Unit One: Short Fiction Created by Mrs. D. Wittmann l
Unit Overview Make Connections Make Inferences Story Elements Figurative Language Imagery
How do you deal with conflict? Can you give an example of a time when you were in conflict and it was resolved in a positive way? What did you learn about yourself and how you can positively deal with conflict?
Jake Garret Todd Buckley Rick Paradis Nelson Jaworski Dipsy Didi Ray Melissa Fantino Jennifer Belanger
Harry Potter Ron Weasley Hermione Granger Lord Voldemort Albus Dumbledore Severus Snape Rubeus Hagrid Draco Malfoy
INFERENCING “I can’t stop shivering.” Lucy had to speak louder than normal so Gary could hear her over the wind’s caterwaul. “Move closer,” Gary said as he tugged gently at her light jacket. The material felt alarmingly flimsy in his hand. He wondered how much longer they’d have to wait until help would come.
Although you may not realize it, you have made several inferences from the passage above without even trying very much. For example, you probably concluded from the conversation that Lucy and Gary were cold, and that they may be in serious trouble. However, if you look back, you’ll see that there is not direct statement about temperature in the passage. You have determined the information from several clues.
What else can you infer from the passage? Are the two inside or outside? Do you think Lucy has prepared herself for this situation? What might her lack of preparedness say about her personality? What do you think of Gary’s personality? Most of the information you believe about Gary and Lucy has come from inference.
Inference is what we do when we draw conclusions based on observations and experience. Any time you read, you make inferences about the characters, scenes, and actions. You can do this because you bring a pretty large vocabulary and some life experience with you as you read. Meaning of words from context: Can you define the word caterwaul? You have most likely concluded that it means something similar to howl or scream.
If you weren’t familiar with the word before reading the passage, you probably made a conclusion because you are familiar enough with the words that came before and after to determine the meaning of this new word. In other words, you determined this from the context of the sentence. You put the clues together to make an educated guess about an unfamiliar word.
Determine character traits through words, thoughts, and actions: How would you describe Gary’s personality, based on the few sentences above? Is he a cruel person or a kind person? Is he sensitive or uncaring? What clues have led you to your conclusions? Pick up on clues about setting and mood: Is Gary happy, sleep, or worried in the passage? You probably think he’s worried, right? So try to identify the clues that left you with this impression. Did you come up with these clues? Lucy’s coat feels alarming flimsy. He’s waiting for help to come.
Pick up on character flaws or weaknesses: What can a reader conclude from the fact that Lucy is wearing a light jacket that seems to be inadequate for the situation at hand? Not much, to be fair. There is simply not enough information in this short passage to help the reader make a reasonable conclusion about Lucy’s personality. However, your brain is doing something interesting as you read. It stores clues. As you read long passages, you pick up on subtle hints and store them in your memory. You accumulate these clues and add them together to make further inferences as you read.
Here are a few traits we can infer from actions: Jesse had no idea how deep the river was. He just jumped. Trait: reckless Amanda had no idea why everyone else was laughing as she strolled around the room in mismatched shoes. Trait: oblivious (unaware) Susan jumped every time the door opened. Trait: jittery (nervous)
Why Does Inference Matter? Inference is an important ingredient for reading comprehension, but it is impossible to isolate inference as a factor alone. You can’t make inferences if you don’t possess other reading skills. All of your reading skills work in unison as you practice reading, and the more you read, the more you build your reading skills.
Inferences on Standardized Tests Most standardized tests for reading comprehension and vocabulary include a multitude of inference questions that challenge students to use context clues to answer questions based on either the vocabulary used or the events that happened in the passage. Common questions on reading comprehension tests include: "According to the passage, we can reasonably infer..." "Based on the passage, it could be suggested that..." "Which of the following statements is best supported by the passage?" "The passage suggests that this primary problem..."
MINDS ON Create a STORY Checklist
The SIX Story Elements Point of View Plot Characterization Conflict Setting Theme
POINT OF VIEW In other words, what is the narrative perspective? Point of view refers to the narration of a story. Literature must be narrated by someone, and a writer must decide who that someone will be. The selection of narrator determines the point of view from which the story will be told, as well as the amount and kind of information a reader will be given. https://www.flocabulary.com/unit/point-of-view/
PLOT Plot is the sequence of events and ideas that occur in the story and how the ways those events relate to one another. These events are presented to the reader to show relationships and meanings. The author crafts a plot structure to create expectations, increase suspense, and develop characters. The pacing of events can make a novel either predictable or riveting. Foreshadowing and flashbacks allow the author to defy the constraints of time. Sometimes an author can confound a simple plot by telling stories within stories. In a conventional work of fiction, the peak of the story’s conflict—the climax—is followed by the resolution, and denouement, in which the effects of that climactic action are presented.
