understanding and teaching short stories handout version.ppt

7/24/2019 Understanding and Teaching Short Stories handout version.ppt

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Understanding and Teaching

Short Stories at Secondary Level

Language Learning Support

Section2:00 pm 5:00 pm

October 25th 2007


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What is a shortstory?Why use shortstories

in class?


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A girl was asked to write a short story in as

ew words as possible or her college class!

"he instructions were that it had to discuss#eligion$ Se%ualityand &ystery!

She was the only one who recei'ed an A( and

this is what she wrote:


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Extremely short stories

)or sale: baby shoes$

ne'er worn!

* Ernest Hemingway

+orpse parts missing!

,octor buys yacht!

* Margaret Atwood

wired.com Internet magazine. Issue 1.11


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Some de!initions"

A short story--!!

# can be read in one sitting (Edgar Allan Poe

The Philosophy of Composition 184!# is .$000 20$000 words long

# has a limited set o characters$ a single

setting$ and a simple plot


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##esponding to te%ts#/i'ing opinions#ustiying opinions

#1nowledge o te%teatures#Applying knowledge to

their writing

##esponding to

characters##esponding to plot

##esponding to themes#writing$ oral$

perormance3

##eading skills#&aking inerences

#/etting the main idea#4redicting e'ents

SA 6SS

"SA %perience

Strand

Why teach short stories?


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$airy tale

# $airy tales tend to %e a%out royalty& !airies&wic'ed ste(mothers& giants and tal'ing animals.

# Settings o!ten include castles& !orests& cottagesand the time is o!ten )long ago*

# Events are magical and su(ernatural. The goodlive ha((ily ever a!ter at the end and the %ad are(unished in some way.

# $ormulaic language& including rhyme and

re(etition& is common.


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+ara%le

# Usually re!ers to the stories told %y ,esus

in the -ew Testament

# They are used to ex(lain di!!icult

theological conce(ts in terms which(eo(le can easily understand


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$a%le#

haracters are usually animals& (lants&inanimate o%/ects& or !orces o! nature which are

given human 0ualities.

# They illustrate a moral lesson which is o!ten

ex(ressed ex(licitly at the end

Slow and steadywins the race


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2yth

# 2yths tend to %ea%out gods orsu(ernatural %eings.

# 3!ten tell a%out

events !rom thedistant (ast# Sometimes creation

stories or ex(lain

natural (henomena# Legends are similar&%ut usually a%outheroes rather thangods.


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$ol' tale# $ol'tales are similar to !airy tales& exce(t

that they usually concern ordinary (eo(le

rather than royalty

# 4alues such as thri!t& 'indness& honesty

and diligence are usually rewarded# 5s with !airy tales& !ormulaic language is

common


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rime story# 5lso called )mystery*

genre or )whodunnits*

# 2ystery (lots alwaysinvolve characters trying

to discover a vital (iece

o! in!ormation which is

'e(t hidden until theclimax. Solving crimes

%y the use o! clues is

common in this genre.

# haracters usually

include detectives&

criminals& or the (olice.


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Science $iction

# Science !iction (lots commonly ex(lore ideas li'e

s(ace travel& cloning& time travel& or aliens.

$antastical things ha((en %ut all have a scienti!ic

ex(lanation. -o use o! magic.# Settings o!ten include other (lanets& s(ace shi(s&

or !uturistic cities. These may %e descri%ed in

detail

# haracters will o!ten include ro%ots&

aliens& astronauts& or scientists


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/host 89orror Story

# The (lot is always a horror

ex(erience and it usually

involves the intrusion o! asu(ernatural element into

everyday human ex(erience.

# haracters are o!ten ordinary

%ut vulnera%le (eo(le& suchas children and women.

# Settings vary %ut they are

usually secluded and isolated

(laces.

# 5tmos(here is o!ten created

%y descri(tion o! the setting.


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Love Story 67omance8

# +lots o! romance revolve around two (eo(le as

they develo( romantic love !or each other andwor' to %uild a relationshi( together.

# 9oth the con!lict and the climax o! the story

should %e directly related to that core theme o!

develo(ing a romantic relationshi(.# There is o!ten a ha((y

ending.


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7ealistic story

# 7ealistic !iction is usually set in modern times.

# It can also have a historical setting : eventsusually have something to do with an im(ortant

historical event# haracters will %e ordinary& %elieva%le (eo(le.

