Aim: What are the elements of the short story?

Students will be able to: 1. Identify the elements of the short story 2. Establish working definitions of the elements of a short story 3. Discuss a well known fairytale 4. Apply elements of short story to the fairytale

Do Now
What is a short story? Explain. What are the characteristics that define a short story? How can we use what we have come up with to create a definition for the short story?

Element of a Short Story

Plot

Point of View

Character

Theme

Setting

PLOT The actual events that that occur within a story Also called storyline. the plan, scheme, or main story of a literary or dramatic work, such as a play, novel, or short story.

Elements of PLOT

The plot of the story includes:

Exposition setting, characters, main conflicts are introduced to the reader; this is the beginning of a novel or story and may be short or long, but is always flat (little action or emotion).

 Rising Action building characters & Conflict the round characters are developed, the conflicts are increased and acted out in many ways, motives are introduced, things happen; generally, the major part of a novel or story. Include at least five major events from the story

 Climax - the "high point" of a story in which the major conflicts erupt in some kind of final showdown (fight, argument, violent or physical action, very tense emotional moment...); at the end of the climax, the "winner" will be clear (there is not always a winner!). This is the point in the story where something CHANGES.

 Falling Action - what events immediately follow the climax; a kind of "cleaning up."

 Resolution/Denouement - where everything ends; the reader may have some sense of "closure" or may be asked to think about what might come next; in fairy tales, the Happy Ending; in some novels, you will read about the characters many years later.

Three orders in which a story can be told:

Chronological ABCD Flashback C happened which reminds me of AB then we come back to D Overlapping AB happened to Character #1, AB happened to Character # 2, CD happened to Character # 1, CD happened to Character #2

Two Types of Conflict

man vs. self: if the man vs. nature, man vs. character struggles with society, man vs. man : something inside the character struggles himself, usually a moral with something outside issue. himself- an outside force that does not have to be human.

Internal Conflict

External Conflict

Point of View (3 types)

First Person uses I or me; is a character within the story and is involved in the action. This is a biased point of view because you only get one characters views and opinions.

Point of View
Third person limited (WATCHING OUTSIDE) uses he, she, they; is NOT a character within the story- not involved in the action; only has limited view of what happens (cant get inside the characters heads.) Example: If someone was standing outside our classroom and telling a story of what was going on inside.

Point of View
Omniscient

A narrator who knows everything about all the characters is all knowing, or omniscient.

 Is the underlying message about life or human nature that the writer shares with the reader. Must be stated in a complete sentence. For example the theme of a story is not love. The theme could be Love will conquer all. Example: Sacrifices bring rewards

Characters and Characterization

Who is in the story: could be people, animals, etc We learn about Characters TWO ways:
1.) Direct characterization: the narrator tells you about a character i.e.: Her golden hair fell to the middle of her back and she charmed everyone.

Characterization
2) Indirect Characterization: you find out about the characters personality traits through what they say, what others say about them (dialogue), and through their actions. Jane said, Look at the way the boys flirt with Ashley, just because shes so good-looking. I dont understand what they see in her, I mean, she cant even add 2+2.

Characters can be:

Static- A character that doesnt change in the story; does not grow or develop Dynamic- A character that undergoes inner change in personality or attitude Flat- A character that we dont know much about Round- a character that is developed. We know how they feel, think, etc

Setting
when and where the story takes place Where does the story take place: Disneyworld A castle When: 2007 Thanksgiving 9:00 p.m.

The Three Little Pigs

Listen (and read along) to this short story and write down anything you notice the story having.

The Three Little Pigs

What did you write down?

title introduction characters setting point of view

plot rising action conflict climax falling Action conclusion

The Three Little Pigs

Listen to the story of the Three Little Pigs and use the graphic organizer to chart the characteristics of plot

CLIMAX: Wolf gets

frustrated and jumps down the chimney to get pigs.

Event #6 Big Bad Wolf cant blow down brick house. Wolf blows down house #1 & house #2

Wolf falls into boiling pot over fire.

RESOLUTION: Wolf
runs away and Pigs live happily ever after.

Pig #2 builds house out of sticks. Pig #3 builds house out of bricks,. Event #1 Pig #1 builds house of straw.

EXPOSITION:
Three little pigs are introduced. ConflictScared of the wolf Setting- Woods

Create a New Story by Changing the Elements of the Three Little Pigs Divide into groups of 4
Each person within the group will be given a different element of the story to change
1. 2. 3. 4. Character Setting Plot Point-of-View

Each element of the story is very important to the whole story. As you can see, changing any one part of these elements can give you an entirely new story. This shows us how important each part is.

Latoya A. Henry