Lesson Plans taken from https://adair.owschools.com/
Unit 1 – Short Stories
Overview








Developing reading skills: analysis, evaluation, and interpretation
Identifying explicit and implicit meaning in short stories
Analyzing literary elements: character, setting, plot, conflict, theme, point of view, suspense,
dialogue
Analyzing literary devices: figurative language, imagery, mood, irony, symbol, foreshadowing
Developing writing skills - explanatory: responding to literature, developing a thesis,
supporting a thesis, composing strong introductions and conclusions, writing a literary
analysis, using the writing process, targeting an audience
Conducting research: formulating a research question, gathering, evaluating, synthesizing,
paraphrasing, summarizing, quoting, documenting information
Participating in speaking and listening activities: collaborate discussions, research
presentations
Strengthening language skills: conventions, knowledge, vocabulary acquisition and usage.
Lesson 1
Pacing –Day 1
 Plot in "The Most Dangerous Game" - (RL 9.5)
Objectives
Plan & Activities



Identify and explain plot structure in "The Most Dangerous Game."
Identify explicit and inferential meaning through the analysis of plot.



Lesson 2

Read from “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard
Connell
Discuss Vocabulary Words – conflict, protagonist,
synopsis, antagonist, chronological, epiphany, implied,
theme
Discussion of Plot
Guided Practice – Plot Elements
Pacing-Day 2
Conflict in "The Most Dangerous Game" - (RL 9.1, RL 9.5)
Objectives



Understand and explain focus on single event/conflict.
Identify conflict(s) in "The Most Dangerous Game."
Identify explicit and inferential meaning through the analysis of conflict.
Plan & Activities





Lesson 3
Project: Group Discussion of "The Most Dangerous Game" – (RL 9.1)
(Optional Choose 1)
Read from “The Most Dangerous Game”
Discuss Vocabulary Words – conflict, environment,
external, internal, foreshadowing, suspense, theme
Discussion of external/internal conflict, types of
conflict and examples
Guided Practice – determine category of types of
conflict for examples
Independent Practice – Question/Answer/Writing Short
Answer
Pacing – Day 3-5
Objectives





Plan & Activities
Carry out research on a topic under study in preparation for a group
discussion.
Identify rules and roles for courteous and constructive collaboration.
Participate in an exchange of ideas using evidence from the text to support
discussion.
Pose and respond to questions in collaborative discussions.
Draw inferences from and be respectful of different perspectives.
Lesson 4



Discuss habits of a successful group discussion
Explain item of discussion for group – including
written response
Explain rubric of assessment for group discussion
Pacing- Day 6

Vocabulary and "The Most Dangerous Game" - (RL 9.4, RL 9.5, RL
9.6)
Objectives
Plan & Activities




Use context clues to determine the meaning of unknown words.
Distinguish between words with similar denotative meanings.
Extend vocabulary through reading, writing, and speaking.




Discuss vocabulary words – context, infer, theme,
connotation, denotation
Build vocabulary through context clues
Determine types of context clues by giving definition
and examples
Guided Practice – Use context clues to find a synonym
of a word.
Independent Practice – Question/Answer
Assessment – “The Most Dangerous Game”
Pacing – Day 7
Objectives
Plan & Activities

Determine whether re-teaching of certain items need to be considered.
Lesson 5
Setting and "The Marigolds"
Quiz – 20 Multiple Choice with 4 short answer.
Pacing – Day 8
(RL 9.1, RL 9.5)
Objectives



Analyze how authors create settings in short stories.
Identify explicit and inferential meaning through the analysis of setting.
Plan & Activities





Read from “The Marigolds” by Eugenia W. Collier
Discuss Vocabulary Words – mood, setting, tone
Discuss elements of setting and types of settings
Guided Practice – Puzzle Matching for setting types
Independent Practice – Question/Answer/Written
Response
Lesson 6
Pacing – Day 9-10
Project: Dimensions of Setting (RL 9.1, 9.5, W9.4, W9.10) (Optional
choose 1)
Objectives



