Analysis of Character in a Short Story

A short story is only as strong as its characters, development, and conflicts. Encourage the young authors in your class to plan their stories based on the elements of narrative writing, all provided in brainstorming graphic organizers.

Four questions about conclusion, climax, tone, and theme make up this activity about literary elements. The questions are specific to certain short stories ("The Landlady," "The Tell Tale Heart," "There Will Come Soft Rains," and "The...

This activity, which could be used in the lower grades for reading comprehension practice or with older students as part of an ESL lesson, has learners read a short story and answer six comprehension and vocabulary questions. As part of...

Do your young authors suffer from writer's block when they try to write short stories? Access their natural creativity with C-Gor, the writing monster! The instructional activity takes aspiring authors through a new writing process...

How do writers use the interaction between elements like characterization and setting to create meaning? Readers of "A Worn Path" create a series of comic book-style graphics of Eudora Welty's short story and reflect on how Welty uses...

What elements make the short story a distinct genre? After generating a list of common elements and a working definition, class members identify the characters, setting, plot, rising action, crisis, climax, and conclusion in “The Three...

Introduce your class to Glogster with this literary analysis instructional activity. At the end of your short story unit, they choose one literary element to apply to three short stories and make an online poster using Glogster. Samples...

Help your class to learn to identify the key elements of a short story using previously read works. They work in small groups to answer questions about point-of-view, conflict, characters, and setting. Then, they use a graphic organizer...

Stephen Vincent Benet’s, “By the Waters of Babylon,” offers learners a chance to examine the difference between mood and tone. After a close reading of an excerpt from the short story, the class lists the diction and imagery that builds...

This unit overview details the rationale for, lists the stories included in, and a timeline for a study of the short story genre. Designed for juniors and seniors, the unit would be appropriate for freshmen and sophomores as well.