Three Wishes Story Motif
Scarlett Rowe
8th grade English
PJHS
UNIT SUMMARY
• The students will be reading “The Monkey’s
Paw” and “Three Wishes,” two short stories
based on the Three Wishes story motif. The
students will be completing story maps and
comparison charts to write a five paragraph
comparison/contrast essay. The students will
also produce a “movie poster” or Power Point
presentation based on their favorite story. The
students will end the unit by producing an
original free verse personal poem based on the
three wishes motif to share with the class.
VISION STATEMENT
• During this unit, I hope to help the
students to feel more connected to the
literature they read and use their
imagination to create a product and share
it with their peers. I also hope to engage
the students through technology and help
them to understand how common themes
and motifs repeat themselves throughout
literature.
Gauging Student Needs
Assessment
• I can use the information from these
assessments to:
– Focus on elements of literature which present problems
– Plan activities in which they will answer their questions
• Students can use the information from these
assessments to:
-Share ideas and opinions
-Compare their questions to those in previous units
-Set goals for how they will adjust their reading style for this kind of
literature
Curriculum-Framing Questions
• ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
How do our personal dreams
and/or wishes change our lives or the lives of others?
• UNIT QUESTION:
What is the difference between faith and
magic? Give examples of how faith affects people’s lives.
• CONTENT QUESTIONS:
1. What is a story motif?
2. What are the elements of plot?
3. How do you compare and contrast two stories?
4. What is a Haiku?
5. What is a Limerick?
HELPFUL WEBSITES
• www.sparknotes.com/short-stories/the-
monkeyspaw/themes.html;www.pics4learning.com;
www.readwritethink.org;
www.thinkfinity.org;
http://interactives.mped.org
What’s happening?
● We will connect the stories to our lives
● Collaborate with peers
● Create a presentation and a poem
demonstrating what we have learned
● Share our products with a real audience
● Provide feedback and constructive
criticism to our peers