Curated OER
The Hatfield and McCoy Feud
Learners explore West Virginia history with regard to Mountain and Appalachian Culture. They compare and contrast life now with life 100-150 years ago. They write and illustrate a short story about the life of children 100-150 years ago....
Curated OER
Lesson: Struggle and Transformation: Jaguar & Adolescence
To break down complex themes, discuss a sense of self, and learn a bit about Mayan culture, learners start through art analysis. They analyze a Mayan incense burner, discuss themes, and then write a short story that includes themes from...
Curated OER
Reading Comprehension - Short Stories: "Remains of a Marriage"
Planning a short story unit? Consider including this worksheet early in your plan. "Remains of a Marriage" provides the text that could be used as the basis of a lesson on close reading, on comprehension strategies, and/or group...
Curated OER
Reading Comprehension - Short Stories: "Wanga"
Who says reading comprehension exercises can't be fun? Your readers will be engaged with the short story about witch doctor spells that provides the text and the included answer sheet dispells any mystery as to the correct answer. The...
Curated OER
Getting to Know Characters
This set of worksheets constitutes enough work and materials to be considered a lesson. They guide readers through a process of exploring characters and their motivations, and writing a paragraph about them. Here are seven handouts that...
Curated OER
Writing Short Stories: The Fun Way
Do your young authors suffer from writer's block when they try to write short stories? Access their natural creativity with C-Gor, the writing monster! The instructional activity takes aspiring authors through a new writing process...
Curated OER
Beginning Short Stories w/ Questions - An Adventure
This activity, which could be used in the lower grades for reading comprehension practice or with older students as part of an ESL lesson, has learners read a short story and answer six comprehension and vocabulary questions. As part of...
Curated OER
Hubris Lesson Plan
Bring this lesson on hubris to your short story unit. After reading Jack London's "To Build a Fire," young readers discuss the role of hubris in the protagonist's death. The lesson has connections to other short stories, such as "The...
Curated OER
Beginning Short Stories - "What Do We Have to Eat?"
After reading two short stories, learners identify vocabulary associated with food and eating. This activity with 5 questions could be used as a reading comprehension and vocabulary practice for younger students or an ESL worksheet for...
Curated OER
Short Story Commercials
Students read short story selections, and work with classmates to produce commercials using digital video equipment.
Curated OER
Scrambled Stories II
Review story elements with your class. They will use examples from a story to develop critical-thinking questions. Then they use a graphic organizer to describe the setting, character, and plot of the story, focusing on how they...
Curated OER
Literary Elements in Short Stories
Introduce your class to Glogster with this literary analysis lesson. At the end of your short story unit, they choose one literary element to apply to three short stories and make an online poster using Glogster. Samples are included. If...
Curated OER
What's the Point of View?
What is the point of view? Sixth graders discuss third person limited and omniscient perspectives while reading several short stories. Then, complete a worksheet and share findings with peers.
Curated OER
The Final Copy
Write short stories in which events are presented in logical order, point of view is clear, theme and characters are developed. Middle schoolers also work on sensory language, concrete language and/or dialogue. They establish their...
Curated OER
Short Story Lesson Plan: “The Californian’s Tale”
Middle schoolers explore the theme of "The Californian's Tale" by Mark Twain. After reading Twain's short story, they identify and study its literary theme. Additionally, they analyze information and relationships in the piece, and write...
Curated OER
Character Sketches
Students are introduced to the types of characters found in short stories. They read a short story in class and produce sketches of the protagonist and antagonist. Finally, they create their own characters and write about them in their...
Curated OER
Creepy Read Week
Here's a clever technology twist to writing in the round. Participants rotate through a series of computers adding to stories and editing by keystroke and mouse click. "Locked" forms prevent the loss of stories filled with suspense and...
Curated OER
The Tales and Poems of Poe
Four short stories, two poems, and biographical information about Edgar Allan Poe make up this quiz. Questions about The Cask of Amontillado, The Masque of the Red Death, The Raven, The Black Cat, Annabel Lee, and The Tell-Tale Heart...
Curated OER
The Diamond as Big as the Ritz Quiz
Can you imagine an entire mountain consisting of a solid diamond? It is possible, though a bit farfetched in The Diamond as Big as the Ritz by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The story is meant to be a satire about wealth and greed; the quiz asks...
Curated OER
Edgar Allan Poe Realty: Fun Trivia Quiz
Often these Fun Trivia quizzes are low-quality and have questionable educational merit. However, this interactive online instructional activity provides a clever way to test understanding of setting in various Edgar Allan Poe stories.
Curated OER
The Fall of the House of Usher
These frightening questions cover The Fall of the House of Usher, one of Edgar Allan Poe's most infamous works. The scary details are rehashed in these ten multiple-choice questions. Take the quiz if you dare!
Curated OER
The Gold-Bug
Does your class remember details from The Gold-Bug? Test them with fifteen multiple-choice questions that prove to be a bit of a challenge.
Curated OER
The Purloined Letter
These questions about Poe's The Purloined Letter focus on publication and outside sources along with details of the story. Hopefully this story is not a mystery to you!
Curated OER
Edgar Allan Poe Stories Quiz
When given a short summary of one of Edgar Allan Poe's stories, can you choose the correct title? Try your best with this multiple-choice quiz covering nine different stories (one is actually a poem) by Poe.