# Stories may %e !unny or serious

# ;ialogue will %e realistic


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"raditional stories

# )!lat* characters

# uns(eci!ied settings# sim(le and !ast

moving (lot

# ending is clear and

usually ha((y# !ormulaic language

# sim(le (ast tense

# third (ersonnarration

&odern stories

# )round* characters

# setting may %e descri%edin detail

# may not %e much%ac'ground at %eginning

# ending may %einconclusive

# (resent tenses may %eused

# !irst (erson narration can%e used


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Elements o! a story

5Elements

Characters

The people& their

relationships

Setting

Location& time

Style

Writingtechnique

s

ThemeMain or

recurrent idea(could also be alesson to learn)

lot!

story line

"ctionsand e#ents


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+haracters

"hemesand

lessons

Settings

4lotOpening

+omplication

"he ol

eats /randma

and lies in her

bed!

+risis

nding

Little #ed

#iding 9ood

2! +omplete the story map


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Ex (oser < s(ecial !eatures

"heme 8 4lot

# =radual

increase in

tensionduring the

0uestioning

(rocess

# Twist ending

+haracters

# ;avid reveals

himsel! through

his thoughtsand attitudes to

others

# ;avid himsel!

cannot

inter(ret these&

%ut the reader

can

Language

)eatures

# $irst (erson

narration

# Sim(le (resent

tense


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Lesson +rocedures !or )Ex +oser*

4re*reading

Strategy 8 acti'ity used "eaching ocus

1. Use o! picturestointroduce idea o! a liedetector

>. Use o! dictionarye%tractsto !ocus onthe meaning o! the title

#Teaching or rein!orcing'ocabulary

#ackground knowledge

im(ortant !or the story

#9ringing out the

theme o! the story

9uilding u( 'nowledge o! the to(ic

#+redicting events


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hile*reading

Strategy 8 acti'ity used "eaching ocus1. )"hink aloud* o! !irst

two (aragra(hs

>. Tic' chart a%outcharacters

;! 4redictingthe0uestions


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hile 8 4ost*reading

Strategy 8 acti'ity used "eaching ocus

1. om(leting a chart o!the main character=semotions

>. Writing Sandras diary

Teaching students to

understand and respond to

character descriptions

Teaching students to

understand and respond

to plot de'elopment

Understanding andres(onding to characters

6(oint o! view8

Teaching or rein!orcing

language(atterns 6tenses8

Integrating and a((lying


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5((roach to teaching a short story

1. Understand the !eatures o! the text ty(e

>. Understand the !eatures o! the genre

@. 5nalyse the text

. ;ecide teaching o%/ectives

A. +lan lessons and materials


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Stages in wor'ing with the text

4re* reading

hile*reading 8

4ost*reading

%tension

acti'ities

9uilding u( 'nowledge

o! the to(ic

Understanding the

details

Integrating and a((lying

4lot

Language

+haracters"heme


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4re*reading stage When$

In class --- Teacher-guided

%o$Recall previous knowledge and experience

Make predictions about the setting of thestory

Pre-teaching / Providing backgroundinformation

9uilding u( 'nowledge

o! the to(ic

What acti#ities$

rainstorming

Predicting from titles! pictures etc


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hile*reading 8

4ost*reading stagehen? In class& under teachers guidance

%o$

applying reading strategies connecting the story to reader"s

mind and experience

responding to the writer

Understanding the

details

What acti#ities$

#ngaging in discussions

Identifying story elements using story

organiser


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%tension acti'ities

4urposes:

Integrative use o! s'ills to show inter(retationand a((reciation

onsolidating understanding o! the story

5((lying the language s'ills learnt

When$ %fter teaching the story

Integrating and

a((lying

hat acti'ities>+er!orming e.g. readerstheatre

Writing stories

Extended tas's and (ro/ects

W ' h i t ti


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4art A


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Edgar 5llan +oe

B. B. 2unro 6Sa'i8

7oald ;ahl

Catherine 2ans!ield

2. 7. ,ames

Isaac 5simov

5gatha hristie

3scar Wilde


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Use!ul resourcesEast o! the We%" Short Stories Teaching 7esources"htt("DDwww.easto!thewe%.comDshort:storiesDteacher.html

99D9ritish ouncil Teaching English" 9ritish Literature"htt("DDwww.teachingenglish.org.u'DdownloadD%ritlitD%ritlit.shtml

2erlyns +en" htt("DDwww.merlyns(en.orgD

5merican $ol'lore"htt("DDwww.american!ol'lore.netDindex.html

Story 5rts" Storytelling 5ctivities and Lesson Ideas"htt("DDwww.storyarts.orgDlesson(lansDlessonideasDindex.ht

mlLanguage Learning Su((ort Sectionhtt("DDcd1.ed%.h'edcity.netDcdDlanguagesu((ortDarticleDindexe.htm

understanding and teaching short stories handout version.ppt

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