Elements of

Short Stories

Workbook
Name: _______________________
Date: ________________________
 Elements of Short Stories
In this workbook, you will be learning about six elements of short stories.
These elements include:

Plot Character
● A series of events that create a ● A person in a story
story ● When analyzing character, think
● When analyzing plot, think about about:
the five stages of plot: ○ Physical appearance
○ Exposition ○ Personality traits
○ Rising Action ○ Roles & jobs
○ Climax ○ Relationships to other
○ Falling Action characters
○ Resolution ○ History & background
○ Goals & barriers to success
○ Fears
Conflict
● A problem in a story
● When analyzing conflict, think Setting
about the four main types of ● Where and when the story takes
conflict: place
○ Person vs. person ● When analyzing the setting, think
○ Person vs. self about:
○ Person vs. nature, ○ The time of day, season, and
supernatural, technology year
○ Person vs. society ○ Where it is
○ The atmosphere
○ The important details that
create the setting
Theme ○ How the setting affects the
● What the reader can learn from story
the story
● When analyzing character, think
about:
○ What the author wants the Narration
reader to learn from the story ● The point of view the story is
○ What the main message in written from, including:
the story is? ○ First, Second, Third Person
○ Third person can be:
Omniscient, Limited, Objective
● The Narrator is the “person”
telling the story

Elements of Short Stories

2
 Narration: Overview
Narration is how the story is told. The narrator is the “person” who tells the story.

First, think about the perspective of the narrator. There are three perspectives to
choose from:

● First Person:

The narrator is a character in the story. They use personal pronouns like “I,”
“me,” “we,” “us,” etc.

● Second Person:

The narrator is speaking directly to the reader. They use personal pronouns like
“you,” your,” etc.

● Third Person:

The narrator is someone from outside the story. They use third-person
pronouns like “he,” “she,” “they,” “his,” “hers,” etc.

Within third person, there are three different types of narrators:

● Third Person Omniscient:

The story is told in third person. This narrator knows ALL of what is done, said,
felt, and thought by the characters.

● Third Person Limited:

The story is told in third person. This narrator ONLY knows the thoughts and
feelings of ONE character; the author presents the story from this character’s
eyes.

● Third Person Objective:

The narrator is like a movie camera that moves around freely recording. This
narrator is objective and gives no comments on the characters or their actions.
Readers are not told the thoughts or feelings of the characters.

Elements of Short Stories

3
 Narration: In the Story
Now that you know about the different kinds of narration, analyze the story
assigned to you by your teacher by answering the questions below.

What type of narration is used to tell the story?

Provide a quotation to prove your choice of narration type above.

Explain why this type of narration may help to tell this story.

Elements of Short Stories

4
 Plot: Overview
Most stories follow a simple pattern called the plot graph. The plot graph is a
great way to understand and visualize the events in a story. Read about the
main parts of a story in the graph below.

CLIMAX
The High Point

The climax is the high point of the story. It is

the main event or danger that the Winding Down
character faces. This is the darkest
moment or the worst challenge the Following the climax, the story
character must oppose. At this point, it begins to slowly wind down.
looks as if the character might fail and The falling action shows the
will never get what they want. result of the actions or

FA
decisions the character has

LLIN
made.

GA
Introduction of the Problem or

CT
Conflict

After the characters and main

ION
problem have been established, the
main character finds themself in
ON

crisis. This is the place for tension

RESOLUTION
ACTI

and excitement. The tension can

come from a character's conflict
with themselves, with others, with The End
G
RISIN

nature, or the world around

The resolution, also often called
them.
denouement, which is French for "to
untie" or "unraveling", is the
conclusion of the story. Here, the
The Beginning
conflicts are resolved, all loose ends
Every story must have a are tied up, and the story concludes
beginning. The start, or with either a happy or sad ending.
exposition, is where the
characters and setting are
established. During this
part of the story, the
conflict or main problem
may also be introduced.

EXPOSITION
Elements of Short Stories

5
 Plot: Practice
Now that you’ve learned the different parts of plot, choose a story (novel,
movie, tv show, etc.) and map it onto the plot graph. Be sure to include a few
important details for each part.

CLIMAX
The High Point

Winding Down

FA
LLIN
GA
Introduction of the Problem or

CT
Conflict
ION
ON

RESOLUTION
ACTI

The End
G
RISIN

The Beginning

EXPOSITION
Elements of Short Stories

6
 Plot: In the Story
Now, read the story assigned to you by your teacher. Map the story onto the
plot graph, including a few important points at least one quotation for each
section of the graph.

CLIMAX
The High Point

Winding Down

FA
LLIN
GA
Introduction of the Problem or

CT
Conflict
ION
ON

RESOLUTION
ACTI

The End
G
RISIN

The Beginning

EXPOSITION
Elements of Short Stories

7
 Setting: Overview & Practice
The setting of a story is where and when a story takes place. When analyzing
the setting of a story, it helps to think about:

● When:
What is the time of day, month, season, and year/time period?
● Where:
What are the specific locations, landscapes, and climate/weather?
● Atmosphere:
How does the setting make the reader feel?
● The five senses:
What are the characters seeing, smelling, feeling, hearing, and tasting?

