Short Stories Lesson Plan

Date: ​27 September 2019 Teacher’s Name: ​Regan Alejo

Subject: ​English Language Arts Grade level: ​9

Class Setting: ​Departmental ​ Length of lesson: ​45 Minutes

Central Focus: ​The purpose of this learning segment is to build upon students’ abilities to
understand and analyze short stories. The students will learn how to determine the themes and
central ideas of the text as they are shaped key details. This lesson will also serve to introduce
how authorial intent behind a work is evident in word choice, story structure, and the use of
literary devices.

Lesson Title​: Analyzing Short Stories through Literary Devices and Word Choice

For Unit Plan/Learning Segment​, 1 out of 3​:

Essential Question(s)​: How is authorial intent evident in the connotation of their word choice?
How do literary devices within the work contribute to the hermeneutic purpose of a short story?
How are the themes and ideas present in the work shaped by specific details?

Learning Standards for the Unit:

CCLS - ELA: 9-10R3: Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact
over the course of a text. In literary texts, analyze how complex and/or dynamic characters
develop, interact with other characters, advance the plot, or develop a theme. In informational
texts, analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or argument, including the sequence, the
introduction and development of ideas, and the connections that exist.

CCLS - ELA: RL.9-10.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its
development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by
specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

CCLS - ELA: RL.9-10.5: 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.
Learning Objectives​: Assessments​:

Day One: Students will construct a plot
structure pyramid and take notes on the
elements of short stories in order to expand
their knowledge on short stories as a mode of
literature.
Day One: The exit ticket will be to describe
the differences between a short story and
other works of literature.

Day Two: Students will plot key moments

from Ted Chiang’s “Story of Your Life” onto Day Two: The exit ticket will be the
a plot structure pyramid handout and identify completed handout
all the elements of a short story as they are
used in the text in order to understand how
short stories are developed.

Day Three: Students will identify and close

read specific excerpts from the assigned Day Three: The exit ticket will be a thesis
short story as a class in order to develop statement concerning one of the elements of
analysis skills and better understand authorial a short story and how it is used in Ted
intent. Chiang’s “Story of Your Life.”
Day One Procedure:

Anticipatory Set

● Do Now: What are some of your favorite short stories?

Initial Phase

1. Oral discussion with the students on what they know about short stories as opposed to
other forms of literature. Why are short stories important? Strengths and weaknesses of
this form of literature.
2. Go over a google slides show about the elements of a short story (setting, conflict, theme,
plot, character, and point of view).
3. Introduce Ted Chiang’s “Story of Your Life” as the short story we will be working on
over the next few days. Initial reading will be assigned as homework so that close reading
can focus on specific passages rather than reviewing the entire work.

Middle Phase

● Guided Practice:
○ Happens halfway through PowerPoint after teaching plot pyramid.
○ In small groups of 2-3, take a few minutes to contemplate and attempt to plot the
story of The Lion King (AKA Hamlet)
○ Answers will then be gone over as a class before continuing the PowerPoint.
● Independent Practice:
○ For homework, read Ted Chiang’s “Story of Your Life,” taking note on where
you see the elements we went over today come into play.

Concluding Phase

● Assign homework (reading / note taking)

● Keep in mind and think about how short stories differ from other forms of literature
despite sharing similar elements.

Follow up: ​Independent practice is the homework.

Materials: ​PowerPoint
Day Two Procedure:

Anticipatory Set

● Do Now: Draw and label a plot pyramid with the happenings of “Story of Your Life”

Initial Phase

1. Hand out worksheet with the vocab on elements of a short story on it.
2. The worksheet asks for how the elements of a short story are shown in Ted Chiang’s
“Story of Your Life,” the reading from homework. Allow 5 minutes for students to form
answers together. - Guided Practice
3. Go over as a class what the answers are. Call on students to respond rather than giving
them the answers.

Middle Phase

● Guided Practice:
○ Either alone or with a partner, identify evidence from the text that shows the
elements of a short story at work.
● Independent
○ For homework, brainstorm 2-3 passages from the text that contribute specifically
to theme. We will close read as a class on day three.

Concluding Phase

● Assign homework
○ The evidence we found in class could help connect to theme. Build upon in class
work.

Follow up: ​Independent practice is the homework.

Materials: ​Worksheet
Day Three Procedure:

Anticipatory Set

● Do Now: Listen to the “Arrival” score and Max Richter’s “On the Nature of Daylight.”
Talk about connections between the film and the short story it was based on.

Initial Phase

1. Ask students what passages they feel are the most relevant to the theme of the short story
“Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang.
2. Class read a few sections they chose together as a class.
3. Ask students what literary devices they see present and how the elements are developed
along the story.

Middle Phase

● Guided Practice:
○ Develop a thesis statement from one of the passages close read in class. The thesis
statement should address how a specific element from the short story helps form
the theme.
● Independent Practice:
○ For homework, build upon the thesis you wrote in class by placing it in an
ACECon paragraph
■ Assertion (Thesis)
■ C: Cite (Quotes from the text)
■ E: Explain (Why does the selected quote matter?)
■ Con: Conclusion

Concluding Phase

● Exit ticket is to show me your thesis statement before leaving class.

Follow up: ​Independent practice is homework.

Materials:​ None