Questions to consider: Can you divide the story into an opening, complications, climax and denouement? What is the series of events in the plot? Why do you think the author chose these events? Is the plot told in time order or does it follow a less predictable order? How does the choice of order affect the impact and meaning of the story? How would the impact of the story change if you changed the order of events? How would the impact of the story change if an event was left out or changed?
CHARACTERIZATION One of the most important elements in literature is characterization - the way that characters are described and observed, the way they interact with each other, the way they pursue goals, and react to conflicts. Authors use both direct and indirect characterization to describe characters. Direct Characterization Direct Characterization tells the audience what the personality of the character is. It is direct or EXPLICIT. Direct characterization establishes a baseline. Example: “The patient boy and quiet girl were both well-mannered and did not disobey their mother.” Explanation: The author is explicitly telling the audience the personality of these two children. The boy is “patient” and the girl is “quiet.” However, simply reading straight forward descriptions can get boring, and thus the authors also rely on indirect characterization. Much of the heavy lifting of characterization is done indirectly.
Write about a CHARACTER that you love! It can be from a book, a television show, movie, game, etc. Respond to the following... Who is your character and where do they come from (show, book, game, etc). Describe them using two adjectives and give examples to prove how you are describing them.
CONFLICT Conflict is defined as the struggle between opposing forces. One of the forces is usually the main character (protagonist). The opposition may arise between forces internal or external to the central character.
Internal Force: Character versus himself (example: making an important decision) External Force: Character versus character (example: fist fight) Character versus society (example: prejudice) Character versus nature (example: flood) Character versus beast/animal (example: shark attack) Character versus supernatural (example: ghosts) Simply put, the conflict is the WHY of a story.
When a character is in conflict, there are THREE possible solutions: Defeat Success A lack of resolution When analyzing conflict, ask the following FOUR questions: Who or what is in conflict? What has caused the conflict (what are the obstacles or problems)? What is revealed about the characters as they respond to the conflict? What is the outcome of the conflict – it is resolved? Why or why not?
SETTING Location, location, location. It is Rule #1 of real estate, and it is important to literature too - the setting of a story will influence the story itself, as well as the characters. The setting itself can take on the role of a character. Setting does not mean merely "scenery." 1. Directs the reader's attention to significant details of character or action. 2. Plays off the character against the environment in which they live and act. 3. Enhances the credibility of a piece of writing.
Setting, Character, and Interaction How do the characters and the setting interact? What do we learn about the character through his interaction with the setting? What kind of mood and atmosphere is created through the setting? How does the author achieve this? A writer MUST convince the reader of why that human interacts with the setting in that particular way. Setting as Camera Careful control of setting can be somewhat equivalent to directing a film camera. Many films begin with a long shot, then a middle shot, then a close up. Identify the "types of shots" in your text.
THEME “Theme is the central message of a literary work. It is not the same as a subject, which can be expressed in a word or two: courage, survival, war, pride, etc. The theme is the idea the author wishes to convey about that subject. It is expressed as a sentence or general statement about life or human nature. A literary work can have more than one theme, and most themes are not directly stated but are implied. The reader must think about all the elements of the work and use them to make inferences, or reasonable guesses, as to which themes seem to be implied.”
Consider this: A theme is a meaning of a work. (Yes, there can be more than one “meaning.”) Can the meaning of a work be love? hate? greed? No—that makes no sense! Those are just topics, not themes. The theme is the statement an author is making about a topic. Stating the theme of a work of literature: Begin by using several abstract words to state the principal ideas of the work (topics that the piece is really about). Abstract words describe concepts or ideas that exist only in our minds like alienation, prejudice, ambition, freedom, love, loyalty, passion, etc.
LITERARY DEVICES Writers often use a variety of literary devices to develop their conflicts and support their reader's understanding of themes. 1. Symbolism: is the use of something to represent more than itself. Fiction writers sometimes use images when they want to convey important. It gives an abstract idea a concrete form. 2. Analogy: is a comparison made between something that is known and something less familiar. The purpose of creating an analogy is to help other better understand a difficult concept or process. 3. Foreshadowing: is a reference that hints about an event that will happen later on in the story. A writer might foreshadow an event directly or indirectly. Foreshadowing can make something important, provide information, create suspense, or make an event more believable.
