Name:__________________________________
English 7-8 Short Story Club Project
This year in English 7-8 we will be studying a variety of world literature. We will be looking at literature
from around the world in order to gain an historical and social perspective of mankind throughout the
centuries. Each quarter, you will select 3 short stories from the list below to read and study. The
expectation is that you will become an expert on these stories. Your goal is to participate in an ongoing
short story club in which you will engage in academic discourse on your stories of choice. Your stories of
choice must engage with the theme of “pushing limits” in some way.
Part One: Choosing your stories and preparing a timeline
Your group will create a timeline for your stories. You will write out your group members’ names, each
group member’s strengths, and the stories your group has picked. You will write out your timeline for
reading the stories and preparing for your discussions. There will be 2-3 short story club meetings each
quarter. This proposal should be typed, double spaced, 12 pt. font, and 1 to 2 pages in length.
Part Two: Dialectical notes
You will keep a triple-entry journal as you read, keeping track of important quotes. (See sample.) You
will be responsible for a weekly notebook and/or annotation check. You must obtain a printed copy of
the short stories and annotate the text. Every group member must complete dialectical journal
entries for the text. Each week, every person in your group, will be expected to have a minimum of eight
entries. We will discuss what your dialectical notes must contain.
Part Three: Group short story background analysis
As you begin reading, your group will conduct research on your stories. The research should be divided
among the group with a clear indication of each group member’s contributions included.
Your group will write a 3 page summary-analysis detailing the following:
 Brief information on the authors and their backgrounds (1 pg.)
 The social aspects of each story and the time period in which it was written(1 pg.)
 The stories’ theme/s, main characters, and author purpose (1 pg.)
 Any major literary devices the authors use throughout the stories (1 pg.)
Background should be typed, 12pt. font, double-spaced, and approx. 3 pages in length. (Approx. 1
page per short story)
Please use headings to label each section. Remember to cite your research in MLA format. Include intext citations when necessary as well as a works cited page. Refer to Purdue Owl.
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
Part Four: Book club and text-dependent questions
Your group will also be responsible for creating text-dependent questions for your stories (4-5 per
person) before each meeting (See handout on creating text-dependent questions.) Your journal and textdependent questions will drive your meetings, so BE PREPARED! Short story clubs that are unprepared
will earn a 0 for that club meeting.
Short Story Clubs will begin the week of September 14th . You must be prepared and have your
first story read on that date.
Most of these stories are available online for free. If you are unable to locate and print one of these
stories, please let me know and I will obtain it for you.
Short Story List:
1. A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner
2. The Jilting of Granny Weatherall by Katherine Anne Porter
3. Paul’s Case by Willa Cather
4. The Open Boat by Stephen Crane
5. The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy
6. The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne
7. The Garden-Party by Katherine Mansfield
8. A Hunger Artist by Franz Kafka
9. The Rocking-horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence
10. A Worn Path by Eudora Welty
11. The Night of the Curlews by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
12. A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
13. I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen
14. Hands by Sherwood Anderson
15. The Open Boat by Stephen Crane
16. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
17. Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway
18. The Dead by James Joyce
19. Bartleby, the Scrivener by Herman Melville
20. The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula Le Guin
21. Saboteur by Ha Jin
22. Love in the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Or student choice (you can research popular classic short stories and propose your own texts.)
You must select something you have NOT read.
Project Calendar
Assignment
Description
Due Date
Part One: Timeline Proposal
1-2 page typed proposal
Covering group members’,
selected texts and plans to
complete the project
Quotes (proper citations) and
connections/response to the
literature as you’re reading the
stories (8 per week)
4-page typed essay detailing the
composition of the stories using
MLA format.
Minimum of 4 text-dependent
questions per person. Engaging
discussion on the stories’
themes, characters, structure,
form, writer’s effect, etc…
8-26-15
Part Two: Dialectical Notes
Part Three: Group Background
Summary/Analysis Essay
Part Four: Book club/textdependent questions
Completed weekly
9-9-15
9-16-15 (initial impressions)
9-30-15 (digging deeper)
10-14-15 (final thoughts!)
Name:_______________________________
English 7-8 Short Story Club Project Rubric
Key Ideas and
Details (Parts 2, 3, 4)
Integration of
knowledge and ideas
(Part 2)
Range of reading
and text complexity
(Part 3 and 4)
Craft and structure
(Parts 2, 3, 4)
Score of 4
Conveys deep,
insightful knowledge
of the text and is able
to cite strong,
thorough evidence to
support a fresh
analysis. Is able to
connect two or more
themes and convey
how the author’s
choices develop
(literary devices)
these elements.
Conveys a clear,
critical understanding
of the text and its
historical and social
context. Situates the
text within relevant
context and relates the
themes and author’s
choices to these
elements.
Conveys reading
comprehension at an
extremely high level,
independently and
proficiently without
the use of scaffolding
Conveys a clear,
critical understanding
of writer’s effect and
how authors
intentionally use
diction, tone, and
structural elements for
impact. Thoroughly
analyzes language
that is fresh,
engaging, or
beautiful.
Score of 3
Conveys knowledge
of the text and is able
to cite strong evidence
to support analysis. Is
able to convey how
author’s choices help
develop at least one
theme.
Conveys a clear
understanding of the
text and some of its
historical and social
context. May or may
not relate the themes
and author’s choices
to these elements.
Conveys reading
comprehension at an
independent level
with minimal
scaffolding.
Conveys an
understanding of
writer’s effect and
how author use
diction, tone, and
structural elements for
impact.
Score of 2
Conveys minimal
knowledge of the text.
Shows minimal
awareness and some
understanding of the
text and some of its
historical and social
context.
Conveys some
evidence of
independent reading
comprehension with
use of moderate
scaffolding.
Conveys some
understanding of
writer’s effect and
how author use
diction and tone for
impact.
Score of 1
Conveys little to no
knowledge of text.
Shows little to no
awareness and
understanding of text
and social/historical
context.
Conveys very little or
no evidence of
independent reading
comprehension.
Conveys very little to
no understanding of
writer’s effect.
Score of 0
Product is absent.
Product is absent.
Product is absent.
Overall Score Earned: ______________
4=100%
Comments:
3=85%
2=65%
1=50%
Product is absent.