Lesson Title:
“The Necklace, Continued” (2 Classes, 2nd
Class is working on assignment)
Topic/Unit: Short Story Analysis & Creation
Evaluation:
Formative Assignment in which students will
create another 3-4 paragraphs of story to
extend The Necklace, continuing the story.
Observation while circulating during group
work.
Date: February 2, 2012
Grade: 9
Materials and Media:
Student copy of The Necklace
Language Arts Reference Material (definition
of terms, conflicts, point of view, theme,
mood)
Anticipatory Set:
Students will have read and familiarized themselves with The Necklace.
Students will have overviewed the different types of conflict and how they could be applied to
the short story, “The Necklace”.
Students will have been involved in a class discussion and analysis regarding the
characterization of characters in The Necklace with a focus on Mathilde Loisel.
Students will have had another class in which the possible lessons and themes from the
Necklace would have been discussed and shown support from passages from The Necklace.
Rationale:
Creating an extended ending for the short story The Necklace is a great application of
knowledge while still allowing for creativity. The students in their text creation have to work
within some boundaries provided by the characterization and themes of the story. They have to
have the knowledge of the text to still be able to extrapolate how certain character would act in
new and different situations. The students are not asked how they would react in that situation,
but rather how a character, or more specifically, how would Mathilde Loisel or her husband
react to the knowledge that the necklace that they had spent ten years paying off was, in fact, a
fake. This assignment includes both GO 1 and 4.
Also, this assignment will prepare the students for a future final summative assignment in a
non-threatening away. The assignment will not be taken for marks but rather analyzed and
assessed in comment form only. The students, through this process, will gain some experience
of the teacher’s expectations as well as seeing what areas of their created text are strong or may
need adjustment. The assignment also allows for group work which is great for differentiated
learning and peer learning (GO 5).
Prior to the assignment distribution, students will be placed in situation in which they may have
been ‘tricked’ so they may more clearly relate to how Mathilde feels when she finds out the
Necklace was a fake. The students, prompted/led by the teacher will also discuss and recap the
characterizations of Mathilde to engage prior learning. (GO 1)
Outcomes
GO 1. Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts, ideas,
feelings and experiences. (1.1: Discover & Explore)
GO 4. Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to enhance the clarity and
artistry of communication. (4.1 Enhance and Improve)
GO 5. Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to respect, support and
collaborate with others. (5.1 Work Within a Group)
Opening:
15
Minutes
Teacher Activities:
The teacher will have three questions prepped
on the smartboard or board:
1) Monsieur Loisel allows Madame Loisel to
purchase a dress for 400 francs that he had
initially saved for what activity? (Answer lark hunting)
2) Name one of the conflicts that could be
considered in the Necklace? (Answer Character vs. Self, Character vs. Society,
possibly another one depending on earlier
class discussions)
3) What event does Mathilde Loisel feel she is
unworthy of attending because she does not
have the perfect dress or jewels? (Answer –
Minister’s Ball)
Student Activities:
As the students come in and settle down, draw
their attention to the board and ask them to
look at the questions without talking to
anyone. Inform the students that they will be
having a competition and the first student who
is able to correctly record all 3 answers on a
sheet and raise their hand to denote they are
finished will receive a ‘prize’. Show the
students the prize which is actually the
wrapper of a chocolate bar that is full of air
and carefully taped to resemble a wrapper
containing a chocolate bar (or any comparable
replacement prize). Allow the students time
to prepare and then let them begin.
The students will attempt to
correctly answer all three
questions from the board on a
sheet. They will raise their hand
to denote they are finished. The
teacher should collect these as
they finish and quickly check the
answers to see if they are correct.
Students enter class and sit down.
Once a winner has been selected, deliver the
prize to the student. He/she will quickly
realize that they’ve been had and that the
prize is only a wrapper.
Before mayhem sets in ask the student how
they feel or if they are angry? How would you
react if this was real and that wrapper truly
was the prize?
Proceed to ask the rest of the class how they
would feel had they been the winner and the
same thing had happened to them. Ask for
volunteers to share their thoughts.