4. Flashback: is an interruption in a work of fiction or drama that presents an earlier event. A flashback is useful when writers start their storyline in the middle to grab the reader's attention. The flashback explains how the event came about. It gives readers a better understanding of the characters by providing context. Usually something triggers the memory, followed by a trigger back to the present-day. 5. Dialogue: is communication between characters. It advances the story, develops the characters, provides realism and information, and defines characters.
Why read short stories? By Justin Drew There is no such thing as the perfect novel. There are many great novels but a 100,000-word book will have moments which detract from the rest. A character you don't like or a section you find yourself speeding through. Maybe even entire plots which take you away from the parts of a book you love. There’s always going to be something. There is, however, the perfect short story. The short story is usually concerned with a single effect conveyed in only one or a few significant episodes or scenes. The form encourages economy of setting, concise narrative, and the omission of a complex plot; character is disclosed in action and dramatic encounter but is seldom fully developed. Despite its relatively limited scope, though, a short story is often judged by its ability to provide a “complete” or satisfying treatment of its characters and subject.
Before the 19th century the short story was not generally regarded as a distinct literary form. But although in this sense it may seem to be a uniquely modern genre, the fact is that short prose fiction is nearly as old as language itself. In short stories, there's no room for that extra bit of detail or unnecessary flourish. It’s one of the few forms of writing where it’s genuinely the case that every single word counts. You have one idea and a few thousand words before you're done. Novels can disguise their weaker points behind other bits of brilliance, a short story has nowhere to hide its faults. In longer works, lone ideas can get lost and forgotten. With short stories, there is nothing but that individual idea. If it isn’t strong enough then everything else falls down. You could have the best character in the world but if there’s nothing to the plot then, well, it all falls down. It’s always a mystery to me why they aren’t more popular. They’re perfect for the morning commute or lunch break and in this terrifying new world of ‘snackable content’, it only seems natural that the short story should be once again coming to the fore.
State a main idea of this selection, and provide one specific detail from the selection that supports it. One main idea is that there is such thing as the perfect short story. This is supported in the selection when Justin Drew argues that because the every word counts, it cannot hide any weaknesses, as it has nowhere to hide its faults. Short stories can provide a complete treatment of its characters and subject. The main idea cannot get lost. The short story makes for the perfect snack. (fill 6 lines - at least four sentences)
Accessing Prior Knowledge Character Inferences Josh wondered if he could pass for a university student. Josh squirmed mentally in his seat. Josh felt uncomfortable around people. Josh realized that he was sweating. 1. How would you describe Josh's character? 2. How did you know that? Explain your thinking.
Jacqueline Pearce was born in Vancouver, Canada in 1962 and grew up in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. She had a great childhood, climbing trees, exploring nature, playing neighbourhood games of hide-and-seek, road hockey and other sports. She loved observing nature, reading books, writing stories and drawing. In university, Jacqueline studied a variety of subjects, including fine arts, history, literature and education, eventually obtaining a BA in English Literature from the University of Victoria and an MES in Environmental Thought and Education from York University in Toronto.
Her jobs have included summer day camp leader, museum accessionor, information officer at the Canadian Children’s Book Centre, environmental educator, environmental program specialist and freelance writer. Her most unusual job was getting paid to watch cartoons (for a research project on the influence of toys and cartoons on children’s play and imagination). Jacqueline lives in Vancouver with her husband, daughter, dog and two cats. She still likes to read, write, draw and explore, and occasionally even gets in a game of road hockey.
The Trickster Mythology Jacqueline Pearce (author) has carefully selected the title of her short story. The mythology of the trickster has a very long and significant tradition among Canada's First Nations people. The trickster is a clever, mischievous (sometimes a coyote) that tries to survive the dangers and challenges of the world using trickery and deceit. Often, the trickster uses its trickery to triumph over those who are in the wrong or who are behaving unfairly. One of its tricks is the ability to change shapes. As we are told in the story, "Coyote shape one minute, human shape the next."
