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

SBA

Why teach short stories?

NSS

Responding to texts
Giving opinions
Justifying opinions

Knowledge of text
features
Applying knowledge to
their writing

Reading skills
Making inferences
Getting the main idea
Predicting events

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

TSA

e
Strand

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

 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.

Crime story

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

 The plot is always a horror

experience and it usually
involves the intrusion of a
Ghost /
supernatural element into
everyday human experience. Horror Story
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
Setting
Location
& time

Character
s
The people
& their
relationshi
ps

5
Elements

Plot/
story line
Actions
and events

Style
Writing
technique
s

Theme
Main or
recurrent idea
(could also be a
lesson to learn)

2. Complete the story map

Characters

Settings

Little Red
Riding Hood
Opening

Themes
and
lessons

Plot
Ending
Complication
The Wolf
eats Grandma
and lies in her
bed.

Crisis

Ex poser special features

Theme / Plot
Gradual
increase in
tension
during the
questioning
process
Twist ending

Characters
Language
Features
David reveals
himself through First person
his thoughts
narration
and attitudes to
others
Simple present
David himself
tense
cannot
interpret these,
but the reader
can

Lesson Procedures for Ex Poser

Pre-reading

Building up knowledge of the topic

Strategy / activity used

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

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

Bringing out the

2. Use of dictionary
theme of the story
extracts to focus on
the meaning of the title Predicting events

While-reading
Strategy / activity used
1. Think aloud of first
two paragraphs
2. Tick chart about
characters
3. Predicting the
questions

Understanding the details

Teaching focus
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)

While / Post-reading
Strategy / activity used
1. Completing a chart of
the main characters
emotions

Integrating and applying

Teaching focus
Teaching students to
understand and respond to
character descriptions
Teaching students to
understand and respond
to plot development

2. Writing Sandras diary

Understanding and
responding to characters
(point of view)
Teaching or reinforcing
language patterns (tenses)

Approach to teaching a short story

1.
2.

Understand the features of the text type

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

Language

Theme

Understanding the
details

Building up knowledge
of the topic

Pre- reading

Integrating and applying

Plot

While-reading /
Post-reading

Characters

Extension
activities

Pre-reading stage

Building up knowledge
of the topic

When?
In class --- Teacher-guided
How?
Recall previous knowledge and experience
Make predictions about the setting of the
story
Pre-teaching / Providing background
information
What activities?
Brainstorming
Predicting from titles, pictures etc

While-reading /
Post-reading stage

Understanding the
details

When?
In class, under teachers guidance

How?
applying reading strategies
connecting the story to readers
mind and experience
responding to the writer
What activities?
Engaging in discussions
Identifying story elements using story
organiser

Extension activities

Integrating and
applying

When?
After teaching the story
Purposes:
Integrative use of skills to show interpretation
and appreciation
Consolidating understanding of the story
Applying the language skills learnt
What activities?
Performing e.g. readers theatre
Writing stories
Extended tasks and projects

Workshop instructions
Part A Instructions
Briefly analyse the story of The Hairy
Toe and consider how you can use it
with your students.
Put your groups ideas in Part A of the
handout.
Part B Instructions
Choose ONE teaching point your group
put in Part A and think of ONE teaching
and learning activity for it.

Edgar Allan Poe

Roald Dahl

Oscar Wilde

Agatha Christie

H. H. Munro (Saki)

Katherine Mansfield

M. R. James

Isaac Asimov

Useful resources
East of the Web: Short Stories Teaching Resources:
http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/teacher.html
BBC/British Council Teaching English: British Literature:
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/download/britlit/britlit.sht
ml
Merlyns Pen: http://www.merlynspen.org/
American Folklore:
http://www.americanfolklore.net/index.html
Story Arts: Storytelling Activities and Lesson Ideas:
http://www.storyarts.org/lessonplans/lessonideas/index.ht
ml
Language Learning Support Section
http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/languagesupport/article/inde
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