Identify explicit and inferential meaning through the analysis of setting.
Develop ideas into writing that address task, purpose, and audience.
Compare two settings in a short story.
Lesson 7
Plan & Activities




Read from “The Marigolds” by Eugenia W. Collier
Discuss Vocabulary Words – physical setting, setting,
social/psychological setting, temporal setting
Discuss elements of an essay and rubric for essay
Use Venn Diagram to write a compare/contrast essay
Pacing – Day 9-10
Essay: Compare and Contrast Setting in Art and in Prose (RL 9.7, W
9.4, W9.5) (Optional choose 1)
Objectives
Plan & Activities





Identify explicit and inferential meaning through the analysis of setting.
Develop ideas into writing that addresses task, purpose, and audience.
Compare the use of setting in two different artistic mediums (photo or
painting of Great Depression).
Edit writing for conventions.





Lesson 8
Discuss vocabulary words – abstract art, comparative
essay, landscape, portrait
Analyze artwork to write an essay (guided)
Choose artwork to write about
Discuss components of an essay (thesis statement,
supporting evidence in organized paragraph,
conclusion)
Use Graphic Organizer to begin essay.
Discuss essay requirements from rubric, MLA citings,
etc.
Pacing –Day 11
Figurative Language and "The Marigolds" (L9.4, L 9.5)
Objectives


Identify examples of figurative language including simile, metaphor,
personification, alliteration, hyperbole, idiom, onomatopoeia.
Interpret the meaning of common figures of speech in context.
Plan & Activities




Read from “The Marigolds” by Eugenia W. Collier
Discuss vocabulary words – alliteration, figurative
language, metaphor, simile, hyperbole, idiom,
onomatopoeia, personification
Explain how using similes, metaphors and alliteration
emphasizes the writer’s meaning
Identify figures of speech in the short story.


Guided Practice – Choose the literary device that
matches a phrase
Independent Practice – Question/Answer/Written
Response
Assessment – “The Marigolds”
Pacing – Day 12
Objectives
Plan & Activities

Determine whether re-teaching of certain items need to be considered.
Lesson 9

Quiz – 21 Multiple Choice with 5 short answer.
Pacing- Day 13
Character in "Two Kinds" (RL 9.1, RL 9.3, W 9.3)
Objectives




Recognize the importance of historical context to the understanding and
appreciation of character.
Identify and explain characterization techniques in short stories.
Identify explicit and inferential meaning through the analysis of character.
Identify an author's use of vivid, sensory detail to convey experiences,
events, setting, and/or characters.
Plan & Activities






Lesson 10
Read from “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan
Discuss Vocabulary words – characterization, context,
direct characterization, indirect characterization,
inferential meaning, sensory detail
Distinguish characterization techniques and sensory
detail
Detail historical, cultural & biographical context in the
story
Guided Practice –determining context in a scenario
Independent Practice – Question/Answer/Written
Response
Pacing- Day 14
Exploring Theme and Plot in "Two Kinds" (RL 9.2, RL 9.3)
Objectives


Trace the development of theme through inference.
Explain how characterization influences theme and plot.
Plan & Activities




Read from “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan
Discuss Vocabulary words – theme, infer, character,
plot
Discuss how inferences can be made about a theme in a
story
Review plot elements



Lesson 11
Determine theme and key plot points in story
Guided Practice – write short inferences about the
theme of a story
Independent Practice – Question/Answer/Written
Response
Pacing- Days 15-16
Project: Expository Essay: Identifying and Exploring a Theme in "Two
Kinds" (W9.2) (Optional choose 1)
Objectives




Write an essay analyzing the theme in a short story.
Include relevant supporting facts, definitions, quotations, and details that
enhance the explanation of the topic.
Analyze ideas, concepts, and information to assist the reader in
understanding and making connections.
Provide a conclusion that follows from and supports the information
presented.
Lesson 12
Plan & Activities




