The following are activities that may be used for (but not limited to ) a grade 8 ELA Short Story Unit: Note that these activities are directed by outcomes from the POS, demonstrating my ability to use this document to direct my planning, instruction and assessment of student programming (KSA 3).
STORY CUBES: Build a cube out of paper, before turning it into a cube write the five elements of the Short Story on each side and include a title
on the final side. Have the students pair up and practice explaining to their partner what element of the short story that they
roll. The teacher should circulate among the students, listen and ask clarifying questions. Have students switch partners a
couple of times.
GLO 1 Students will speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences
SLO 1.1 Discover and Explore, Express ideas and develop understanding. Review, reread and reflect on oral, print and other
media texts to explore, confirm or revise understanding.
POSTERS OF 5 ELEMENTS: Have five posters around the room titled with the five elements of a short story, number students off from 1 - 5. Have
students move in groups, writing points from the story just read, give them 30-60 seconds at a poster, when each
group has moved through all five poster, stop students and have each group present from the poster they are at.
GLO 1 Students will speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences.
SLO 1.2 Clarify and Extend: Combine Ideas - exchange ideas and opinions to clarify understanding and to broaden
personal perspectives.
REPRESENT WITH PLAYDOH: While the teacher reads a short story out loud have the students represent something that they feel was
important from the story. Each student must orally rationalize what they chose to represent.
GLO 2 Students will speak, read, write, view and represent to comprehend and respond personally
to oral, print and other media texts.
SLO 2.1 Use Strategies and Cues: Use comprehension strategies: take notes, make outlines and use strategies
such as read, recite, review to comprehend and remember ideas and information.
POSTER OF SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: Have students create an informative poster that focuses on a particular element of the short story
This poster can either be a traditional poster or one created on Glogster.
GLO 3 Students will speak, read, write, view and represent to manage ideas and information.
SLO 3.1 Plan and Focus: Determine Information Needs - select the most appropriate information
sources for topic, audience, purpose and form.
THEME SONG: Have students choose a theme song to go with the short story they have written. This song may represent any aspect of their
story: character, setting, plot, etc. Have students provide a rationale for their choice of song.
GLO 3 Students will speak, read, write, view and represent to manage ideas and information
SLO 3.4 Share and Review: Share Ideas and Information - integrate appropriate visual, print and/or other media to inform
and engage the audience.
PEER EDITING: After providing a mini-lesson on peer editing have students choose a classmate that they are comfortable with to preform a
peer edit of each others short story.
GLO 4 Students will speak, read, write, view and represent to enhance the clarity and artistry of communication.
SLO 4.1 Enhance and Improve: Appraise Own and Other's Work - evaluate how particular content features contribute to, or
detract from, the overall effectiveness of own or others' oral, print and other media texts; make and suggest revisions.
STORIES IN A BOX: The image below is of one of the three "Stories in a Box" that I created as an anchor activity for this unit. The box below
is titled "Off to the Rodeo." Students who are finished early are required to choose one of the boxes and use what is
inside to create a short story, with the theme of change. As you can see this box contains: two cows, one billy goat, one mule,
one donkey, one rodeo clown, one cowgirl and one cowboy. The other two boxes are titled, "In the Jungle" and "Under the
Sea."
GLO 4 Students will speak, read, write, view and represent to enhance the clarity and artistry of communication.
SLO 4.3 Present and Share: Enhance Presentation - present information to achieve a particular purpose and to appear to
interest and background knowledge of reader or audience.
STORY CUBES: Build a cube out of paper, before turning it into a cube write the five elements of the Short Story on each side and include a title
on the final side. Have the students pair up and practice explaining to their partner what element of the short story that they
roll. The teacher should circulate among the students, listen and ask clarifying questions. Have students switch partners a
couple of times.
GLO 1 Students will speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences
SLO 1.1 Discover and Explore, Express ideas and develop understanding. Review, reread and reflect on oral, print and other
media texts to explore, confirm or revise understanding.
POSTERS OF 5 ELEMENTS: Have five posters around the room titled with the five elements of a short story, number students off from 1 - 5. Have
students move in groups, writing points from the story just read, give them 30-60 seconds at a poster, when each
group has moved through all five poster, stop students and have each group present from the poster they are at.
GLO 1 Students will speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences.
SLO 1.2 Clarify and Extend: Combine Ideas - exchange ideas and opinions to clarify understanding and to broaden
personal perspectives.
REPRESENT WITH PLAYDOH: While the teacher reads a short story out loud have the students represent something that they feel was
important from the story. Each student must orally rationalize what they chose to represent.
GLO 2 Students will speak, read, write, view and represent to comprehend and respond personally
to oral, print and other media texts.
SLO 2.1 Use Strategies and Cues: Use comprehension strategies: take notes, make outlines and use strategies
such as read, recite, review to comprehend and remember ideas and information.
POSTER OF SHORT STORY ELEMENTS: Have students create an informative poster that focuses on a particular element of the short story
This poster can either be a traditional poster or one created on Glogster.
GLO 3 Students will speak, read, write, view and represent to manage ideas and information.
SLO 3.1 Plan and Focus: Determine Information Needs - select the most appropriate information
sources for topic, audience, purpose and form.
THEME SONG: Have students choose a theme song to go with the short story they have written. This song may represent any aspect of their
story: character, setting, plot, etc. Have students provide a rationale for their choice of song.
GLO 3 Students will speak, read, write, view and represent to manage ideas and information
SLO 3.4 Share and Review: Share Ideas and Information - integrate appropriate visual, print and/or other media to inform
and engage the audience.
PEER EDITING: After providing a mini-lesson on peer editing have students choose a classmate that they are comfortable with to preform a
peer edit of each others short story.
GLO 4 Students will speak, read, write, view and represent to enhance the clarity and artistry of communication.
SLO 4.1 Enhance and Improve: Appraise Own and Other's Work - evaluate how particular content features contribute to, or
detract from, the overall effectiveness of own or others' oral, print and other media texts; make and suggest revisions.
STORIES IN A BOX: The image below is of one of the three "Stories in a Box" that I created as an anchor activity for this unit. The box below
is titled "Off to the Rodeo." Students who are finished early are required to choose one of the boxes and use what is
inside to create a short story, with the theme of change. As you can see this box contains: two cows, one billy goat, one mule,
one donkey, one rodeo clown, one cowgirl and one cowboy. The other two boxes are titled, "In the Jungle" and "Under the
Sea."
GLO 4 Students will speak, read, write, view and represent to enhance the clarity and artistry of communication.
SLO 4.3 Present and Share: Enhance Presentation - present information to achieve a particular purpose and to appear to
interest and background knowledge of reader or audience.
HIGH SCHOOL PHOTO ESSAY ASSIGNMENT
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