Next, choose any story (novel, movie, tv show, etc.) that creates a clear and
descriptive setting. Write 4-5 sentences describing the setting. Try to mention
each of the four elements of setting (when, where, atmosphere, 1 of the 5
senses).

Then, read the story assigned to you by your teacher and fill in the graphic
setting organizer. See the completed graphic organizer on the next page as
an example of what to brainstorm when thinking about these aspects of
setting.
Elements of Short Stories

8
EXAMPLE:
Disney’s Frozen Setting
(Not a short story - but popular enough to use as an example!)
Read the short story assigned to you by your teacher. Then, fill in the graphic
organizer to brainstorm details about the setting of the story.

When
● 1840s during summer.
● Turns into Elsa’s winter.
● There are scenes during the
day and nighttime.
Where
● Overall setting is inspired by
Northern Europe.
● The story begins in a warm
climate with a lot of
greenery, but changes to a
frozen, wintery landscape.
● Some of the locations
include: the ornate palace of
Arendelle, Wandering
Oaken’s Trading Post, the
mystical troll forest, the
frozen mountains and fjords
surrounding Arendelle, and
Elsa’s ice palace.

Atmosphere 5 Senses

● The cool colours of Elsa’s ice
palace make the viewer feel
cold.
● The dark, dreary, and frozen
landscape creates suspense.
● Anna smells Sven’s stinky fur.
● She feels freezing after falling
into water.
● She hears the crackling fire in
the palace.
● She tastes chocolate.
● She sees her home turn into
a frozen desert.

Elements of Short Stories

9
 Setting: In the Story
Read the short story assigned to you by your teacher. Then, fill in the graphic
organizer to brainstorm details about the setting of the story.

When Where

Atmosphere 5 Senses

Elements of Short Stories

10
 Setting: In the Story
After you’ve listed the details about the setting, choose a single location from
the story (ex. The Troll Forest) and draw a picture or create a collage of the
setting here. Be sure to use details from each of the 4 boxes from the graphic
organizer on the previous page..

Thinking about the specific location you used in your visual representation
above, write a short paragraph reflecting on how the setting impacts the
characters and the story. You may try to answer one or a few of the following
questions:
● How do the characters interact with the setting? Does it create obstacles
and/or tools for the characters? Is the character in conflict with the
setting?
● What do the characters think and feel about the setting?
● Does the setting help us understand the characters? (ex. does it show the
culture or history of a character?).

Elements of Short Stories

11
 Character: Overview
Characters are the people in the story. The main character is usually called the
protagonist. When analyzing characters, it’s important to think about the
characters’:

● Physical appearance

Ex. In J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, Harry is a short boy with green eyes, messy
black hair, a lightning bolt scar on his forehead, and round glasses.
● Personality traits
Ex. Harry is stubborn, especially with authority figures. He does not study very
hard, but is still a smart and powerful wizard. He is brave and always willing
to put himself in harm’s way to protect others.

● Roles & jobs

Ex. Harry is a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is in

Gryffindor house and is the seeker on the quidditch team. He is an orphan,
but lives with his aunt and uncle in London. He has many chores to do when
he is with them.

● Relationships to other characters

Ex. Harry is best friends with Hermione and Ron. He is an orphan, born to Lily
and James Potter, whom were killed when he was a baby. His greatest
enemy is Lord Voldemort because he killed Harry’s parents and many other
innocent people. Many of his professors like Harry, especially Dumbledore
and Hagrid, but Snape does not like him.
● History & background
Ex. Harry is famous for being the only person to ever survive the killing curse.
He grew up unaware that he was a wizard because his aunt and uncle hid
his past from him.
● Goals & barriers to success

Ex. Harry’s goal is the learn about being a wizard and to avenge his parent’s
death. He faces many barriers to success, including serious injuries and a
lack of knowledge about wizardry.
● Fears
Ex. Harry is afraid of his loved ones getting hurt, especially if it is because of
him.
Elements of Short Stories

12
 Character: In the Story
Read the short story assigned to you by your teacher. Highlight information
and make notes about character while you read. Then, fill in the graphic
organizer to analyze the main character. Include evidence from the story to
support your ideas.

Character ID Card

Name: ________________

Age: _________________

Roles/Jobs: _____________
____________________
____________________

Personality Traits: _________

____________________
Draw a picture of the character here. ____________________
Be sure to use specific information
from the story to visualize them.

Add evidence below to support the information you put in the ID card.

Elements of Short Stories

13
 Character: In the Story
After compiling basic information about the character in the ID card, build on
your analysis by completing the graphic organizer.

