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Activity
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Methodology
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Resources
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1. Introduction to Course
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a. Diagnostic pre-test
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Introduce course, expectations, marking scheme, unit outlines, etc. EQAO Literacy test is explained.
Complete a How Much Do You Know About English? diagnostic pre-test, and discuss answers.
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course title page;
How Much Do You Know About English? pre-test worksheet
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b. Diagnostic reading
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Read Telling Stories, Northern Ojibwa Style by Gilbert Oskaboose, have students read paragraphs out loud. Discuss last line, "Anything you say or do, can and will be used against you."
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Story from Voices: Being Native in Canada p. 118-121
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c. Diagnostic writing
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Students write two paragraphs with topic sentences on a prepared worksheet. "The reserve in the story is similar to our community...", and "The reserve in the story is different from our community..." giving at least two reasons each.
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Worksheet with topic sentence stems
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2. Humorous Personal Narratives
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a. What are they?
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Introduce the humorous personal narrative. Read A Flying Start by Margaret Atwood, and discuss as a class how it is (or is not) entertaining.
Using a Yes/No checklist for humorous personal narratives, evaluate the story together.
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Personal narrative from Language & Writing 9, p. 19-20
Checklist based on Language & Writing 9 p. 20-21
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b. Write a humorous personal narrative
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Using a step-by-step worksheet, including brainstorming, plan a humorous personal narrative. Then write it, edit it, and revise it.
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Worksheet based on instructions in Language & Writing 9 p. 22
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3. Parts of a Story
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a. What are they?
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Complete an organizer describing the parts of a story (plot, setting, mood, point of view, characterization, conflict, theme)
Provide a table organizer for six stories with room for each of these parts of a story. Each story read in the class will be classified here. After reading each story it should be classified for homework.
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Parts of a Story organizer
Parts of Six Stories organizer
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b. Recognizing the parts of a story
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Read Rogue Bear on the Rampage, and answer comprehension questions on the text, including a question asking students to write a short paragraph on their personal experience of bears. Complete the table organizer for this story.
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Rogue Bear on the Rampage copied from Reader's Digest April 1999, p. 51-56; comprehension questions worksheet
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4. Plot
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a. What is it?
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Short note and diagram on three different types of plots (linear, flashbacks, multiple climaxes, multiple endings), giving examples of each. Also diagram plot line (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution). Use the sample story The Magic Coin to illustrate this.
Reread Rogue Bear on the Rampage completing a blank flow chart worksheet of what happens according to plot line diagram
Read Medicine River by Thomas King. Complete a comprehension question worksheet including questions on how a flashback plot structure is used.
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diagram of plot line and The Magic Coin from Write Source 2000, p. 184-187.
Plot Line Flowchart worksheet
story from Endless Possibilities, p. 95-103
Medicine River Flashbacks Timeline worksheet
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b. Verbs and plots
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Recall that verbs are action and state of being words. Explain that these are the "engine" of the plot, because plot is essentially "what happens." Complete a Parts of Speech worksheet with sentences underline verbs in one colour.
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Parts of Speech worksheet
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5. Setting & Mood
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a. What are they?
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Students are given a list of mood descriptors (grim, ominous, foreboding, calming, soothing, tranquil) and using a dictionary and thesaurus must find the meaning and a synonym.
Read The Most Dangerous Job by Eric Schlosser. Draw a detailed picture using colour of the setting depicted in the story. Add as many relevant details as possible. Write several sentences describing the mood of the story.
Recall that nouns are names of a person, place, thing, quality or idea, and adjectives describe or tell about a noun. Explain that these are what make description interesting.
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Mood Description worksheet
The Most Dangerous Job chapter from Fast Food Nation p. 169-172; Illustrate a Setting Checklist
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b. Nouns and adjectives for description
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On the Parts of Speech worksheet underline nouns (pronouns) and adjectives in three different colours. Do additional practise.
Complete a worksheet that requires replacing bland and boring adjectives and nouns with more interesting ones. Use a thesaurus. Then, compare product to original piece, and answer several comparison questions.
Starting by generating a list of adjectives, use an image search in Google with these descriptors and select an interesting and detailed image to print.
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Parts of Speech worksheet; LanguageWorks 9 p. 51-53
Descriptive Writing worksheet
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c. Describe a setting
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Discuss how to write a good description of setting paragraph, by reviewing the assignment checklist (i.e., appeal to sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch).
Go to a workplace in the community (stores, building sites, etc.) and observe carefully, completing an observation sheet. Then complete the assignment.
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Describe a Setting assignment sheet
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6. Point of View
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a. What is it?
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Take a short note on point of view (first person main character, first person observer, third person all-knowing, and third person reporter).
Read Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King (third person all-knowing) and read The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe (first person main character). Answer comprehension questions and questions about point of view in each of these stories.
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Both stories in Literature & Media 9, p. 93-98, and 105-108; comprehension questions worksheet
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7. Characterization & Conflict
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a. What are they?
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Take a short note on characterization (how characters are created by the author through telling, showing, and dialogue). Conflict is an event that helps the character come out (e.g. person vs. person, vs. nature, vs. self, etc.)
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Story in Literature & Media 9, p. 21-25; comprehension questions worksheet
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b. Punctuating dialogue and characterization/conflict
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Read Loathe at First Sight by Ellen Conford, and answer comprehension questions and questions about the two characters in this story.
Discuss how dialogue advances the plot by allowing characters to come into conflict, and it shows character traits through spoken comments and expression. Using Loathe at First Sight as a reference, take a note on a list of rules for punctuating dialogue.
Complete a worksheet requiring the punctuation of dialogue.
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Rules for punctuating dialogue from LanguageWorks 9 p. 35-36
LanguageWorks 9 p. 35-36
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c. Creating characters & conflict
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Give an assignment sheet. Begin with brief character descriptors as prompts complete an organizer describing appearance of character, how they talk, and how other people react to them. Then place two of them in conflict, and a give a reason for the conflict. Finally write several lines of dialogue between characters.
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Characters and Conflict assignment sheet
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8. Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, and Dialogue Quiz
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Quiz assesses identification of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and the proper punctuation of dialogue.
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Quiz
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9. Themes
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a. What are they?
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Discuss how themes are what the story is about or "an understanding about life that the author wants to share with the reader."
Read The Kayak by Debbie Spring, and answer comprehension questions and questions about the theme of the story.
Provide students with a list of common themes in writing and ask them to interpret them.
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Story in Language & Writing 9, p. 33-37; comprehension questions worksheet
Popular Themes in Stories worksheet
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b. Identifying themes in music lyrics
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Begin Audio Themes assignment where students must choose a theme from the Popular Themes in Stories description sheet, or choose another, and then find a popular song with lyrics relating to that theme. Complete a worksheet describing song and how it relates to the theme chosen. A CD of the class songs and themes will be made if time permits.
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Audio Themes assignment sheet
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10. Understanding Stories
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a. Unit reinforcement
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Find and read a short story in any class anthology and complete the Parts of Six Stories Organizer table as reinforcement.
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Variety of short story anthologies
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b. Writing stories
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Give students the Short Story Writer's Guide assignment sheet that takes them step by step through the process of designing a short story. It requires students to think about a lead for the story, setting, mood, point of view, characterization, conflict, theme, and for plot it requires they draw a detailed storyboard. Editing and revision are included in the process.
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Short Story Writer's Guide assignment sheet, with details from Language & Writing 9, p. 37-40; Self and Peer Editing Checklist
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11. Unit Review & Test
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Unit review. Reminder to submit Parts of Six Stories organizer. Unit test with knowledge, application, and communication elements.
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Unit review sheet
Unit test
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