3C/3E Culminating Task: Writing a Short Story
The Power of Story
The Big Idea
Story is one of the universal truths of the human experience. It began, perhaps, with
telling the story of the hunt to our tribe around the cooking fire; today we crave story in
the movies we watch, the television shows we follow, and the narrative posts we read
on facebook. Story telling is an integral part of the human experience, and-- somewhere
inside of you-- there is a story just waiting to be told!
Guiding Principles
1.
Read the ending in your envelope!
2. Read a few other student’s endings and switch with them if you prefer their ending
3. Select a writing process that works for you—mind mapping, brainstorming or other
4. Use the provided idea development worksheets to guide your process
5. Write a rough-draft of your short-story
6. Have your story edited by a peer; edit a peer’s story
7. Submit story “so far” for “Check-Point” one
8. Add to your short-story.
9. Revise and improve your short-story.
10. Have your story edited by a peer; edit a peer’s story
11. Make all of the suggested changes that you agree with
12. Type and format your final draft
13.
Submit Final Draft
3C/3E Culminating Task: Writing a Short Story
Success Criteria
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I have created an interesting plot
There is an interesting build-up to a crisis, and then a climax
My protagonist has to deal with a moral dilemma
My story is written in 1st person point of view
My story has an interesting/believable setting where the time, place and mood is made clear to
the reader
My story has an overriding them
I have created interesting and believable characters
I have created interesting and believable dialogue
My character changes in a meaningful way
My story has suspense
I have used proper sentence structure and grammar.
I very my sentence structure to make the writing interesting
The dialogue that I have included in the story is properly formatted
My story has a great title
My story is my own creative work (apart from the ending which was assigned to me)
I used some or all of the idea-development suggestions in order to engage in the writing process
My rough-draft was edited by two peers
I have made the grammar corrections made by my instructor/peers where correct
My story is between 1000-2000 words (3E students: 600 words or more)
I am proud of my story and excited to share it with you!
Culminating Task Timeline
Monday June 9th
Tuesday June 10th
Introduction to
Culminating Task
Select your
ending!
Brainstorm and
Begin!
Use the writing
process to develop
your ideas!
Wednesday
June 11th
Thursday
June 12th
Friday June 13th
Complete a plot
worksheets of
your choice!
A Day to Write!
A day to write!
Complete a
character
worksheets of
your choice
Write the first
section of your
short story!
Check Point One
Submit your work
to Ms. Penton for
feedback!
Working on it over the
weekend?
Pick up your originals at
lunch or after school!
3C/3E Culminating Task: Writing a Short Story
Monday June 16th
Tuesday June 17th
Implement
changes, ask
questions and
write!
Peer-editing!
Homework: Type
your good-copy!
Wednesday June
18th
Thursday June
19th th
Friday Jan 17th
3C/3E Pd. 1 exam
Your Pd. 2 Exam
3C Pd. 3 Exam
Culminating Task
_______________
Due at end of
period!
Must Knows…
1. The culminating task for this course is worth 20% of your mark.
2. You need to submit this assignment on Tuesday June 17th t. No extensions will be given. Hard
copies must be submitted--emailing your culminating task will not be an option unless your
absence is legitimate.
3. Students absent for any legitimate reason on Tuesday June 17th may email me their culminating
task by 4:00pm on Tuesday June 17th. Your legitimate absence must be confirmed by a parent
or guardian if you are under the age of 18.
4. Your culminating task must have a title page. A sample will be provided.
5. Your short story must be completed during class time to insure legitimate, creative,
independent work. Students requiring extra-time may see Ms. Penton for accommodations.
Formatting
Problem areas:
Dialogue
 When characters speak there is always a comma before what they are saying.
 Authors put what the characters say out loud in quotation marks.
 You must start a new paragraph—an indentation—every time a new character speaks.
Here is an example to use as a guideline:
Occupation by Chalie Taylor
The soldiers knocked again. A firm knock but not one designed to alarm. Knock, knock,
knock, as if by a gloved hand, which was the case.
Jimmy knew it was the soldiers. He had seen them walking along the road, past the troop
carriers, six of them in uniform, carrying guns.
"Dad," Jimmy had shouted up the stairs, "they're outside our gate. They've stopped. They're
looking at our door. I think they're going to come here, to our house. Dad!"
3C/3E Culminating Task: Writing a Short Story
He heard a frantic scuffling from the landing. He heard the trapdoor to the roof space
being moved and he saw his father's feet on the top of the banister for a second before they
were drawn up into the loft behind him and the trapdoor scraped back into place.
"Get away from the window, Jimmy," said his mother, all hard-voiced and urgent. "Get away
from it. Now! Come into the kitchen with me. Jimmy, do as you're told. Now!"