“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” Ambrose Bierce’s short story, is used to model how structural moves, the decisions an author makes about setting, point of view, time order, etc., can be examined to reveal an author’s purpose. Groups examine the three parts of the story and collect evidence to show how the point of view, tone, and mood change in each part. They then posit theories about why the author may have made these choices and share their ideas with the whole class.