Common Core Standards Elements of the Short Story in Concept: Elements of the Short Story Primary Subject Area: English Secondary Subject Areas: N/A Common Core Standards Addressed: Grades 9-10 Grades 11-12 Key Ideas and Details Determine a theme or central idea of a text and Analyze the impact of the author s choices analyze in detail its development over the course regarding how to develop and relate elements of a of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped story or drama (e.g. where a story is set, how the and refined by specific details; provide an action is ordered, how the characters are objective summary of the text. introduced and developed). Analyze how complex characters (e.g. those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme. Craft and Structure Analyze how an author s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g. parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g. pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise. Analyze how an author s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g. the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or traffic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact. Grades 9-10 Grades 11-12 Vocabulary Acquisition and Use Acquire and use accurately general academic and Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. comprehension or expression. Elements of the Short Story in : Common Core Standards 1
Elements of the Short Story in Lesson Plan Overview: Materials: This lesson will guide students through the most important components of the short story and give them the tools to analyze how Glenn Blake constructs these elements in his story, Westerns. The main elements of the short story that will be discussed during the lesson will be theme, setting, and characterization. Objectives: Students will be able to: Copies of Drowned Moon Paper Whiteboard Other Resources Supplementary Materials Chart Understand the main components of a short story, including theme, setting and characterization. Analyze the ways in which Glenn Blake constructs theme, setting, and characterization in his short story. Warm-Up Activity: Begin the lesson by providing a definition for each of the concepts that this lesson will discuss. Refer to the chart below and either write the definitions on the board or provide the chart to each student as a handout. Theme The theme of any literary work is the central topic or focus that acts as a foundation for the plot. The most common contemporary understanding of theme is an idea or point that is central to a story, which can often be summed up in a few words. Themes often explore historically common or cross-culturally recognizable ideas, such as ethical questions, and are usually implied rather than stated explicitly. Setting In literature, the word setting is used to identify and establish the time and place of the story. It helps to establish for the reader where, when, and under what circumstances the events of the story take place. Elements of the Short Story in : Lesson Plan 2
Elements of the Short Story in Lesson Plan Characterization Characterization in literature refers to the step-by-step process wherein an author introduces and describes a character. This character can be described directly, or indirectly by means of his or her actions, thoughts, and dialogue. Short Lecture & Partner Activities: Part 1 (15 minutes) Divide students into three groups and assign one component of the short story to each group: theme, setting and characterization. Have the students discuss how the author employs their group s given element in the story, using the corresponding questions below for guidance. Each group should select one student to record the group s findings as well as any supporting textual examples. Group 1 Theme What is the theme of Westerns? How does the author convey this theme? Provide examples from the text. Is the theme implied, or is it stated explicitly? Group 2 Setting What is the setting of Westerns? How does the author convey this setting? Provide examples from the text. Is the setting made clear from the start of the story, or are you given hints throughout? In your opinion, is the setting described in such a way that makes it vivid to the reader s imagination? Why or why not? Please cite textual evidence. Group 3 Characterization Who are the characters in Westerns? Name each character. Elements of the Short Story in : Lesson Plan 3
Elements of the Short Story in Lesson Plan How is each character portrayed? Characterize each one in a few words. Is each character described directly or indirectly? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer. Is one character developed more fully than others? If so, what character do you feel is developed most fully? Part 2 (15 minutes) Once the students discussions have concluded, have one representative from each group share their findings with the class. Discussion Wrap-Up Wrap up the lesson by leading a class-wide discussion over the following question: Does a short story have the same impact if it does not follow the typical conventions? If the theme is not clear, if the setting is vague, or if the characters aren t fully developed, do you read the story the same way? What is lost when an author defies the typical conventions of story writing? What, if anything, can be gained? Elements of the Short Story in : Lesson Plan 4
Elements of the Short Story in Lesson Plan Writing Activities / Evaluations: Analytical: Take one of the elements of the story that we have discussed in this lesson theme, setting, or characterization, and explain what you think makes one of these elements work well in a story. Justify your answer in 500-800 words, using examples from Westerns as evidence. Creative: Write an original poem (in any style) based on Westerns. Use either the theme, the setting, or the characterization of the protagonist as the main subject for your poem. Elements of the Short Story in : Lesson Plan 5
