Reading: Analyzing 3 Short Stories
Skills that this lesson series will cover:
Skill:
Demonstrate ability to...
1. Verbally describe a familiar
story/movie
2. Apply given criteria for
judging short stories to a
familiar story/movie
Task:
…by…
Preparing answers to 3 questions
about a story/movie of the
student’s choice:
 What it’s about
 What happened
 Why you liked it
Reading a short article with 4
criteria for judging short stories
(Morgan, 2020) and applying
those to their chosen
story/movie

3. Apply given criteria for
judging short stories to new
stories

Rationale:
This skill is important because…

It helps students prepare for
Skill 2.

It helps students prepare for
Skill 3.
It helps students practice
critically evaluating stories
It helps students practice
critically evaluating sources
It will help students in SCW1
in which they will evaluate a
peer’s short story (or
screenplay?)
It helps students practice
critically evaluating stories
It helps students practice
critically evaluating sources



Reading a short article on 9
key short story elements
(Gribble, 2022)
Reading 3 classic short stories

and discussing / writing
about how / whether each of

the 9 elements is exemplified
Task 1: Describing a story (Skill 1)
1. Individually, make a list of some good short stories you’ve read or movies you’ve seen (5 min).
2. Choose one of them to describe to a partner. Prepare to give your partner the following info (5 min):
a. What it was about
b. What happened
c. Why you liked it
3. In pairs, share the info about your short story or movie (15 min).
Task 2: Talking about what makes a good story (Skill 2)
1. With your partner, think about the stories you’ve just described to each other. Make a list of elements
that a story needs in order to be interesting. Particular types of characters? A particular genre? A
particular type of plot? What else makes a story interesting? (5 min)
2. Share your list with another pair and compare answers. Find out why they answered as they did (5
min).
Task 3: Applying Morgan’s “Criteria for Judging Short Stories” (Skill 2)
1. Read the article by Morgan. Think individually about how your chosen story/movie reflects Morgan’s 4
criteria. Make notes below (complete sentences aren’t necessary) (15 min).
Title of your story/movie:
1. Does it have an attention-grabbing opening? Describe it.
2. Does it have a gripping plot? How does it meet the criteria that Morgan lays out?
3. Does it have a strong, realistic protagonist? How does s/he meet the criteria that Morgan lays out?
4. Does it have a vivid palette of details? Describe some of these.
2. Share your answers with a partner.
3. Discuss the following questions with your partner:
a. What’s your opinion of these 4 criteria?
b. Are some of them unimportant?
c. Are there important criteria you’d like to add?
Task 4: Identifying Gribble’s short story elements in Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Cask of
Amontillado” (Skill 3)
1. Read the article by Gribble.
2. Your teacher will give you some background information about Edgar Allan Poe, including his birthplace
and time period.
3. Read “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe. Identify Gribble’s 9 story elements, making notes in
the table below (complete sentences aren’t necessary) (30 min).
1. Who are the major characters?
2. What is the goal of the central (main) character?
3. What’s the conflict, i.e., what’s getting in the way of the central character achieving their goal?
4. What decisions does the central character make throughout the story in order to achieve their goal?
5. What’s the climax?
6. How does the story end, i.e., what happens to the central character after the climax?
7. How do the events in the story change the central character?
8. What’s the point of view (POV)? Click on the link in paragraph P31 to review the different POVs.
9. Where and when does the story take place?
4. Compare your answers with a partner.
a. Are your answers the same? What differences are there?
b. Were you both able to fill in info for all 9 questions?
c. Are all 9 elements necessary in a good story? If not, which ones are unnecessary? Why?
5. The class will discuss the story together.
a. Did you like the story? Why or why not?
b. Is it similar to any story or movie you’re familiar with? How?
c. Do you think the author wants readers to learn something from the story? If so, what?
d. Could it be adapted into a short film? What film techniques would you use?
Task 5: Identifying Gribble’s short story elements in O. Henry’s short story “The Gift of the Magi” (Skill 3)
1. Read the article by Gribble.
2. Your teacher will give you some background information about O. Henry, including his birthplace and
time period.
3. Read “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry. Identify Gribble’s 9 story elements, making notes in the table
below (complete sentences aren’t necessary) (30 min).
1. Who are the major characters?
2. What is the goal of the central (main) character?
3. What’s the conflict, i.e., what’s getting in the way of the central character achieving their goal?
4. What decisions does the central character make throughout the story in order to achieve their goal?
5. What’s the climax?
6. How does the story end, i.e., what happens to the central character after the climax?
7. How do the events in the story change the central character?
8. What’s the point of view (POV)? Click on the link in paragraph P31 to review the different POVs.
9. Where and when does the story take place?
4. Compare your answers with a partner.
a. Are your answers the same? What differences are there?
b. Were you both able to fill in info for all 9 questions?
c. Are all 9 elements necessary in a good story? If not, which ones are unnecessary? Why?
5. The class will discuss the story together.
a. Did you like the story? Why or why not?
b. Is it similar to any story or movie you’re familiar with? How?
c. Do you think the author wants readers to learn something from the story? If so, what?
d. Could it be adapted into a short film? What film techniques would you use?
Task 6: Identifying Gribble’s short story elements in Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” (Skill 3)
1. Read the article by Gribble.
2. Your teacher will give you some background information about Shirley Jackson, including her birthplace
and time period.
3. Read “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. Identify Gribble’s 9 story elements, making notes in the table
below (complete sentences aren’t necessary) (30 min).
1. Who are the major characters?
2. What is the goal of the central (main) character?
3. What’s the conflict, i.e., what’s getting in the way of the central character achieving their goal?
4. What decisions does the central character make throughout the story in order to achieve their goal?
5. What’s the climax?
6. How does the story end, i.e., what happens to the central character after the climax?
7. How do the events in the story change the central character?
8. What’s the point of view (POV)? Click on the link in paragraph P31 to review the different POVs.
9. Where and when does the story take place?
4. Compare your answers with a partner.
a. Are your answers the same? What differences are there?
b. Were you both able to fill in info for all 9 questions?
c. Are all 9 elements necessary in a good story? If not, which ones are unnecessary? Why?
5. The class will discuss the story together.
a. Did you like the story? Why or why not?
b. Is it similar to any story or movie you’re familiar with? How?
c. Do you think the author wants readers to learn something from the story? If so, what?
d. Could it be adapted into a short film? What film techniques would you use?