Fight, Flight, Freeze Responses Anxiety triggers something called the “fight-flight-freeze” response. This automatic response helps you cope with danger. For example, you may yell at your mom for pushing you to take your driving test when you don’t feel ready (fight). You may avoid going to a party or leave early because you feel uncomfortable around people you don’t know (flight). Or, you may freeze and hope the danger doesn’t notice you, like when your mind goes blank when the teacher asks you a question.
FANTASY "Do you want to go for coffee?" he asked her straight out. "I'd love to"(8). "Just a minute." Josh took off his leather jacket - not to give it to them, just to free up his arms. He dropped the coat and sprang into Kung Fu readiness" (9). REALITY "OK, so that last bit was how he rewrote the conversation afterward, sitting on the bus. In actual fact, he'd taken the box from her and sputtered something like, 'See you around' "(9). OK, so that's where the replay deviated a bit from what actually happened that night. In actual fact, he'd dropped the jacket and run" (9).
Create a Mind Map characterizing Josh 1. Start in the centre with an image to represent (symbolize) Josh - include his name 2. Label each line with the following: Direct (include explicit adjectives) S.T.E.A.L. Speech Thoughts Effect on Others Actions Looks 3. Include words and pictures (images)
Short Story: "The Trickster" by Jacqueline Pearce https://www.mchs.gsacrd.ab.ca/eteacher_download/1375/25320 SKILL DEVELOPMENT: The Six Story Elements Devices Point of View Symbolism Plot Analogy Characterization Foreshadowing Conflict Flashback Setting Dialogue Theme MAKING CONNECTIONS: text-to-self, text-to-text, text-to-world QUESTIONS: Level One (Literal): On the Lines Level Two (Interpretative): Between the Lines - Make Inferences Level Three (Global): Beyond the Lines - Make Connections
Write about a time in your life when you struggled with a choice and made the right one.
The Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer Susan Beth Pfeffer was born in New York City. She grew up in the city and its nearby suburbs and spent summers in the Catskill Mountains. When she was six her father wrote and published a book on constitutional law, and Pfeffer decided that she, too, wanted to be a writer. That year she wrote her first story, about the love between an Oreo cookie and a pair of scissors. However, it wasn't until 1970 that her first book, Just Morgan, was published. She wrote it during her last semester at New York University; since then, she has been a full-time writer for young people.
She has won numerous awards and citations for her work, which range from picture books to middle-grade and young-adult novels, and include both contemporary and historical fiction. She is also the author of the popular Portraits of Little Women series for grades 3-6, and has written a book for adults on writing for children. To date, she has written more than 60 books. About David was awarded the South Carolina Young Adult Book Award. The Year Without Michael is an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and winner of the South Carolina Young Adult Book Award; it was also named by the American Library Association as one of the hundred best books for teenagers written between 1968-1993. She lives in Middletown, New York.
Making Predictions "He's an irresponsible bum." I can still hear the fight. "You owe them two hundred dollars?" we'd have supper together "Take the money ..." The teapot was right where it belonged. "I would never steal from your mother." 1. Theses are excerpts in random order from the story. Put them in a sequence that makes sense. 2. Complete the following sentence: I predict this story will be about ...
Allusion An allusion is a figure of speech whereby the author refers to a subject matter such as a place, event, or literary work by way of a indirect reference. It is up to the reader to make a connection to the subject being mentioned. "But one good dream is worth a thousand flashlight batteries" is an allusion to the idiom (expression) "One picture is worth a thousand words" by Fred Barnard
Compare and Contrast the Mom and the Dad
Ashleigh loves her mom and her dad. What do you think she does?
Inside the Mind of Ashleigh Include the following: words, phrases, images / symbols Be colourful! Be creative! Little white space!
Author Susan Beth Pfeffer Susan Beth Pfeffer was born in New York City in 1948. She grew up in the city and its nearby suburbs and spent summers in the Catskill Mountains. When she was six her father wrote and published a book on constitutional law, and Pfeffer decided that she, too, wanted to be a writer. That year she wrote her first story, about the love between an Oreo cookie and a pair of scissors. However, it wasn't until 1970 that her first book, Just Morgan, was published. She wrote it during her last semester at New York University; since then, she has been a full-time writer for young people.