Possibly apologize to the winning student and
give them a real prize (hard candy, hall pass,
or whatever teacher deems appropriate). Ask
the other students to give him/her a hand of
applause if they’ve been a good sport.
“So what does this have to do with what we’re
Allow winning student to answer
both questions.
Allow a few students to share
their thoughts on how they would
have felt or reacted had they been
tricked.
Ask students to applaud winning
student.
doing, you ask. Simple, when we last left off
in the unit we had been discussing conflict
and characterization in the short story The
Necklace and what does this little exercise
remind you of?”
Body:
20-25
Minutes
Of
Discussion
Correct. Explain to the students the reason for
the exercise is that later on in the class, the
students will write a continuation to The
Necklace that will deal with the reaction of
the Loisels to the news that the necklace was a
fake. Inform them that it is important to think
about this as how Mathilde or Monsieur
Loisel would react and not them personally.
Explain to the students that by now we should
have a concept of the characters and have an
idea of how they may or may not react and
this is what is important in this exercise: to be
able to conceptualize and extend a character
into new and unknown situations. Ask
studentst to take out their copy of The
Necklace.
Ask students: So what do we know or what do
we think we know about the character of
Madame Mathilde Loisel? Write answers on
the board.
Once you feel list is satisfactory or if a student
brings up the growth of Mathilde, use it as a
segue to ask students if they believe Mathilde
has displayed change from the beginning to
the end of the story? Ask them to give
examples of that growth. Write answers on
the board.
Once some good discussion has taken place
and a good list has been completed, inform
the students that you are going to re-read the
conclusion of The Necklace picking up right
after the ten years have passed. Repeat to the
students that you want them to think about
Mathilde’s character and think how she would
react even after the story ends. Allow the
students time to find their place and begin.
You may ask for volunteer readers or select
students if the opportunity calls for it.
Students will likely answer that it
is similar to Madame Loisel
finding out that the necklace was
a fake.
Students obtain their copy of The
Necklace.
Students will attempt to answer
the question. Answers could be
unhappy, oppressed, greedy,
selfish, childish, poor, dreamer,
etc.
Allow students to debate whether
they believe she has undergone
growth/change or not. Ask
students to give examples of
growth if they think that.
Answers could include:
quotations from near the end of
the book, she doesn’t care about
her looks, becomes hard working,
not as concerned with material
world, tells Madame Forestier the
truth about her poverty and the
about replacing the necklace.
Physcial change.
Students will pick up the
placement where the teacher will
begin. Students may be selected
or volunteer to read. Can also
give out roles to the drama
Ask students: How do you think Mathilde
feels right now? What is she going to do?
Give them a minute to think about it quietly
(as individuals). Jot down ideas if you want
to.
inclined (Diff. Learning)
Students think and possibly take
notes about the possibilities of
Mathilde’s reaction quietly.
While the students are thinking, use the time
to put up on the smartboard the handout for
The Necklace Continued Assignment.
15-20
Minutes
of
Group
Work
Ask the students to keep those thoughts or to
write them down as the class gets organized
for the assignment. Read the instructions of
the assignment out to the class and answer
any questions as they come.
Allow students to read and listen
to the assignment and to ask
questions.
Inform the students that you will read an
example or exemplar of The Necklace
Continued (found below). Read the example.
Students listen to an example of
the assignment.
Let students know that they will have to show
the teacher some progress (rough outline or at
least a list of ideas before they leave the class)
Inform the students that the teacher has picked
the groups of 3 that they will be working
together in. The teacher could put these
groups up on the smart board. Ask students to
remain in their seats as the groups are read out
and to pay attention to who they are working
with. The reason for the teacher grouping is
to attempt to pair strong writers with those
that could use help (or are creative or work
well together). Tell the students that they are
allowed to work anywhere within the confines
of the classroom (ie. floor) as long as they
don’t bother their neighbors and it is within
reason.
Put the instructions of the assignment back on
the board. Let them know that you will be
circulating to help out and answer any
questions that they may have. Ask the
students if they have any final questions
before allowing them to break off into groups.
