SHORT STORIES UNIT

Day 1
COLLECTION 1: FACING MONSTERS
The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell
Starter: Reading 4-16
Passout: Elements of a Short Story. Go over elements with students.
Passout: Literary Terms and Study Questions
Prereading 1: Have students predict what the title says that the story is about.
Prereading 2: Have students copy down the Words To Own from the bottom of the pages of the
story onto Flashcards. Remind students that they will be responsible for knowing the meanings
of these terms for the test over the story.
Passout: Words To Own Practice. Have students answer the questions based on the meaning of
the Word to Own. Put transparency up and discuss with students.
Element of Literature: Conflictdiscuss the information about conflict and the different types
of conflict on p. 12 before reading. Have students write down the definitions and examples in
their notebooks.
CD (Disc 1, Track 3) This story will take two class periods to listen to or read.
HOMEWORK: Study the Words To Own
Day 2
The Most Dangerous Game continued
Starter: No starter today.
CD (Disc 1, Track 3) Begin listening to story and answering questions.
HOMEWORK: Finish reading the story and answering questions & study Words to Own
Day 3
Starter: Reading 4-17
Read Elements of Literature: Plot (pp. 32-33)
Questions about Story questions. Check.
Passout: Elements of Literature activity p. 4 Applying Plot to The Most Dangerous Game
Passout: Grammar Link: Powerful Verbs p. 1 Have students complete and then discuss.
Passout: Mapping the Chase Assignment. Explain assignment and show examples from students
in past years. Then give time for students to work on their maps.
HOMEWORK: Maps will be due the day after tomorrow and questions for The Most
Dangerous Game. Test tomorrow.
Day 4
Starter: D.O.G. #44
Questions for The Most Dangerous Game are due today.
Test: The Most Dangerous Game and Literary Elements of Plot and Conflict
With any time left, students may finish their maps.
HOMEWORK: Finish Maps.

Day 5
Starter: Reading 4-18
Most Dangerous Game Maps due
Poe
Pass out Edgar Allen Poe
The students are to read through the information
Pass out Poes poems: Annabel Lee and Eldorado,
Read the first two poems aloud to them and discuss what they are about
Ask students to identify literary elements in these poems.
Poe The Raven
Ask students if they have any left-over thoughts on the poems we looked at yesterday.
Have the students get their copy of The Raven out and read along as we listen to it
CD version of The Raven
Discuss with students INTERNAL RHYME (occur in the middle of a line)
Pass out Identifying Literary Elements in The Raven and do the first one with them.
Work time on above worksheet.
HOMEWORK: Finish Identifying Literary ElementsDUE TOMORROW
Day 6
Poe The Cask of Amontillado
Starter: D.O.G. #27
Identifying Literary Elements Due. Correct.
Pass out Words to Own Prereading Assignment: Have students take a few minutes to copy
down the definitions for Cask of Amontillado. Have them answer the questions YES or NO
on the back based on the definitions of the Words to Own.
Go over background information about catacombs & the characters so students can keep them
straight in their minds.
Pass out Questions & Literary Elements for Cask of Amontillado
CD (Disc 9, Track 2)
Pass out Graphic Organizer: RevengeIts Grisly Effects & Words to Own: Synonyms,
Antonyms, and Suffixes. Address questions and finish for homework.
HOMEWORK: Finish Graphic Organizer & Words to OwnDUE TOMORROW
Day 7
Starter: Reading 4-19
Correct Homework: Graphic Organizer & Words to Own.
Pass out Grammar Link: Dialogue. Work on Exercise A in class. Complete Part B for
homework.
Pass out Responding to the Video Worksheet p. 21 Teachers Manual. Have students fill out
while watching video.
Show Video Selections Segment Irony in Italy: The Cask of Amontillado Videocassette A,
Segment 3 (4:20)
Pass out Elements of Literature: Discovering Irony Worksheet & Transparency (do with
students in class).
HOMEWORK: Finish Grammar Link Part B and any of the Irony Worksheets if
necessary.DUE TOMORROW. Be prepared for Test tomorrow. Remind students that there
will be irony questions on the test and to review Irony on p. 212.

