IB Unit Plan

Grade level:

12

Theme:

Short Story Writing

Number of lessons:

12

Subject:

Creative Writing

Schedule:

3 Classes/Week - 1 Month Unit

Lesson duration:

75 minutes

Rationale (Why)

Unit Overview (How)

• Students learn to express their unique thoughts effectively and creatively

• Students learn to support and critique each other in their writing process

• Students learn to use literary devices effectively

• Students read examples of short stories to learn different techniques and gain inspiration

• Students learn a variety of literary devices

• Students write their own stories, providing peer feedback several times throughout the writing process

Key Ideas

Essential Question for Students

• Identity

• Self-expression

• Creativity

• Communication

• Exploring perspectives

• What does it mean to tell a story?

• Why is it important to tell stories?

• Can your identity as a writer be separated from your identity as a reader and as a human?

Unit Objectives (What / SWBAT)

Interdisciplinary Connections

Students will be able to…

• Tell a story that is meaningful to them

• Use literary devices to communicate effectively

• Provide supportive and constructive feedback to peers

• Reflect on the process of storytelling (what worked, what didn’t work, what they would do differently next time)

• How do stories change throughout history? Are there features of storytelling that stay constant over time?

Core Competencies

Communication

Thinking

Personal and Social

• Effective self-expression through writing

• Engaging with others by providing peer feedback

• Planning (to structure a story)

• Analyzing and critically reflecting on other short stories (including those of peers)

• Critical self-reflection after completing the short story

• Exploration of identity

• Consideration of how students’ experiences shape their storytelling

• Exploration of different perspectives by sharing stories with peers

SWBAT…

I will know because students will…

Curriculum Competencies

• Transform ideas and information to create original texts, using various genres, forms, structures, and styles

• Manipulate language purposefully

• Use figurative as well as literal language

• Use the writers’ practices to exemplify skills characteristic of writers

• Produce a unique short story that displays their creative efforts and their writing skills

• Provide written peer feedback demonstrating their understanding of what makes an effective story

Content Objectives

• Know how to use various literary devices effectively

• Understand the structure of a short story and be able to replicate it

• Show their use of literary devices, and their effective structuring of a short story, in their final product

Big Ideas

First People’s Principles of Learning

• Writers write for authentic audiences and real-world purposes.

• Creative writers take risks and persevere.

• Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story.

• Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place).

• Learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors.

• Learning involves patience and time.

• Learning requires exploration of one’s identity.

Adaptations/Modifications for Different Learners

• Peer evaluations allow low-stakes opportunities for students to learn from each other and make improvements

• Students may include alternatives to writing (drawings or audio recordings) to help tell their story

• Students may use bilingual dictionaries, or write portions of their story in an alternate language

Materials, Technologies, and Equipment Needed

• Texts (select short stories, which the teacher will make available in print or online)

• Vocabulary list and worksheets for learning literary devices

• Technology for writing and peer editing (pen and paper, or laptops according to student choice)

Lesson 1: 

Intro to Short Story

Lesson 2:

Intro to Short Story (cont.) 

Lesson 3:

Time Captured in Short Stories 

Lesson 4:

Narrative Styles

Main activities:

• Look at a few examples of short stories (i.e. Color Outside the Lines: Stories About Love ed. By Sangu Mandanna), choose two stories from the anthology, and do a close reading to compare and contrast elements of the stories in a venn diagram.

Main activities:

• Choose a further two stories from a canonical text/author (Edgar Allan Poe, Ernest Hemingway, etc.). Create a mind map of similar themes and concepts that connects the 4 discussed short stories.

Main activities:

• Continuing with the question from the previous lesson of how narrative is captured in short stories, we will specifically look at creating a timeline for (e.g.) “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe, and pinpoint the coverage of large expanses of time but in the format of the short story. Groups will create timelines and pinpoint events from the story along the line, and then compare with other groups, and acknowledge any similarities or differences.

Main activities:

• Continuing the close reading of “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe, we will explore the effect that first person narration has on the story.

• Students individually choose a paragraph from “The Tell-Tale Heart”, and rewrite it from a different point of view (i.e. 2nd person, 3rd person, omniscient, etc.).

