21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World Second Semester

Senior High School Department Quarter 2 -Week 2

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET

“Classic and Contemporary Fiction”

IN A NUTSHELL

Works in the 21st century includes several and different literary genres and one of the
common genres is fiction. A work of fiction is created in the imagination of its author. The author
invents the story and makes up the characters, the plot or storyline, the dialogue and sometimes
even the setting. A fictional work does not claim to tell a true story. Instead, it immerses us in
experiences that we may never have in real life, introduces us to types of people we may never
otherwise meet and takes us to places we may never visit in any other way. Fiction can inspire us,
intrigue us, scare us and engage us in new ideas. It can help us see ourselves and our world in new
and interesting ways. Fiction, as well, can convey deep truths and resonate with readers from all
walks of life.
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QUICK WINS
MELC: Compare and contrast the various 21 st century literary genres and their elements,
structures, and traditions from across the globe.

Specific Objectives:

1) Compare and contrast classic and contemporary fiction and their elements, structures
and traditions from across the globe.
2) Take to heart these aspects and develop a genuine love for world literature.
3) Create a flash fiction.

‘MAIN STREAM’

Is this a story or not?

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Below are some discussions, which will help you familiarize fiction and flash fiction including their
elements, structures and other relevant information.

Fiction is make-believe, invented stories. They may be short stories, fables, vignettes, plays,
novellas, or novels. Although writers may base a character on people they have met in real life, the
characters and the experiences that the character faces in the story are not real.

The six major elements of fiction are character, plot, point of view, setting, style, and theme.

Character -- A figure in a literary work (personality, gender, age, etc). E. M. Forester makes a
distinction between flat and round characters. Flat characters are types or caricatures defined by a
single idea of quality, whereas round characters have the three-dimensional complexity of real
people.

Plot –- the major events that move the action in a narrative. It is the sequence of major events in
a story, usually in a cause-effect relation

Point of View -- the vantage point from which a narrative is told. A narrative is typically told
from a first-person or third-person point of view. In a narrative told from a first-person perspective,
the author tells the story through a character who refers to himself or herself as "I." Third –person
narratives come in two types: omniscient and limited. An author taking an omniscient point of view
assumes the vantage point of an all-knowing narrator able not only to recount the action thoroughly
and reliably but also to enter the mind of any character in the work or any time in order to reveal his
or her thoughts, feelings, and beliefs directly to the reader. An author using the limited point of view
recounts the story through the eyes of a single character (or occasionally more than one, but not all
or the narrator would be an omniscient narrator).

Setting – That combination of place, historical time, and social milieu that provides the general
background for the characters and plot of a literary work. The general setting of a work may differ
from the specific setting of an individual scene or event.

Style -- The author’s type of diction (choice of words), syntax (arrangement of words), and other
linguistic features of a work

Theme(s) -- The central and dominating idea (or ideas) in a literary work. The term also indicates
a message or moral implicit in any work of art.

However, as the making of these stories, evolve, other varied types have evolved. Other than
the classical way of writing fictional stories, we now have other forms which are still
considered as stories. One of which is flash fiction.

Flash fiction is a genre of fiction, defined as a very short story. While there is no set word
count that separates flash fiction from more traditional short stories, flash fiction stories can be as
short as a few words (while short stories typically run for several pages). Flash fiction is also known
as sudden fiction, short-short stories, microfiction, or microstories.
As a general rule, flash fiction is considered to be less than 1,000 words long. And believe it
or not, you can study how to write it. If you will search the web on “how to write a flash fiction story”
and you’ll get five million hits, including some for courses that would take way longer to complete
than would simply writing a bunch of flash pieces until you get the hang of it.

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Flash fiction stories share a number of common characteristics.

Brevity. Flash fiction compresses an entire story into the space of a few paragraphs. There is no
defined word count for flash fiction, but some commonly used word limits in flash fiction range from
just six words on the short end to around 1,000 words on the longer end

A complete plot. A flash fiction story is indeed a story, with a beginning, middle, and end.
This sets it apart from a prose poem or vignette, which can explore an emotion, memory, or thought
without a plot.

Surprise. Great flash fiction often incorporates surprise, usually in the form of a twist ending or
an unexpected last line. This is not a gimmick: the aim is to prompt the reader to think deeply about
the true meaning of the story.

