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Dr. Seuss Diaries
Students find a Dr. Seuss quote or saying from a selected book and relate it to their own life experience by using the quote in a short story. They choose a Dr. Seuss book from a pre-selected group or from the school library. Students...
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Wednesday Surprise
Students practice writing surprise endings to their short stories. After listening to the beginning of a short story, students make predictions about the story's surprise ending. They write their own short story with a surprise ending...
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Writer's Workshop: Mood Endings
Students listen to a story, "My Mama Had A Dancing Heart." They discuss the feeling they had after reading the story and define "mood." Students brainstorm a list of moods and discuss the mood of each character. Afterward, they write a...
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An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
Students complete a review of the short story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" in preparation for an exam. Working in groups, they participate in a review game of Jeopard. The game serves to review the terms and themes related to...
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Building Fiction: Elements of a Short Story
High schoolers define and interpret the elements found in a short story. Then they identify the elements of plot found in a short story. Students also apply knowledge of plot to an original work of fiction. Finally, they identify the...
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Story Parts
Third graders identify the three major parts of a story. After reading the book "Stellaluna," students discuss the beginning, middle and end of the story. They write a short story depicting the events that would happen if the story...
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Using Short Stories to Teach Vocabulary and Literary Terms
Students apply vocabulary activities to two short stories in order to increase their comprehension skills. They complete three lessons in which they examine irony, examine how it is used in text, and design an ironic skit. Also, the look...
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Short Story
Seventh graders identify the various elements of a short story. After reading Rudyard Kipling's short story, "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," students identify the author's purpose in writing the story as well as the elements that make it a short...
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Sequence of Events Storyline
Seventh graders practice sequencing the events in a story they have read. After reading a short story, 7th graders sequence the events of the story using a timeline. Their timeline is used to create a summary paragraph of the story...
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Write Me a Mystery
Eleventh graders, in groups, pre-write, draft, edit and revise a murder mystery short story to hone their skills in short story drafting, editing and revision, group collaboration and computer usage. They also evaluate writing for both...
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Every Living Thing
Pupils read the book "Every Living Thing." They read one story at a time, and participate in various activities. Some of these activities include the following ideas: Students write about a time when they were in a similar situation as...
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Talk To Me About It
Students present an analysis of a short story. Working in small groups, students prepare a presentation of up to 30 minutes analyzing the major elements in a story they have read. Completed presentations are given to the class and...
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Narrative Writing Outline
Students explore the elements of a narrative for its purpose, type of audience, mood, main character, minor characters, setting, and conflicts in the story. A story outline is developed and a five paragraph essay composed in this lesson.
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Analysis of Character in a Short Story
Ninth graders examine a character from the short story, John Steinbeck's, "Flight." students respond to questions about the story and illustrate the character's journey.
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INTERPRETING A WORK OF ART THROUGH CREATIVE WRITING
Students create a story based upon their interpretation of a work of art. The story displays students' knowledge of writing conventions, elements of a short story, literary conflict and use of descriptive text.
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GREEK MYTHOLOGY, LEGENDS AND HEROES
Eighth graders examine the effect of background and culture by creating a family tree and "mythical" story or legend based on Delmas Howe's painting Atlas.
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Short Story Writing
Learners develop skills needed to write short stories. They pick out an object in the room and describe it without saying what it is. They describe their hand and the lines on their hand without using words "Line, finger,skin or vein"
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Writing a Short Story
Learners complete a short story writing activity using the text of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of Baskervilles. In this short story lesson, students write a short story from the perspective of the assistant from the text. Learners...
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The Minister's Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Students explore "The Minister's Veil" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In this short story lesson plan, students read a summary of the short story and answer prediction questions. Students then read the story and write a short story of their own.
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Imitating An Author's Style
Students explore author's style. In this literature lesson, students read and take notes on a short story of their choice. Students write an original short story imitating the author's style.
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Writing in Different Viewpoints
Students explore different viewpoints through short stories. In this literature lesson, students read a classic short story. Students then write a short story from a different point of view.
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Comparison and Contrast - D.H. Lawrence
Learners explore "The Rocking Horse Winner" and "The Horse Dealer's Daughter" by D. H. Lawrence. In this literature lesson, students read these short stories. Learners write an essay comparing the two stories according to themes,...
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Writing a Query Letter
Learners explore query letters. In this letter writing instructional activity, students plan a short story that they would like to write and then locate a magazine publisher that might be interested in the story. Learners write a query...