Understanding and Teaching Short Stories at Secondary Level

Language Learning Support Section

2:00 pm – 5:00 pm October 25th 2007

What is a short story? Why use short stories

in class?

A girl was asked to write a short story in as few words as possible for her college class.

The instructions were that it had to discuss Religion, Sexuality and Mystery.

She was the only one who received an A+ and this is what she wrote:

Extremely short stories

For sale: baby shoes, never worn.

- Ernest Hemingway

Corpse parts missing. Doctor buys yacht.- Margaret Atwood

wired.com Internet magazine. Issue 14.11

Some definitions:

A short story……..

• can be read in one sitting (Edgar Allan Poe

“The Philosophy of Composition” 1846)

• is 1,000 – 20,000 words long

• has a limited set of characters, a single setting, and a simple plot

•Responding to texts•Giving opinions•Justifying opinions

•Knowledge of text features•Applying knowledge to their writing

•Responding to characters•Responding to plot•Responding to themes•(writing, oral, performance)

•Reading skills•Making inferences•Getting the main idea•Predicting events

SBA NSS

TSA Experience

Strand

Why teach short stories?

Fairy tale • Fairy tales tend to be about royalty, fairies,

wicked stepmothers, giants and talking animals. • Settings often include castles, forests, cottages

and the time is often “long ago”• Events are magical and supernatural. The good

live happily ever after at the end and the bad are punished in some way.

• Formulaic language, including rhyme and repetition, is common.

Parable

• Usually refers to the stories told by Jesus in the New Testament

• They are used to explain difficult theological concepts in terms which people can easily understand

Fable• Characters are usually animals, plants,

inanimate objects, or forces of nature which are given human qualities.

• They illustrate a moral lesson which is often expressed explicitly at the end

Slow and steady wins the race!

Myth• Myths tend to be

about gods or supernatural beings.

• Often tell about events from the distant past

• Sometimes creation stories or explain natural phenomena

• Legends are similar, but usually about heroes rather than gods.

Folk tale• Folktales are similar to fairy tales, except

that they usually concern ordinary people rather than royalty

• Values such as thrift, kindness, honesty and diligence are usually rewarded

• As with fairy tales, formulaic language is common

Crime story• Also called “mystery”

genre or “whodunnits” • Mystery plots always

involve characters trying to discover a vital piece of information which is kept hidden until the climax. Solving crimes by the use of clues is common in this genre.

• Characters usually include detectives, criminals, or the police.

Science Fiction

• Science fiction plots commonly explore ideas like space travel, cloning, time travel, or aliens. Fantastical things happen but all have a scientific explanation.  No use of magic.

• Settings often include other planets, space ships, or futuristic cities. These may be described in detail

• Characters will often include robots,

aliens, astronauts, or scientists

Ghost / Horror Story

• The plot is always a horror experience and it usually involves the intrusion of a supernatural element into everyday human experience.

• Characters are often ordinary but vulnerable people, such as children and women.

• Settings vary but they are usually secluded and isolated places.

• Atmosphere is often created by description of the setting.

Love Story (Romance)

• Plots of romance revolve around two people as they develop romantic love for each other and work to build a relationship together.

• Both the conflict and the climax of the story should be directly related to that core theme of developing a romantic relationship.

• There is often a happy ending.

Realistic story

• Realistic fiction is usually set in modern times.• It can also have a historical setting - events

usually have something to do with an important historical event

• Characters will be ordinary, believable people.• Stories may be funny or serious• Dialogue will be realistic

Traditional stories• “flat” characters• unspecified settings• simple and fast

moving plot• ending is clear and

usually happy• formulaic language• simple past tense• third person

narration

Modern stories• “round” characters• setting may be described

in detail• may not be much

background at beginning• ending may be

inconclusive• present tenses may be

used• first person narration can

be used

Elements of a story

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 Elements

Characters

The people & their

relationships

Setting

Location & time

Style

Writing technique

s

ThemeMain or

recurrent idea(could also be a lesson to learn)

Plot/story line

Actions and events

Characters

Themes and

lessons

Settings

PlotOpening

ComplicationThe Wolfeats Grandmaand lies in her bed.

Crisis

Ending

Little Red Riding Hood

2. Complete the story map

Ex poser – special features

Theme / Plot• Gradual

increase in tension during the questioning process

• Twist ending

Characters• David reveals

himself through his thoughts and attitudes to others

• David himself cannot interpret these, but the reader can

Language Features

• First person narration

• Simple present tense

Lesson Procedures for “Ex Poser”Pre-reading

Strategy / activity used Teaching focus

1. Use of pictures to introduce idea of a lie detector

2. Use of dictionary extracts to focus on the meaning of the title

•Teaching or reinforcing vocabulary•Background knowledge important for the story

•Bringing out the theme of the story

Building up knowledge of the topic

•Predicting events

While-reading

Strategy / activity used Teaching focus

1. “Think aloud” of first two paragraphs

2. Tick chart about characters

3. Predicting the questions

Inferring meaning of words from context (reading skill)

Teaching students to understand and respond to character descriptions

Predicting the continuation of

the story (reading skill)

Understanding the details

While / Post-reading

Strategy / activity used Teaching focus

1. Completing a chart of the main character’s emotions

2. Writing Sandra’s diary

Teaching students to understand and respond to character descriptions

Teaching students to understand and respond to plot development

Understanding and responding to characters (point of view)

Teaching or reinforcinglanguage patterns (tenses)

Integrating and applying

Approach to teaching a short story

1. Understand the features of the text type

2. Understand the features of the genre

3. Analyse the text

4. Decide teaching objectives

5. Plan lessons and materials

Stages in working with the text

Pre- reading

While-reading /Post-reading

Extension activities

Building up knowledge of the topic

Understanding the details

Integrating and applying

Plot

Language

CharactersTheme

Pre-reading stage When? In class --- Teacher-guided How?Recall previous knowledge and experience Make predictions about the setting of the

storyPre-teaching / Providing background

information

Building up knowledge of the topic

What activities?Brainstorming Predicting from titles, pictures etc

While-reading /Post-reading stage

When? In class, under teacher’s guidance

How? applying reading strategies connecting the story to reader’s

mind and experience responding to the writer

Understanding the details

What activities? Engaging in discussions Identifying story elements using story

organiser Summarising events

Extension activities

Purposes: Integrative use of skills to show interpretation

and appreciation Consolidating understanding of the story Applying the language skills learnt

When? After teaching the story

Integrating and applying

What activities?Performing e.g. readers’ theatreWriting storiesExtended tasks and projects

Part A InstructionsPart A Instructions

• Briefly analyse the story of “The Hairy Briefly analyse the story of “The Hairy Toe” and consider how you can use it Toe” and consider how you can use it with your students.with your students.

• Put your group’s ideas in Part A of the Put your group’s ideas in Part A of the handout. handout.

Part B Instructions

• Choose ONE teaching point your group put in Part A and think of ONE teaching and learning activity for it.

Workshop instructions

Edgar Allan Poe

H. H. Munro (Saki)

Roald Dahl

Katherine Mansfield

M. R. James

Isaac Asimov

Agatha Christie

Oscar Wilde

Useful resourcesEast of the Web: Short Stories Teaching Resources: http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/teacher.htmlBBC/British Council Teaching English: British Literature: http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/download/britlit/britlit.shtmlMerlyn’s Pen: http://www.merlynspen.org/ American Folklore: http://www.americanfolklore.net/index.htmlStory Arts: Storytelling Activities and Lesson Ideas: http://www.storyarts.org/lessonplans/lessonideas/index.htmlLanguage Learning Support Section http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/languagesupport/article/index_e.htm