Discuss characteristics of an expository essay.
Discuss finding a topic vs. theme
Review thesis statement, supporting details and
conclusion.
Explain qualities to present a successful essay in rubric
Pacing- Days 15-16
Project: Research on Chinese American Life in the Mid-20th Century
(RL 9.2, W 9.7, SL 9.4) (Optional choose 1)
Objectives





Explore themes in literary selections.
Formulate open-ended research questions to address topic.
Paraphrase, summarize, quote, and accurately cite all researched
information according to standard format.
Synthesize information from multiple sources.
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely,
Plan & Activities




Discuss culture of Chinese American Life
Create topic list for a presentation ( use notecards, etc.)
Administer directions for oral presentation
Explain rubric for presentation
and logically.
Assessment – “Two Kinds”
Pacing – Day 17
Objectives
Plan & Activities

Determine whether re-teaching of certain items need to be considered.
Lesson 13

Quiz – 20 Multiple Choice with 5 short answer.
Pacing- Day 18
Point of View in "I Stand Here Ironing" (RL 9.6)
Objectives



Understand and identify point of view in a literary work.
Recognize the importance of point of view in a literary work.
Recognize the importance of historical context in understanding of a story.
Plan & Activities







Lesson 14
Read from “I Stand Here Ironing” by Tillie Olsen
Discuss vocabulary words – historical context, interior
monologue, point of view, stream of consciousness
View images of Great Depression to show context
Discuss background of author
Determine author’s point of view
Guided practice – identify characteristics of each type
of point of view
Independent practice – Question/Answer/Written
response
Pacing- Day 19
Narrator Reliability and "I Stand Here Ironing" (RL9.1, RL9.6, RL9.9)
Objectives
Plan & Activities

Read from “I Stand Here Ironing” by Tillie Olsen




Make inferences and draw conclusions about point of view in one or more
literary works.
Analyze the reliability of the narrator in a literary work.
Write an interpretive response to literature.




Discuss vocabulary words – drawing conclusions,
inference, narration, narrator reliability
Use inferences to draw conclusions of point of view for
the story.
Determine narrator’s reliability of the story by using
context clues
Guided practice – make inferences using context clues
Independent practice – Question/Answer/Written
Response
Assessment – “I Stand Here Ironing”
Pacing – Day 20
Objectives
Plan & Activities

Determine whether re-teaching of certain items need to be considered.
Lesson 15

Quiz – 20 Multiple Choice with 5 short answer.
Pacing- Day 21
Literary Elements and Symbolism in "Everyday Use" (RL 9.1, RL 9.2)
Objectives


Identify and analyze symbols in a short story.
Analyze how authors use literary elements such as symbols, point of view,
irony, etc., to develop their theme.
Plan & Activities







Lesson 16
Read from “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
Review vocabulary words – characterization, irony,
symbolism, theme
Examine “Everyday Use” to discover the impact of
point of view and the significance of a name in a story.
Develop theme of “Everyday Use”
Show clip about symbolism
Guided Practice
Independent Practice – Question/Answer/Written
Response
Pacing- Day 22
Irony in "The Gift of the Magi" (RL 9.1, RL 9.2, RL 9.4, RL 9.9)
Objectives
Plan & Activities


Identify and analyze irony in a short story.
Review & discuss vocabulary words – mood, tone,
foreshadowing, irony, omniscient point of view, theme

Analyze how authors use literary elements such as symbols, point of view,
irony, etc., to develop their theme.

