Short Story Analysis
Subject: American English
Grade: 11th
Lesson Plan: 4
Common Core State Standards
Materials Needed
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 Writing Utensil
 Journals
 Dry Erase Marker
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.2 Determine two or
more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their
development over the course of the text, including how
they interact and build on one another to produce a
complex account; provide an objective summary of the
text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.6 Analyze a case in
which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing
what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant
(e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.3 Analyze the impact of
the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate
elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set,
how the action is ordered, how the characters are
introduced and developed).
Objectives



Students will be able to determine the theme and central
idea of “Hills Like White Elephants.”
Students will be able to provide an objective summary of
“Hills Like White Elephants.”
Students will be able to analyze the setting, order of
action, and character development of “Hills Like White
Elephants.”
Activities
1. [5 minutes] Take attendance, then pass out journals
and write the following warm-up prompt on the
board: “Tell me about what is happening in your
book so far” and then ask students to respond by
writing in their journals.
2. [10 minutes] Pass out 1 copy of the “Hills Like
White Elephants” handout to each student and
instruct them to read it silently.
3. [15 minutes] Once everyone is done reading, pass out
1 copy of the “Hills Like White Elephants”
worksheet to each student. Complete the worksheet
as a whole class taking questions as you go. (As the
class works through the questions reveal to them
Other Resources


“Hills Like White
Elephants” handout
“Hills Like White
Elephants” worksheet
4.
5.
6.
7.
what the characters conversation is really about,
abortion, if they do not figure it out themselves).
[10 minutes] Once you have completed the
worksheet as a class, instruct students to individually
write an objective summary of “Hills Like White
Elephants” in their journals. Ask students to respond
specifically to the theme and central idea of this short
story, which is about abortion.
[5 minutes] Once everyone is done writing, ask
students to volunteer what they have written and
discuss a few of these as a class. (Collect journals).
[1 minute] Assign homework, (30 pages of reading in
their Book Group books).
[9 minutes] For the remainder of class have students
silently read their Book Group books. Their exit pass
will be a sheet of loose leaf paper that has their name
and the page number they ended on when the bell
rings. Have students hand you their paper as they exit
the room.
Adaptations
Needs Challenge: To challenge a student further, I would
have them write an alternative ending to “Hills Like White
Elephants” in their journal that would alter the overall theme
or central idea of the story. Then I would allow them the
opportunity to offer there new ending to the class during
discussion and explain how and why this new ending would
alter the ending of this short story.
Assessment
As students are silently reading their books, I will go around
and have whisper conferences with them about the summary
they wrote in their journals asking questions that specifically
pertain to their understanding of “Hills Like White
Elephants” themes, ideas, and character development.