Day 8
Starter: DOG #31
Questions on Homework.
Test: The Cask of Amontillado
OPTIONAL Writing Assignment: CAF CONVERSATION to practice writing dialogue and
using irony. OR IRONY IN LITERATURE & LIFE ESSAY
OPTIONAL if dont do writing assignment, then do grammar.
Day 9
Starter: Reading 4-20
A Sound of Thunder by Ray Bradbury p. 35
Have students copy down their Words to Own for the story.
Discuss the What if and Quickwrite on p. 34 with the students.
CD (Disc 2, Track 2) or Read aloud together. Will probably have to finish this next class
period. There will be just a couple of minutes left or have students finish for homework.
HOMEWORK: Finish questions and study for tomorrows Test. Be sure to study Words to
Own.
Day 10
Starter:
Finish reading story and questions if necessary.
Passout: Words to Own practice sentences.
Passout: Grammar Link: Active & Passive Voice: Have students complete and then discuss.
Correct Questions & look over for test.
Test: A Sound of Thunder
HOMEWORK: Copy down Words to Own for the Gift of the Magi
Day 11
COLLECTION 3: EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
Starter:
Prereading:
1. Teacher has a treasure chest with her most cherished possessions and explains to students
why they are cherished.
2. Using worksheet with a picture of a treasure chest (Pass out) students draw pictures,
symbols, words to represent their treasures.
3. Ask students to name a possession they would find difficult to giving up. Have them
sketch the item and write 10 descriptive words below the picture. Then, students note in
their journals how they feel about giving it up.
4. Discussion of gift giving; famous gift givers in Bible-Magi and Baby Jesus. Can any
students name their three gifts.
5. Discuss the history of gift giving and how it makes people feel to give and to receive.
What happens if you want to give something and you have no money to do so? Sacrifice?
6. Listen to the recording of O Henrys The gift of the Magi and the musical recording
afterward of When Im Sixty Four by Lennon and McCartney.
7. In pairs students discuss the questions asked in the song and discuss questions that Jim &
Della may ask one another later in life.

8. In journals have students write about how they would characterize birthday, graduation,
and wedding customs of gift giving in the United States.
9. Share with each other.
10. Optional: Discuss the gift giving traditions of different cultures. What do students know
about gift exchanges & donations to the poor associated with the Jewish celebration of
Hanukah; the potlatch ceremony among some Native American groups, in the Kula
tradition among the Pacific Islanders in Melanesia, in which symbolic exchanges solidify
mutual life-long obligations.
11. Optional with #10. Have students work in pairs and explore the above cultures gift
giving traditions. Present findings to the class in format of your choice: written report,
oral report, bulletin-board presentation, song/drama. You can save time by having
printout information from the Internet for groups to use to summarize and report to the
class.
12. Optional with #10. Students take notes on information given from reports about other
cultures gift giving traditions. Students write a paragraph about which traditions they
found most interesting and why.
Passout: Literary Terms and Study Questions
Element of Literature: Conflictdiscuss the information about conflict and the different types
of conflict on p. 12 before reading. Have students write down the definitions and examples in
their notebooks.
CD (Disc 8, Track 2) This story will take two class periods because of the prereading activities
to listen to or read.
HOMEWORK: Complete study questions to point we ended in story and study the Words To
Own by completing the Words To Own Practice Worksheet from Text p. 9. The test will be
tomorrow.
Day 12
Starter:
Finish reading story and questions if necessary.
Passout: Language Link: Adapting Diction to Specific Audiences
Read Elements of Literature p. 212-213 Irony: Twists & Surprises
Correct Words to Own Worksheet, questions & look over for test.
Test: The Gift of the Magi
HOMEWORK: Complete the Words to Own for The Necklace
Day 13
The Necklace
Starter:
Transparency: Words to Own Practice for The Necklace
Passout: Questions & Literary Terms for The Necklace
Read: Elements of Literature Point of View: Whos Talking on pp. 218-219
CD (Disc 8, Track 3)
Pass out: Graphic Organizer: The Grass is Greener p. 13 Complete & Discuss.
Pass out: Words to Own Related Meanings p. 10
HOMEWORK: Complete the Words to Own p. 10 and Questions for Homework. Study Words
to Own for Test tomorrow.
Day 14

Starter:
Correct Homework.
Pass out: Grammar Link: Pronoun Problems p. 21 & 22. Complete and Correct.
Test: The Necklace
Day 15
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Starter:
Prereading: Discuss lotteries. What kinds of lotteries are there? Most students will feel that in
lotteries you usually win something. Then discuss traditions. What kinds of traditions do their
families have? What kinds of traditions do people in the U.S. have in general? Are they good or
bad? Can traditions be bad?
Passout: Questions for The Lottery & the story itself
Read the story together and answer questions. After, answer and discuss the questions to be
completed after reading.
HOMEWORK: Finish questions and study for tomorrows Quiz.
Day 16
Starter: No starter
Correct questions.
QUIZ over The Lottery
Writing Assignment: Put Me On Top of the Pile or watch TV Version of The Lottery
Pass out: Writing assignment and show example. Discuss. Rough draft is due tomorrow so that
students can peer edit.
Day 17
Starter: No starter
Continue watching video. Or Peer edit rough drafts
Final draft of essay due next class period. Work on final drafts of essay until the end of hour.
Discuss Compare and Contrast Writing assignment between story and movie. Discussion.