History & Background Goals, Barriers, & Fears

Use the mindmap to explore the characters’ relationships. Include the

relations’ names, the type of relationships (ex. friend, mother, etc.) and what
the relationships are like (ex. close, caring, etc.). Use evidence to support your
ideas.

Relationships

Elements of Short Stories

14
 Conflict: Practice
The conflict is the problem in the story. The conflict drives the story forward as
the main character tries to solve their problem. There are 4 main types of
conflict. Use the graphic organizer to learn about the 4 main types of conflict
and brainstorm an example for each from a book, movie, tv show, etc.

Type of Explanation of Conflict Conflicts & Examples from Story

Conflict

Person Person in conflict with

vs their own feelings of
Self anxiousness, guilt,
frustration, indecision,
etc.

Person Person in conflict with

vs another person.
Person

Person Person in conflict with

vs an act of nature, such
Nature as a storm, or a piece
of nature, such as a
mountain or animal.

Person Person in conflict with

vs the rules in the family,
Society school, society, or law.

Elements of Short Stories

15
 Conflict: In the Story
Now, using the story assigned to you by your teacher, list the different types of
conflict you read about. Include a quotation from the story that shows each
type of conflict that applies.

Type of Explanation of Conflict Conflicts & Examples from Story

Conflict

Person Person in conflict with

vs their own feelings of
Self anxiousness, guilt,
frustration, indecision,
etc.

Person Person in conflict with

vs another person.
Person

Person Person in conflict with

vs an act of nature, such
Nature as a storm, or a piece
of nature, such as a
mountain or animal.

Person Person in conflict with

vs the rules in the family,
Society school, society, or law.

Elements of Short Stories

16
 Theme: Overview & Practice
The theme is what the reader can learn from the story or the author’s main
message in the story.
Themes are usually short statements that can apply to many different stories,
and even to real life. Sometimes, one story may have many different themes.
Some examples of themes are:
● With hard work, anyone can succeed.
● Sometimes we find friends in the most unlikely places.
● Without curiosity, we can never learn.

Below are the steps to creating a theme sentence. Choose a book, movie, or
other type of story to practice creating a theme sentence using each step.

Story: __________________________

Step 1: Choose a topic

A topic is 1-2 words that are very general, such as:

Family Love Courage Temptation Power

Friendship Failure Achievement Hope Trust

Nature Perseverance Beauty Curiosity Fear

Choose 2-3 possible topics for the book, movie, or other story you’ve chosen:

Elements of Short Stories

17
 Theme: Practice
Step 2: Think about what the reader can learn about this topic by reading the
story.
Ex. Topic: perseverance
Possible Lesson(s):
● You can’t go very far without perseverance.
● Perseverance helps us get through difficult times.
● Anyone can persevere.
Now, brainstorm some lessons the reader could learn about one topic you’ve
chosen by reading the story:

Step 3: Write a theme sentence

A theme sentence follows a few rules, including:
● Be universal: Don’t use the story, author, or character names in the
sentence. The theme statement should apply easily to other stories too!
● Be specific: Remember, the theme is something the reader can learn
from the story. Most readers already know perseverance is important,
but what specifically is the author saying about perseverance?
Ex. The path to success is not easy; it requires perseverance.

Elements of Short Stories

18
 Theme: Practice
Now that you’ve explored theme, use the graphic organizer to write a
paragraph about the theme sentence you wrote on the previous page.

Topic:

Theme
Sentence:

Connection to
story: how does
the story teach
this theme?

Evidence from
story: which
quotation from
the story best
shows the
theme?

Conclusion:
how does the
evidence show
the theme?

Elements of Short Stories

19
 Checklist

Success Criteria

Understanding:

● I can use graphic organizers to understand short stories. /5

● I can choose evidence from the story to support my /5

analysis.

Thinking:

● I can explain how my evidence is relevant to my task. /5

● I can use my reading tools to think about what I can learn /5

from the story (ex. plot graph).

Communicating:

● I can use correct grammar and spelling throughout my /5

notebook.
/5
● I can use images, colour, and text to clearly communicate
my ideas.

Total: ________ /30 = ________ %

Elements of Short Stories

20
 Rubric
Level 1 2 3 4

Understanding:

Uses graphic
organizers to
With With a high
understand short With limited With some
considerable degree of
stories. effectiveness effectiveness
effectiveness effectiveness

Chooses evidence from

the story to support
analysis.

Thinking:

Explains how evidence

is relevant to task. With With a high
With limited With some
considerable degree of
effectiveness effectiveness
Uses reading tools to effectiveness effectiveness
think about what can
be learned from the
story (ex. plot graph).

Communication:

Uses correct grammar

and spelling With With a high
With limited With some
throughout notebook. considerable degree of
effectiveness effectiveness
effectiveness effectiveness
Uses images, colour,
and text to clearly
communicate ideas.

Total:
Comments:

Elements of Short Stories

21