you started reading
it and realized it was a book about your entire life, would you read it till
the end?
 This question will be asked again at the end of the unit after discussing the
various elements of a short story.
Body: (60 Minutes)
 Will finish presentations from TIB.
 We will go over plot: Freytag Pyramid (notes and drawing will be provided)
 Show Knick Knack
 Students will then plot Knick Knack on their Freytag Pyramid through Think-PairShare; then they will discuss their findings to the class and we will plot it out as a
group.
 Notes and small lecture on conflict will be provided; extensively ask questions for
clarification and provide literary examples for understanding.
 Show Geri’s Game
 Have students decide the three types of conflict through think-pair-share and they
must provide examples from the film to support their ideas (Answer: Person vs
person; person vs self; person vs society).
 Go over in class through discussion and provide answers for their findings.
 Discuss Theme and theme statements
 Show For the Birds
 Have students decide the theme statement and explain their findings (Bulling: We
should accept all, no matter how they are.)
 Show One Man Band and have the students apply their practices
Closure: (10 Minutes)
 Have students write in their journal by answering the following question: Do you
think short films are a suitable form of text? Should they still be evaluated in the
English classroom?
Moreno 3

Inform class that for homework they are to read The Japanese Quince and answer
the reading questions.
Assessment:
 Relevant and accurate questions
 Relevant and accurate answers
 How well did the students participate during the activity?
 Did they take extensive notes and copy diagrams from the CB?
 Did they share their opinions and ideas about the films they watched?