Short Stories

Grade Eight English Language Arts

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Intentions

Type of Unit: Thematic Study of Divergent by Veronica Roth Learning Outcomes: General Learning Outcomes Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to Comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, print and other media texts. Manage ideas and information. Enhance the clarity and artistry of communication. Respect, support and collaborate with others. Emphasis of Unit: This unit will help to develop the students ability to interpret and write short stories. The students will interact with other genres of text that compliment the short stories and complete project based assignments that demonstrate their understandings of the themes. Essential Questions: Goals:

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Displays

Primary Texts: The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl Additional Resources: Alberta Education English Language Arts Program of Studies www.mrsgoughsclass.weebly.com Performance Task: Write Your Own Short Story

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Evaluations

Summative Assessments: Lamb to the Slaughter News Article Tell Tale Heart Comparative Essay The Lottery Performance Task Formative Assessments:
Lamb to the Slaughter Irony Assignment Tell Tale Heart Comprehension Questions The Lottery Performance Task

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Activities

Round Table Stories Mr. Essay

Rationale
This eighth grade short story unit was developed to examine this genre through two literacy strands: reading and writing. Student will read and listen short stories multiple short stories, and then they will explore together the literary elements of plot, character, and irony. The purpose of these studies is to discover how different authors used these elements, and for students to consider how they might use them in their own short stories. Throughout the unit the students will have the opportunity to develop their own writing skills through different activities. In the process of exploring short stories, students will gain skill in each of the six literacy strands highlighted in the Alberta English Language Arts Program of Studies: reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and representing. Additionally, the unit is designed to help students enhance their appreciation and comprehension of literature, and their skill at writing in a particular genre. As the students compose their own stories, they will be required to pay attention to writing style and conventions in order to help them become more polished writers. This unit is planned to take place in the middle of the school year in order to allow students to develop their understanding of literary elements and the conventions involved in writing. The activities in the unit as meant to scaffold the students understanding of short stories That said, this unit could fit anytime into the school year, as it is a new exploration into the short story genre, and it does not necessarily build on previous units setting the stage for the content explored. The unit is planned to use fifteen one hour class periods.

Resources and Materials

Resource Texts The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl Teaching Resources Alberta Program of Studies retrieved from http://www.learnalberta.ca/ProgramOfStudy.aspx?lang=en&ProgramId=370511# The AAC Rubric Wordsmith from Building Better Rubrics Alberta Assessment Consortium 2009

Unit Calendar
28 Choice: Leveled Reading or Writing Journals 29 Popcorn Reading: Lamb to the Slaughter Comprehension Questions 5 Work Time News Article Assignment Due 30 Comprehension Questions 31 How to Write a News Article News Article Assignment 1 Work Time

4 Choice: Leveled Reading or Writing Journals

6 Round Table Stories

7 Reading Activity: Tell Tale Heart Comprehension Questions 14 Work Time

8 Comprehension Questions

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13 How to Write a Comparative Essay and Review of Simpsons Episode 20 Word Association and Prediction Activity Reading Activity: The Lottery 27 Lottery Assignment

15 Work Time

Choice: Leveled Reading or Watch Simpsons: Lisas Rival Writing Journals

18 Comparative Essay Due Choice: Leveled Reading or Writing Journals 25 Choice: Leveled Reading or Writing Journals

19 Story Writing Activity

21 Comprehension Questions

22 Comprehension Questions

26 Lottery Assignment

28 Lottery Assignment

29 Short Story Assignment Intro Work Time for Short Stories

2 Choice: Leveled Reading or Writing Journals

3 Work Time for Short Stories Peer Feedback Activity

4 Work Time for Short Stories

5 Work Time for Short Stories

6 Short Stories Reading Circle

Assessment Tool Overview

Assessment Tool Title
Lamb to the SlaughterNews Report

Specific Outcomes
3.1.1: Focus Attention 3.3.1: Organize Information 4.1.1: Appraise Own and Others Work 4.2.1: Attend to Grammar and Usage

Brief Description
After reading Lamb to the Slaughter, the students will complete a new report about the events in the story. On their news report they will be required to include a visual representation of the crime scene. The students will complete a peer evaluation of each others work. As an activity when reading The Tell Tale Heart we will watch the Simpsons episode called Lisas Rival that parodies the short story. The students will be required to write a comparative essay that compares the two representations of the themes. The students will choose what aspect of the stories they would like to compare (genre, plot, or theme).

For

As

Of

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Tell Tale HeartComparative Essay

2.4.3: Structure Texts 4.1.5: Enhance Artistry 5.1.4: Use Language to Show Respect 2.3.3: Experiment With Language 2.4.1: Generate Ideas 4.3.2: Enhance Presentation 2.1.1: Use Prior Knowledge 2.1.2: Use Comprehension Strategies 2.1.3: Use Textual Cues 2.1.1: Use Prior Knowledge 2.1.2: Use Comprehension Strategies 2.1.3: Use Textual Cues

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The Lottery??? Lamb to the SlaughterIrony Assignment Tell Tale HeartReading Comprehension Questions The LotteryReading Comprehension Questions Write Your own Short Story

* This assignment helps the students develop a well-rounded understanding of the three types of irony: verbal, situational, and dramatic. The students will be required to cite examples of each type of irony from the story. The after reading the story, the students will complete comprehension questions to test their basic understanding of the plot. These questions are also designed to help the students review the story before doing their major assignment for the text. The after reading the story, the students will complete comprehension questions to test their basic understanding of the plot. These questions are also designed to help the students review the story before doing their major assignment for the text. Throughout the unit the students will participate in activities that prepare them to compose their own short stories. For the final week of the unit the students will write their own narrative story and complete self and peer evaluations of their work. Throughout the unit, the students will participate in many different group activities. Periodically throughout the unit, the students will complete self-assessments of their participation based on a rubric.

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2.1.1: Use Prior Knowledge 2.1.2: Use Comprehension Strategies 2.1.3: Use Textual Cues 2.1.1: Use Prior Knowledge 2.1.2: Use Comprehension Strategies 2.1.3: Use Textual Cues 4.3.4: Demonstrate Attentive Listening and Viewing 5.1.1: Appreciate Diversity 5.2.1: Cooperate With Others

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Participation

Connections to Other Areas of the Curriculum

Social Studies: 8.S.1 - develop skills of critical thinking and creative thinking: 8.S.4 - demonstrate skills of decision making and problem solving 8.S.5 - demonstrate skills of cooperation, conflict resolution and consensus building: 8.S.6 - develop age-appropriate behavior for social involvement as responsible citizens contributing to their community: 8.S.8 - demonstrate skills of oral, written and visual literacy: 8.S.9 - develop skills of media literacy: