Yale University
Yale University: Elements of the Short Story
This unit from the Yale University on elements of the short story is designed to develop student comprehension skills, particularly making inferences and generalizing. It also involves students in reading a number of short stories to...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Who/what/when/where: Sports Theme
In this lesson plan, Hoops, written by Robert Burleigh, is used as the mentor text for its use of adverbial phrases. After several exposures to the mentor text, students will use click the buttons with the words "Who", "What", "When",...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Who/what/when/where: Desert Theme
In this lesson, Brooke Bessesen's picture book, Look Who Lives in the Desert!: Bouncing and Pouncing, Hiding and Gliding, Sleeping and Creeping, is used as the mentor text for its use of adverbial phrases. After several exposures to the...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Who/what/when/where: Mall Theme
In this lesson, Eileen Christelow's picture book, Five Little Monkeys Go Shopping, is used as the mentor text for its use of adverbial phrases. After several exposures to the mentor text, students will use click the buttons with the...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Who/what/when/where: Recess Theme
In this lesson, Hooway for Wodney Watby, written by Helen Lester, is used as the mentor text for its use of adverbial phrases. After several exposures to the mentor text, young scholars will use click the buttons with the words "Who",...
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Who/what/when/where: Circus Theme
In this lesson, Dr. Seuss' book, If I Ran the Zoo, is used as the mentor text for its use of adverbial phrases. After reading the mentor text, students will use click the buttons with the words "Who", "What", "When", and "Where" until...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway:writing an Engaging Story With Literary Strategies to Enhance Plot
A learning module that teaches students about writing a short story with a strong plot in seven mini-lessons: Introduction, Choose the Point of View, Figure Out What to Say, Suspend Readers in Midair, Write about a Central Theme, Read A...
Shmoop University
Shmoop: The Killers
This short story was written one morning when Hemingway was in Spain. This site provides exciting information about the characters and important themes in the story.
A&E Television
Biography: Flannery O'connor Biography
This is a biography of author Flannery O'Connor who is famous for her short stories using religious and life in the South as primary themes.
CommonLit
Common Lit: "Act Your Age" by Colleen Archer
CommonLit.org is a wonderful resource to use in a Language Arts classroom. Each story or article is accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. In addition, students can click on words to see...
Other
Metro Active: "The Dark Corners of Daily Being"
This review appeared in "Metro" magazine examines the stories that make up the collection "After Rain." Barra considers Trevor "the greatest living writer of short stories in the English language." This is an interesting look at Trevor's...
Shmoop University
Shmoop: Spring in Fialta
This fascinating short story written by Vladimir Nabokov is examined in detail in this comprehensive site. Read about the characters and their motivations as well as a discussion of significant quotations from the story.
Shmoop University
Shmoop: Teddy
Taken from J. D. Salinger's short story collection Nine Stories the story of Teddy is an example of the writer's superior prose. Read about the characters and themes in the story.
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: American Literature: Postmodernism: "Everyday Use"
This lesson focuses on Alice Walker and her short story "Everyday Use," which explores the generation gap between a mother and daughter and the relationship among a mother and her two daughters. Links are provided to the text of the...
Shmoop University
Shmoop: The Displaced Person
Flannery O' Connor's short sotry The Displaced Person is analysed in depth in this fascinating site that looks at the characters and themes in the story.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: A Syrian Refugee's Story
In this short film, Welcome to Canada, learn about a Syrian refugee's story, Mohammed Alsaleh, who fled violence and imprisonment by the Assad regime during Syria's Civil War. Mohammed was granted asylum and now lives in Canada where he...
Caro Clarke
Historical Fiction: Who Rules?
This is the fifteenth article in a series designed to help the new novel author. This article focuses on the genre of historical fiction and the role of the author. Is the author a researcher or a story-teller?
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: I Can Analyze a Story or History [Pdf]
This graphic organizer can be used to help students analyze a story or a historical event. Students will look closely at the story's characters or people involved in the historical event. Then they will summarize the story or event, and...
Blackdog Media
Classic Reader: Where the Trail Forks by Jack London
Jack London wrote stories that were inspired by his time in the Yukon. "Where the Trail Forks" is a short story that revolves around his beloved theme of man vs. nature.
Blackdog Media
Classic Reader: "When God Laughs" by Jack London
Jack London often writes on the theme of human nature. In "When God Laughs" he explores this theme through a couple trying to uphold an idealistic romance. Read the full text on this site.
Other
Book Page Interview: Gary Soto
This site, part of the online version of the magazine BookPage, provides a 1998 interview with Gary Soto, in which he discusses the themes of some of his works, his background, and his use of different genres of writing.
Shmoop University
Shmoop: Dry September
Dry September is considered to be one of William Faulkner's finest stories. Read about the story, the characters and important themes in this informative site.
Shmoop University
Shmoop: Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour
Read what others have to say about these two stories that were eventually put together by J.D.Salinger. This site analyses the characters and major themes in these short stories.
Shmoop University
Shmoop: A Perfect Day for Bananafish
This fascinating short story written by J. D. Salinger in 1948 is explored in depth in this site. Read about the characters, analysis important quotations and explore themes in this comprehensive site.