LITERARY ELEMENTS THROUGH SHORT STORIESLiterature 8, Fall 2010

DO NOW: WHEN DONE WITH QUIZ, TURN IN AT TRAY, PICK UP A WORKSHEET, THEN FILL IN WITH THE TERMS OF ELEMENTS OF LITERATURE. BOARD = PAPER

Short Story: A short fictional prose narrative that is usually about ten to twenty book pages long.

Setting: The time and place of a story, play, or narrative poem. Setting often contributes to a work’s emotional effect, plays an important role in the plot, a story’s conflict, or overall theme.

Plot: The series of related events that make up a story. It is what happens in a story. Usually includes these basic elements: introduction, exposition, rising actions, climax, falling actions, and resolution.

Point of View: The vantage point from which a story is told. The most common points of view are the omniscient, the third-person limited, and the first person.

Theme: A main idea in a work of literature. What the story is about. An idea or message that the writer wishes to convey about that subject. Not usually directly stated. The reader has to think about all of the above elements and use them to make an inference, or educated guess, about what the themes are.

PLOT STRUCTURE: WHEN YOU’RE DONE WITH YOUR QUIZ, WRITE THESE NOTES ON YOUR LITERARY ELEMENTS SHEET OF PAPER. TITLE IT: LITERARY ELEMENTS: BOARD = PAPER

Conflict: The essence of fiction. It creates plot. The conflicts we encounter can usually be identified as one of four kinds.

Man vs. Man -- one versus another Man vs. Nature – one versus the forces of nature,

shows insignificance of a single human life in the cosmic scheme of things. Tests a person’s strength and the will to live.

Man vs. Society – values and customs by which we all live are being challenged.

Man vs. Self – Internal conflict. A test of a good character’s values.

When you’re done, raise your hand.

GREEN EGGS AND HAM One a loose-leaf sheet of paper, answer the

following questions in complete sentences.1. What is the conflict of the story?2. What type of conflict is this?3. What is the story about?4. What is the story about (what is the moral,

main idea, or theme)?5. List the different settings of the story.

FILL IN THE PLOT DIAGRAM WHEN DONE VIEWING. Part 1 Part 2

IN PAIRS, READ “TEACHER TAMER” AND SAY SOMETHING EVERY OTHER PARAGRAPH IN REGARDS TO PLOT (E.G. “THIS EVENT IS PART OF THE RISING ACTION, AND I THINK THE CLIMAX WILL BE THIS…”

When done, go back to you seat, take out a loose-leaf sheet of paper and DO:

Put an MLA heading on the paper. Draw a plot diagram like the one on the

board, and fill in the parts, be as specific and clear as possible.

In complete sentences, below the diagram, answer: What is the conflict of the story? What type of conflict is this? Why do you thinks

this? What is this story about (e.g. the moral, theme,

or main idea)?

DO NOW: TAKE OUT A LOOSE-LEAF SHEET OF PAPER, TITLE IT “SETTING” AND DO THE FOLLOWING: Write a three sentences about a vacation you

once took (who were you with, where did you go, and what did you do?).

Write two sentences about how the vacation would be different if it was in Antarctica.

Then, take out your leisure book and reader’s log and SSR.

DO NOW: COPY NOTES ON NG.SETTING: TIME, PLACE, CUSTOM, ENVIRONMENT Time: A specific date or general time in

history when something happened or when a story is set.

Place: Where a story is set. Can be general or specific (The universe, Earth, country, state, city, neighborhood, St. Joe’s, tennis practice at the courts, etc.)

Custom: Beliefs or practices taught by one generation to the next, often orally, or maintained by society, government, social interaction, or maintained by religions.

Environment: the circumstances, objects, or conditions by which one is surrounded.

ON A LOOSE-LEAF SHEET OF PAPER, PUT A HEADER ON IT, THEN ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN COMPLETE SENTENCES.

1. List two major events that are part of the rising action of the story.

2. What do you think the climax of the story is?

3. What is part of the falling action?4. What is the conflict of the story?5. What is the resolution of the story?6. What do you think would happen next in the

story (e.g. the rest of the year)?