Discussion and Comprehension Questions Elements of the Short Story in Questions for Discussion: Define theme. Define setting. Define characterization. Is there one particular element of this story the theme, setting or characterization, that you think the author develops particularly successfully? Explain using evidence from the text. Why do you think the author selected Westerns as the title for this story? How does it relate to or represent the theme of the story? How does Glenn Blake s writing style which features choppy sentence fragments and narration in dialect, contribute to the characterization of his protagonist? How does the writing style help establish the setting? This short story begins, My family deals in motion. Given what you know about the story after finishing it, why do you think Blake chose to open it in this way? o How is this effective? o How does it contribute to and (or all) of the three elements we have discussed? Elements of the Short Story in : Discussion and Comprehension Questions 6
Key Vocabulary Elements of the Short Story in Key Vocabulary: Word: Definition: Theme The theme of any literary work is the central topic or focus that acts as a foundation for the plot. The most common contemporary understanding of theme is an idea or point that is central to a story, which can often be summed in a single word. Themes often explore historically common or cross-culturally recognizable ideas, such as ethical questions, and are usually implied rather than stated explicitly. Setting In literature, the word setting is used to identify and establish the time, place, and mood of the events of the story. It helps to establish for the reader where, when, and under what circumstances to events of the story are taking place. Characterization Characterization in literature refers to the step-by-step process wherein an author introduces and describes a character. This character can be described directly, or indirectly by means of his of his or her action, thoughts, and dialogue. Elements of the Short Story in : Key Vocabulary 7
Text References Elements of the Short Story in Textual References My family deals in motion. My old man s great grandfather sold shoes. My great grandfather sold horses and then wagons and carriages. My grandfather and my old man, automobiles. And I think that it s this inherited impulse to move that has made it so difficult for me to sit still in college classrooms, taking notes for hours. (p. 21) Without thinking, I stop for a moment at the ticket office. I can remember my first date here. I can t remember the girl I was with, but I can remember the movies. It was all-night Westerns. Shane and High Noon. Big Jake and Red River. The Magnificent Seven. It was a night filled with gunfire. I m thinking of the scene when John Wayne tells Richard Boone. Now you understand. Anything goes wrong, anything, at all, your fault, my fault, nobody s fault, it don t matter, I m gonna blow your head off. It s as simple as that. I m thinking of when James Coburn tells the rest of the Seven, Nobody throws me my guns and tells me to run. Nobody. What made that movie was the sound of the gunshots echoing off the mountains. (p. 25) Just then, the shotgun and the pistol open up on the car. One blast blowing out both windows on the driver s side. They have figured out that I don t have a gun. They are shooting under the car, trying to get him with a ricochet like in the movies. Shawn s hiding from the bullets. He has both arms wrapped around his head. They are really opening up on him now, firing one right after the other. A blast, shattering the outside rearview mirror, throws shards of glass at my feet. Where are the goddamn police! (p. 27) I said, that s ain t even the car! My car s a two-door. Count how many that one has! Shawn looks back at me with a startled expression on his face. No shit? he says. He gets to his feet and stands up to check out the doors. Get down! I shout as a blast comes from one of the windows, catching Shawn in the chest, picking him up and dropping him down on his back in the middle of the ditch. (p. 28) Shawn? I say, kneeling in the ditch beside him. The brown water is only about three inches deep. He is staring straight up into the sky. The gulls are still crying. Away across Black Duck Bay, I can hear the sirens coming. The black man is trying to crawl back to the front door of the house. I m holding the old man s twenty-gauge in one hand and wiping the mud off of Shawn s face with the other. (p. 28) Elements of the Short Story in : Text References 8
Elements of the Short Story in : Class Handout Name: THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK FILL AT YOUR DISCRETION WITH RELEVANT CLASSWORK Elements of the Short Story in : Class Handout
Elements of the Short Story in : Supplementary Materials Chart Category of Resource Description of Resource Potential Educational Uses of Resource Link to Resource Educational Video Elements of a Short Story is an educational video that teaches students about the various elements that make up the short story genre. This video makes an excellent supplement to the lesson plan because it goes beyond theme, setting, and characterization and discusses a number of other elements that students should be aware of. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hqwanbcojm Elements of the Short Story in : Supplementary Materials Chart