Short Story: "Ashes" by Susan Beth Pfeffer http://teacherweb.com/NY/NorthShoreSchools/Kepke/Ashes.pdf SKILL DEVELOPMENT: The Six Story Elements Devices Point of View Symbolism Plot Analogy Characterization Foreshadowing Conflict Flashback Setting Dialogue Theme MAKING CONNECTIONS: text-to-self, text-to-text, text-to-world QUESTIONS: Level One (Literal): On the Lines Level Two (Interpretative): Between the Lines - Make Inferences Level Three (Global): Beyond the Lines - Make Connections
"On the Sidewalk Bleeding" Pre-Reading Questions 1. When you form opinions or impressions about people when you first meet, what kinds of things do you consider? (their looks, clothing, where they are, what they are doing, etc?) 2. What do you think people consider about you when they first meet you and form an impression? 3. Identify a symbol or a sign that you feel could represent your identity. 4. Is there a personal motto, saying, or mantra that you feel represents you and your life? If not, chose one or create one now. 5. Define the following terms in your own words: a. stereotype b. prejudice
Making Connections Read the poem "The Dash" by Linda Ellis Answer the following questions: 1. What is the poem saying? 2. Do you agree or disagree with the poet? Explain your opinion. 3. Did you like the poem? Why or why not? 4. How does this poem CONNECT to the short story "On the Sidewalk Bleeding"?
IDEA RAKE BIG TOPIC: CONFLICT PARTS: Character versus Himself (internal) Character versus Character Character versus Society Choose ONE to write about. Include details from the text.
Short Story: "On the Sidewalk Bleeding" by Evan Hunter http://mslock.weebly.com/uploads/5/9/3/9/59397655/on-the-sidewalk-bleeding.pdf SKILL DEVELOPMENT: The Six Story Elements Devices Point of View Symbolism Plot Analogy Characterization Foreshadowing Conflict Flashback Setting Dialogue Theme MAKING CONNECTIONS: text-to-self, text-to-text, text-to-world QUESTIONS: Level One (Literal): On the Lines Level Two (Interpretative): Between the Lines - Make Inferences Level Three (Global): Beyond the Lines - Make Connections
Author Bernice Friesen BERNICE FRIESEN was born in Rosthern, Sask. in 1966 and grew up on her grandparents’ homestead. The life of her grandmother’s family has been published in The Mulberry Tree by Victor Carl Friesen and Anna Friesen. She trained as a printmaker at the University of Saskatchewan, ending up with a B.F.A in visual art and a B.Ed. by 1990. She took creative writing courses with Elizabeth Brewster, Guy Vanderhaegue and Tim Lilburn, and attended the Banff Writing Studio.
She has been an art studio lab assistant, art gallery educator, and has taught Sage Hill Writing Experience for teens, and Fiction Freefall through the Saskatoon Writers Coop. Her writing and art has been published in Canada and Europe, and has twice been short-listed for the CBC Radio Literary Awards. Her writing has been included in two League of Canadian Poets winners anthologies, and Best Short Stories, 2002, (Oberon).
“Belonging to the Dragon” by Bernice Friesen" Pre-Reading Questions Think of a time .... you knew someone in an unhealthy relationship A. How do you think each person felt about themselves? B. What did you think about each person? C. What ended up happening to each of them? D. What does "belong" mean to you? Does one person "belong" to another? Explain.
Short Story: "Belonging to the Dragon" by Bernice Friesen http://www.mscruz.yolasite.com/resources/Belonging%20to%20the%20Dragon.pdf SKILL DEVELOPMENT: The Six Story Elements Devices Point of View Symbolism Plot Analogy Characterization Foreshadowing Conflict Flashback Setting Dialogue Theme MAKING CONNECTIONS: text-to-self, text-to-text, text-to-world QUESTIONS: Level One (Literal): On the Lines Level Two (Interpretative): Between the Lines - Make Inferences Level Three (Global): Beyond the Lines - Make Connections
MINDS ON: THE NEWS ARTICLE What makes a good news story? What elements must be present in a news story?
News Report 10 Point Checklist _____ My news report has a clear and consistent focus that is organized and coherent demonstrating a thoughtful progression of ideas – one full page in length. _____ My news report reflects the headline and the picture. _____ My lead is the first sentence/paragraph of my news report answering who, what, where, when, why, and how in 20 – 25 words (max. 35) _____ My lead begins with “When” (Yesterday, Last night) _____ My news report consists of many indented, short paragraphs (1 – 2 sentences), rather than a few long ones - adding sufficient details. _____ My news report includes a minimum of three quotations. _____ My news report is written using the third-person point of view (POV). _____ My news report is written without including opinions (unbiased) _____ I use full sentences, using correct grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. _____ I use transitional words and phrases to create coherence.