Critical questions:

• What elements make a short story? Can these be identified in the two stories that we read? 

Critical questions:

• How do these 4 stories capture a narrative in a short amount of text?

• What themes are connected across all 4 texts?

Critical questions:

• How does the time frame of a single experience still complete the traditional elements of the narrative (i.e. initial conflict, rising action, climax, resolution, etc.)?

Critical questions:

• Does the change of narrative perspective alter the effect of the story? 

• What perspective would be most impactful in the short story format?

Lesson 5:

Exploring Literary Devices

Lesson 6:

Prewriting

Lesson 7:

Drafting Day 1

Lesson 8:

Drafting Day 2

Main activities:

• Students break up into groups and write a few sentences in response to a story-writing prompt.

• Each group is given a slip of paper with one literary device and its definition.

• Students work together to rewrite their sentences using this literary device.

• Students rotate tables and continue to rewrite their sentences until they have incorporated every device.

• Students share their final stories with the class.

• Teacher-led discussion on how literary devices can change the meaning and impact of a story.

Main activities:

• Introduce the short story assignment and outline the 5 steps of the writing process.

• Prewriting: Students brainstorm ideas about what makes a story compelling, drawing concept maps in a Think Pair Share activity.

• Students work independently on prewriting for the remainder of class.

Main activities:

• Students begin drafting their short stories, with an understanding that the draft is not supposed to be perfect.

• Students are encouraged to use multimedia resources to support their drafting process (e.g. drawing, voice recording). ELLs may write in their primary language at this stage, if they choose.

• The teacher will circulate and check in with each student to discuss their progress and any questions or concerns they have.

Main activities:

• Students continue drafting their short stories.

• The teacher continues to check in and monitor student progress.

Critical questions:

• How can literary devices add meaning to stories?

• In terms of figurative language, how much is too much?

• How can writers draw a balance between too literal and not literal enough?

Critical questions:

• What makes a short story?

• What makes a good short story?

• How will you structure your short story, and what elements will you include?

Critical questions:

• How can the teacher support you in your creative process?

• What resources will help you reach your creative potential?

Critical questions:

• Are you on track to begin the revision stage next class?

• Are you happy with your draft so far?

Lesson 9:

Peer Assessment Day 1

Lesson 10:

Editing Workshop

Lesson 11:

Peer Assessment Day 2

Lesson 12:

Present Your Short Story

Main activities:

• Students come to class with a complete or mostly complete draft.

• Mini-lecture on how to provide meaningful feedback to peers, and a review of the rubric.

Main activities:

• Temperature check with students: How are you feeling about the writing process so far? What questions do you have about your work? 

• Mini-lecture/reminder on story structure and theme development.

• Station-based workshops where students are given prompts and then asked to edit specific lines of their work.

Main activities: 

• Teacher presents reflection questions for consideration for tomorrow’s class, allowing these to guide today’s discussion.

• Based on edits from yesterday’s workshop, students get feedback from 1-2 more peer reviewers.

  • The focus of peer assessment is theme and story structure, addressing the critical question below.

Main activities:

• A celebration of completed short stories. The teacher will bring in some food and drinks for students as part of this celebration.

• Students will share their short story in groups, and have the option to share with the full class.

• Students submit a half-page (or shorter) reflection with their short story using the critical questions below.

  • 15 minutes at the beginning of class to review/finalize the reflection.

Critical questions:

• What key literary devices can you identify in your peer’s work?

• What is the biggest strength of your peer’s story? What could use more clarity? 

Critical questions:

• What makes a story structure clear and easy to understand?

• What makes a structure innovative? 

Critical questions:

• What final changes do you need to make to your work before submission? 

Critical questions:

• How have you integrated the feedback of 2 peers?

• What were challenging elements of the writing process? What would you do differently next time?

Assessment

Formative

• Worksheets to check understanding of short stories and literary devices.

• Frequent self- and peer-assessment worksheets.

• Rough draft of short story (submitted for teacher feedback).

• Regular meetings with the teacher to review progress and address questions and concerns.

Summative

• Final copy of short story, graded according to a rubric. This rubric will be tailored for ELLs and students with IEPs.