Circulate around the class and try to spend a
few minutes with every group if possible.
Make yourself available. Also, distribute the
handout of the assignment to groups if they
request one.
Students may ask any questions
regarding the assignment.
Students can break off into the
teacher selected groups.
Students work in groups on the
assignment and can ask for help
at any time.
Closing:
5 Minutes
Ask students a few minutes before the end of
class to return to their desks and clean up any
possible mess they may have created. Inform
the students that they will have at least one
more full class to work on their assignment.
You can ask students to share what they may
have discussed or any ideas they may have
came up with. Try to hear from every group
to at least see what progress they have made.
This could have been done as the teacher
circulated around the room helping groups.
Let the students know that this will be good
practice for the unit‘s final assignment which
will be the creation of a short story and that
the assignment will be taken in and be
assessed but will not be worth marks. Repeat
to them that they will have another class and
to carefully put away what they have finished.
Get students to clean up and
return to their desks.
Students will share what ideas or
progress they have made in their
assignment for The Necklace
Continued.
Students will put what they
completed in their binder or a safe
spot so as not to lose it.
Upon the bell ringing, inform the
students that they are dismissed.
Assessment:
Observation of how the groups worked together. Take mental notes to quickly be recorded after
class of who worked well together and what groups may need tweaking. Informal assessment
through discussion and group work. Also, when circulating around groups, ask students to see
if all are being involved.
Get a gauge on whether the students fully understood the assignment which will impact how
much instruction time and engaging of prior learning will be needed in the next class when the
students continue the assignment.
As noted above, the assignment is formative so it will not be marked but instead will only be
given comments by the teacher on what to improve and what was strong, insightful or
interesting and any other pertinent suggestions.
Any extra time will be used to work on the assignment (so if introduction and beginning of the
body are short, they are to be filled by the group work assignment).
The Necklace Continued Assignment (to be left on board during group work)
Students, in their groups, will create an extended ending of The Necklace that will keep the
general ideas, themes and characterizations that Guy de Maupassant had intended (aka no
sudden transformations into vampires) with a little artistic license allowed. The extended
ending should span 3-4 paragraphs. It can continue the story as it left off or pick up the story
at a later date (like the flash forward ten years used in the story).
The story will not be taken in for marks but will rather be taken in and assessed. Assessed
meaning, the teacher will comment on your stories, leaving suggestions of what was strong,
what may need adjustment or revision and what was creative or insightful. This will be great
practice for the final assignment in this unit which is the creation of a short story.
In the comments and assessment, the teacher will be looking for: conventions (spelling,
grammar, punctuation), writing in context (could this happen within the world of the
Necklace) and artistry & communication (how well and interesting do you write the story)
You will have the rest of this class and the next to complete the assignment (any more time
may be negotiated).
Ensure that everyone in your group is allowed a voice and is able to participate. Good Luck
and Have Fun!
Example of the The Necklace, Continued
(Picking up right from the ending)
Her smile left her face and she dropped to a knee, but strangely she felt nothing but a vast
emptiness.
Madame Forestier was concerned her nearly unrecognizable friend had had a heart attack so
she continued to hold onto her hands.
Madame Loisel took a moment, looked at her old friend and slowly rose to her feet. At last
she cracked a nearly imperceptible smile and whispered:
“I wouldn’t be able to have that necklace back now could I?”
A few hours later, she found herself walking aimlessly around Paris clutching a black box.
Madame Forestier had felt so guilty about that long ago event that she had simply shoved the
black box into her hands, while repeatedly crying out: “My poor, poor Mathilde. I am so
sorry.”
Madame Loisel entered a pawn shop and asked the jeweler to appraise the diamond necklace.
While he did that, she wandered around the store seemingly still shaken from earlier events,
until she came across a dress that transported her back to that fateful night. A flood of
emotions rushed through her as she gently caressed the fabric with her callused fingers.
Behind her, the pawn shop owner declared that he could give her 20,000 francs for the
necklace.
How fickle life is, she thought to herself and without taking her eyes off the dress, she simply
replied:
“How much for the dress?”