ON A LOOSE-LEAF SHEET OF PAPER, LABEL IT “SETTING,” AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW. IN ONE DEVELOPED PARAGRAPH, ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

What was the setting of the Pride of Baghdad?

Who are the main characters? What is the rising action of the story? What is the climax? What is the conflict of the story? How does the setting influence the

purpose of the story?

** When you’re done, you may SSR.**

WHEN YOU”RE DONE, ANSWER AND DISCUSS THESE QUESTIONS WITH YOUR GROUP. What was the setting of the “All Summer in a

Day”? Who are the main characters? What is the rising action of the story? What is the climax? What is the conflict of the story? Could this story work in another setting, like

taking place on Earth? Why or why not? How does the setting influence the

purpose of the story?

CHARACTER & CHARACTERIZATION DO NOW: Pick up note-taking guide and read

pp. 106-107. Take notes on your note-taking guide.

When you’re done, you may SSR.

POINT OF VIEW AND PERSPECTIVE DO NOW: Pick up note-taking guide and read

pp. 288-289. Take notes on your note-taking guide.

When you’re done, you may SSR.

“A DAY’S WAIT” BY ERNEST HEMINGWAYANSWER THE QUESTIONS ON THE BACK OF YOUR NOTE-TAKING GUIDE. Why was it important that this story is written in 1st

person?You can feel what the father is feeling: confusion, concern. How would the story be different if it was told in the

omniscient point of view?It author limited the reader as to what information and

knowledge we had. The author created suspense, and was able to convey the below themes. We are on the journey of the narrator.

What is the theme of this story? (What is the story about? What is the main idea? What is the moral or lesson?)

Never make assumptions. Don’t jump to conclusions. Do research before freaking out. Try to look at something from another person’s perspective.

A DAY’S WAIT BY ERNEST HEMINGWAYANSWER THE QUESTIONS ON THE BACK OF YOUR NOTE-TAKING GUIDE.

Why was it important that this story is written in 1st person?

The dad = the narrator, and shows us how he cares for his son.

How would the story be different if it was told in the omniscient point of view?

Author created suspense because we didn’t know why the boy thought there was no hope. If omniscient, we would’ve known. 1st person limited our own knowledge of the story.

What is the theme of this story? (What is the story about? What is the main idea? What is the moral or lesson?) Misinterpretation leads to confusion.

ON YOUR LOOSE-LEAF SHEET OF PAPER, WRITE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT Board = Paper…copy the time-line on the

board. Place your post-its on the time-line. Explain how the characters changed through

the story. What made them change?

TEA TIME!!

Tea Party Rules1. Share your card with as many classmates as

possible. 2. SLANT when others are talking.3. Discuss how these cards might be related.4. Speculate (guess) on what these cards,

collectively, might be about, and what they suggest about the characters in the story we’re about to read.

5. No bunches!

DEBRIEFING YOUR TEA-TIME

In your group, write on a loose-leaf sheet of paper:

A “We think” statement – a paragraph that begins, “We think that this selection is about…”

DO NOW: ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ON A LOOSE-LEAF SHEET OF PAPER. INCLUDE MLA HEADER. 1. Is Maria a dynamic or static character? Explain

your answer. 2. Do we come to know Maria as a character through

direct or indirect characterization? Give a specific answer as to how you know why. Include a quote from the text using proper punctuation. For example:

On page 76, Maria said,“Do you think he worries

about me like I worry about him? (AVI).”**When done, turn in at tray and begin SSR.**

+AMDG+WHEN YOU’RE DONE WITH YOUR TEST: 1. Pick up the book recommendation

worksheet. Write your name big and fancy at the top, and write down the books you recommend.

2. When done, show Ms. L, get a piece of tape, and tape it up by our class reading log. While you’re up their write how many additional books you’ve read.

3. SSR

MLA CITATION When referring to a text, use the following

punctuation.

Madame Loisel said, “I want a necklace” (Maupassant 4).