A plot. To be clear, a flash fiction piece is a complete story. Just like a longer piece of fiction,
your flash piece needs a beginning, a middle, and an ending. I saw one website that recommended
writing an outline for each flash story. I think that’s going a little overboard; your outline could end
up longer than the story. But if your story doesn’t have an ending – if, say, you find you’ve written a
scene that could be part of a longer story, or even part of a novel – then it’s not technically flash
fiction.

Characters. You don’t have a lot of space to describe your characters, obviously, but readers
should still be able to tell them apart. Use telling details that you can describe in a few words. Keep
your character count low, and stick with one point-of-view. 67

A hook. A flash story should start with a compelling scene and keep going. Just as in any other
type of story, you need to include some kind of conflict – an internal or external (or both) challenge
that your characters have to meet.

A slam-bang finish. Remember what I said about flash fiction needing an ending? A lot of
successful flash pieces employ a twist at the end. Think of structuring your story as you would a
joke; although your ending doesn’t need to be funny, it ought to be something that the reader didn’t
see coming.

DARE
Morsels of Memory
By Charlotte Aninion-de Guzman

They came, almost everyday, at different times of the day, pilgrims of my mother’s cooking. They
did not knock, because everyone knew that our door was never locked. And she welcomed them
with a smile, a warm coffee and with the delicious smell of food that was always slowly cooking
on our stove.

There was Aling Nita who seemed to be always fretting about one thing or another, that her once
straight hair suddenly turned curly and white overnight. Then the group of glorious gay men
working at a nearby beauty parlor who can shake our house with their laughter. And poor little
lost Ada who was always playing hide-and-seek with love, while her sister Maya dreamed of flying
to distant lands and seas where she said her life waits for her, and I could not help but wonder
how she can walk and talk without the breath of life in her languid sinewy body. But they were
not the only ones, there were countless others who sat in our small round kitchen table while my
mother fed their hunger. Perhaps that was my mother’s tragedy, like the stew that was always
cooking on her stove, her nose was too soft and her heart too open.

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 1. Whose image does the story center on? From what period of time in the author’s life are the
memories recalled?
2. What is the tone of Morsels of Memory? What words or images in the text create this tone?
3. What does the last line, “perhaps that was my mother’s tragedy, like the stew that was always
cooking on her stove, her nose was too soft and her heart too open,” mean?
4. How is the subject in the story similar from your mother or to the person whom you consider
your mother?
5. Recall the sacrifices your mother has already done for you and for your family.
6. How do you show your love to your parents?
.........................................................................

Read the two stories below and do the tasks that follow.

a. The Lineup
The row of men in their mid to late thirties stared straight ahead. Sarah felt uncomfortably
like they could see her looking at them, despite the two-way mirror. The lighting angled into
their faces would also make it hard for anyone to see out. It showed up every detail of their
faces and clothing, every flaw. Sarah tried not to think about it.
Three of them were out straight away. Too short. They were so far off, she was surprised
they’d been included. She crossed off two more with the wrong physique.
Their shoulders weren’t broad enough. Number 7 had a terrible, affected moustache. It made
him look like a pimp or some kind of cheap criminal. Wrong, wrong, wrong. She paused in
front of Number 12 and chewed the end of her pen. Right height, right build but there was
something she couldn’t put her finger on. She could always come back and look again. Thirty
men, ten minutes. Plenty of time to make the right
decision.
She moved along the line as her mind wandered to dinner. She’d come straight from work
and had had to skip lunch again to run between meetings. She realised she’d passed over 19
to 24 while she was thinking about food. This was important. She needed to focus.
Number 25, balding, no way. So far she had crossed off over half of them. She ticked 28
and 29 just to allow some chance of finding the right guy even though they were blond and
she’d said tall and dark. She went back to the beginning again and ticked five more. A second
look at Number 12 and she immediately spotted what it was that had bothered her earlier. The
shoes! Scruffy trainers with an otherwise not bad pair of jeans – not Diesel…
“Can they all turn round?” Sarah asked the attendant. A buzzer sounded and the men
turned to face the wall. Number 12’s jeans were not only Armani, they were a great fit on a
very nice bum. Maybe this guy had some style after all and the trainers were just an aberration.
One minute left. The buzzer sounded and Number 12 flashed a cheeky smile as if he knew
where she’d been looking. Tick.
The Exit sign blinked and she deposited her clipboard in the box on the way out. She let
some of the women pass her. She figured being at the beginning or the end of the women’s
lineup was the best way of being picked. Ten minutes of holding your stomach in and
smiling. MicroSpeed Dating, harsh but efficient. They should make that their slogan instead
of “Takes minutes, lasts a lifetime”.