Read from “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry
(Sydney Porter)
Develop understanding of the true meaning of a gift.
Determine how the tone can interpret the theme of the
story.
List and discuss the types of irony.
Identify how omniscient point of view and
foreshadowing determine the theme.
Guided Practice
Independent Practice – Question/Answer/Written
response






Lesson 17
Pacing- Days 23
Mood and Suspense in "The Cask of Amontillado" (RL 9.2, RL 9.5, RL
9.6)
Objectives
Plan & Activities

 Analyze how authors use mood to create suspense in a short story.
 Analyze how authors use literary elements such as symbols, point of view, irony,
etc. to develop their them





Lesson 18
Essay: Literary Analysis of "The Gift of the Magi" (RL 9.2, W9.2,
W9.4, W9.5) (Optional choose 1)
Review vocabulary words – foreshadowing,
suspense, mood, tone
Read from “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar
Allen Poe and discuss suspense in the story
Discover the symbols in the story that creates
foreshadowing.
Analyze how the tone of written work creates a
certain mood for the reader.
Guided Practice
Independent Practice – Question/Answer/Written
Response
Pacing- Days 23-24
Objectives
Plan & Activities





Analyze how authors use literary elements such as symbols, point of view,
irony, etc. to develop their theme.
Write a coherent essay of literary analysis with a clear thesis statement,
supporting textual evidence, and strong introduction and conclusion.
Use elements of the writing process to compose texts.
Develop ideas into an essay that addresses the task, purpose, and audience.
Lesson 19


Review elements of an essay – thesis statement,
supporting details and conclusion.
Examine the prompt of the writing and use examples
from “The Cask of Amontillado” to determine a sample
thesis statement.
Discuss task & rubric of essay.
Pacing- Day 25
Vocabulary in "The Cask of Amontillado"(RL 9.4)
Objectives
Plan & Activities



Use appropriate reference materials, print and digital, to find pronunciation,
connotation, denotation, part of speech, and etymology of unfamiliar words.
Use appropriate reference materials to verify word meanings.






Lesson 20
Review how “The Cask of Amontillado” begins with
vocabulary.
Review vocabulary words – connotation, context clue,
denotation
List and utilize online dictionary resources
Contrast connotation and denotation
Use context clues to determine meanings of a word.
Guided Practice – Game to determine meaning of
words.
Independent Practice – Question/Answer/Written
Response
Pacing-Day 26
Parallel Structure (L9.1)
Objectives
Plan & Activities


Identify and use parallel structure in sentences.





Discuss vocabulary words – parallel structure, clause,
coordinating conjunction
Determine importance of being consistent with verb
tense in writing
Use consistency in voice (active or passive)
Identify how parallel structure is used in “Everyday
Use”
List the steps to ensure parallel structure (coordinating
conjunctions, clauses, edit parts for correct grammar)
Guided Practice – determine whether sentences are

Assessment – “Everyday Use”, “The Cask of Amontollado”,
“The Gift of the Magi”
Objectives

Determine whether re-teaching of certain items need to be considered.
Lesson 21
parallel structured or not
Independent Practice – Questions/ Answers/Written
Response
Pacing –Day 27
Plan & Activities

Quiz – 20 Multiple Choice with 5 short answer
Pacing- Day 28-29
Essay: Author Research (Optional choose 1)
Objectives





Formulate an open-ended research question to address topic.
Paraphrase, summarize, quote, and accurately cite all researched
information according to standard format.
Synthesize information from multiple sources.
Distinguish between paraphrasing and quoting.
Cite sources in text using MLA guidelines.
Plan & Activities



Discuss assignment
Review directions to write a successful research essay
Signify requirements as addressed in rubric
Review
Pacing-Day 29
Objectives
Plan & Activities

Designate clear understanding of all materials covered




Discuss all vocabulary from previous lessons
Review determining theme, plot, understanding
characterization, understanding the role of the narrator
Reexamine how to write a correct essay
Give sample essay directives
Summative Assessment – Unit 1
Pacing-Day 30
Objectives
Plan & Activities

Analyze student feedback to determine standards met


Test – 37 Multiple Choice & 1 Essay Entry
After students complete exam, analyze percentage of
correct and incorrect responses to determine if extra
time needs to be spent on a certain topic.