Reading and Writing Short Stories
Tenth Grade English
Partial Overview and Rationale:
This tenth grade short story unit is designed to examine this genre from two angles: Reading and
writing. Student will read and listen to classical and contemporary short stories, and then they
will explore together the literary elements of plot, character, and dialogue. The purpose of these
explorations is to discover how different authors used these elements, and for students to
consider how they might use them in their own short stories. The second half of the unit will
allow students the opportunity to compose their own short story.
In the process of reading and writing short stories, students will gain skill in state
standards of reading, writing, and communication. Additionally, the unit is designed to help
students enhance their appreciation and comprehension of literature, and their skill at writing in a
particular genre. These are also fitting with state standards and recommendations by the
National Council of Teachers of English. Editing will help students refine their understanding of
writing styles and conventions.
Ideally this unit will be taught toward the end of the school year, so students can apply
their understanding of literary elements. This will allow an engaging opportunity for students to
use the skills and abilities they have learned during the year. That said, this unit could fit
anytime into the school year, as it is a new exploration into the short story genre, and it does not
necessarily build on previous units “setting the stage” for the content explored. The unit is
planned to use fifteen one hour class periods.
Possible Goals and Essential Questions:
Goals
1. Students will explore the short story genre by reading, thinking critically about, and
discussing various authors’ use of language, style, purpose, and perspective. (State St.
L.A. 3)
2. Students will be able to recognize and understand the following literary elements of the
short story: plot, character, dialogue, and theme. (State St. L.A. 6)
3. Students will compose their own original short story, and receive and provide feedback
on their writing style and skill. (State St. L.A. 2)
Questions
1. How does an author’s style and perspective affect the plot of a short story?
2. What are effective strategies for developing the characters in a short story?
3. What does an author do with critique and feedback about his/her writing?
Sample Targets:
1. Upon completion of this unit students will be able to identify the central conflict in a
short story, describe the conflict in a journal entry, and support their thoughts with one
example from the short story (this ties to Goal #1 & Question #2). Content target.
2. Upon completion of this unit students will be able to identify all of the short story
elements on a written quiz (this ties to Goal #2). Content target.
3. Upon completion of this unit students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of
the writing process by composing their own short story that fully develops the characters
in the story through the use of characterization and dialogue (ties to Goal #3 & Question
#2). Skill target.
Partial Outline of Content (the scope of the content in the unit):
I. Introduction: Why do we read and write literature?
a. Explore cultural values
b. Cause an emotional response from the reader
c. Expose us to the world in new way
II. Short Stories
a. Riki-Tiki-Tavi, by Rudyard Kipling
b. Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway
c. The Father by Raymond Carver
d. Everyday Use by Alice Walker
e. etc.
III. Parts of plot
a. Exposition
b. Complication
c. Climax
d. Resolution
e. Plot of Riki-Tiki-Tavi(RTT)
f. Plot of the other short stories etc.
IV. Writing short stories
a. Review of the writing process
i. Prewriting
ii. Writing
iii. Revising
iv. Editing/Peer Editing
v. Publishing
b. Review of literary elements
i. Plot
ii. Theme
iii. Character
iv. Dialogue
V. etc.
Selected Days From Calendar:
Day 1
Introduction
What is a short story?
Day 2
Lecture: Intro “Plot”
Exposition
Complication
Day 6
Concept Formation: “Theme”
Homework: Finish Kipling
Journal: Elements of
plot in RTT
Groups: discuss possible
themes in Everyday Use
Homework: Select & read
a short story from the
anthology by tomorrow.
Day 9
Day11
Day 15
Read Everyday Use
Begin reading Kipling’s RTT
Review “plot,” “dialogue,”
“theme” and “character” for test
on Day 10.
Share with a partner the
main characters in the story
students are composing.
Finalize “setting” of their short
story
Mini review:
writing process
Student story sharing day!
Peer and self-evaluation
worksheet completed in class.
Brainstorm session:
Appropriate forms of
feedback when peer editing (Meets Target #2)
Writer’s workshop:
Feedback on students’
short story (at whatever
stage of the writing process
the students are in).
Tell expectations and
remind of deadlines for
short story assignment
(due Day 14)
Daily Lesson Plans:
These are described in the lesson plan section of this chapter, and expanded on extensively in
Section II of the book.
Assessments and Evaluations:
 Students will be awarded participation points for their journal responses, which include
the examples of characters from their short story.
 Students will be formatively assessed on their understanding of plot, dialogue, theme, and
character on a test.
 Student’s short story will be evaluated for having the elements of a short story. A rubric
will delineate these elements.
 Students will provide brief evaluations of peers’ short stories, focusing on the stories’
plot, character development, and dialogue.
 Students will write a self-evaluation of their own short story, focusing on their story’s
plot, character development, and dialogue.
Materials and Resources:
Graphic/overheads:
 Hemingway background information
 Kipling background information
 Character overhead
 Theme overhead
Print resources:
Atwell, N. (1998). In the middle: New understandings about reading writing and learning.
Portsmouth, NH : Boynton/Cook.
Twenty great American short stories: http://www.americanliterature.com/SS/SSINDX.HTML
Classic short stories: Bibliography and on-line full text: http://www.classicshorts.com/bib.html
Day One:
etc.
Materials list:
30 copies of Riki-Tiki-Tavi
30 copies of Intro to short stories handout