Six-Word Story

Who hurt you? “My own expectations.”

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 What makes both stories similar? What makes both stories different?

Six-Word Story

Like other forms of short stories or flash fiction, a six-word story allows a reader to consume
an entire narrative in just a moment’s time. If you’re trying to get in some short, but challenging,
bursts of writing practice throughout your day, try writing six-word stories. These bite-sized narratives
are fast and fun.
A six-word story is an entire story told in six words. It is a short narrative that can have all of
the emotional themes of longer stories—from funny to dramatic, sad to scary. While these quick
stories don’t have the classic beginning, middle, and end of a traditional storyline, they have a
subject and verb that give the reader a sense of what’s happened and a bit of conflict.
Six words can make a compelling narrative. Once you master the art of this tiny type of
storytelling, try using some of your original small stories as writing prompts for your next, longer
work. These itty bitty tales are creative writing at its finest and shortest.

Examples:

 Sorry soldier, shoes sold in pairs.

 “I’m different,” everybody thought at once.
 “Wrong number,” says a familiar voice. – bailiff
 Born a twin; graduated only child.
 “Total media blackout,” agreed the President.
 Strangers. Friends. Best friends. Lovers. Strangers. – potatocats
 Dying to know. Afraid to find out.
 Forget about yesterday. It forgot you.
 One bullet was cheaper than therapy.
 Your fingerprints have not washed off.

ROOTS

Ambon, F., Gabelo, N., & Mata, E. (2017). 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World. Mutya Publishing
House, Inc. Malabon City.
Jalmasco, R. (2020). Classic and Contemporary Fiction. 21st Century Literature from the
Philippines and the World. Department of Education. Regional Center Site, Rawis, Legazpi City.
Writing 101: What Is Flash Fiction? https://www.masterclass.com/articles/writing-101-what-isflash-fiction-learn-how-to-
write-flash-fiction-in-7-steps#3-characteristics-of-flash-fiction
Staff, M. (2021). How to Write an Unforgettable Six-Word Story.
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-an-unforgettable-six-word-story#3examples-of-sixword-
stories
Prentis, Nicola. (2017) The Line Up https://simpleenglishuk.wordpress.com/2017/02/24/the-lineupa-flashfiction-lesson/
Six Word Stories. Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.ph/schusterji/six-word-stories/

Prepared by: Noted by:

Mariz O. Fernando Teresita S. Arlante, Ph.D Erwin V. De Los Reyes
Subject Teacher SHS Coordinator Principal I
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 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
Region V
Division of Naga City

NAGA CITY SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL

Balatas, Naga City

WEEKLY HOME LEARNING PLAN

First Semester, Quarter 2- Week 2
November 24 – December 1, 2021

21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World

Day and Time Learning Learning Learning Tasks Mode of

Area Competencies Delivery

Grade 12 Compare and

ASYNCHRONOUS contrast the Do the indicated activities: ASYNCHRONOUS
Grade 12 various 21st
STEM & century literary Submission of
ABM genres and their  Read, understand, and answer output:
Wednesday elements, everything in the learning activity
November 24,
structures, and sheet.
2021
traditions
Ctenanthe TASKS
Fasciata
 Create your own six-word story
Louisae
Thursday (one only)
Crocata
Format: 5
Orbifolia
Content: 5
Goeppertia
Roseopicta Originality: 5
Total: 15pts
 After reading the short story, ** Handwritten
Morsels of Memory, show your answers are
Monday appreciation and love to your welcome.
mother or to the person whom you Please write
consider your mother either by your answers
writing a song or poem (for those on a short-
Friday linguistically inclined) OR portrait sized/A4 sized
(Synchronous or artwork (for artists). Once bond paper.
Session) done, show it to your mother and You may use
let her affix her signature below your own
your output. answer sheet.
(Send me a message if you want to do
other than the mentioned suggested Thank you.
tasks.) Criteria:
*Sincerity of work: 90
Signature of mother/mother figure: 10

Prepared by:
Noted by:
MARIZ FERNANDO JOSEPHINE FERRARIZ
SHS Teachers ERWIN V. DE LOS REYES
FB: Mariz Fernando FB: Jayvhinne Josephine Principal I
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