Short Story Writing: A Parallel Curriculum Unit

Katherine Freeman
EDIS 7230: Curriculum for the Gifted & Talented
Fall 2013

UNIT INTRODUCTION
Unit Overview
This unit is designed for a tenth grade English class, and the topic is the reading
and writing of short stories. Many students do not like to write in school; they feel they
are asked to write about topics they do not care about, and their writing will then only be
read by their teacher. In this unit, students will study a variety of short stories to develop
an understanding of the form. Then, they will create their own. They will progress
through the writing processwriting, revising, peer reviewing, revising again, and
editingbefore publishing their stories in a class anthology that will be printed through
an on-demand publishing site and then made available for sale to the public. I hope that
providing students with an authentic audience and turning them into published writers,
this unit will motivate students and help them develop a joy of writing. Because of the
short length of short stories, students will have the opportunity to read many different
works from a variety of authors. (Sadly, such a thing would be hard to do with novels.)
The shorter length will also allow students to focus more intensely on their writing and
revision. Since many of the concepts for short stories apply to other forms of creative
narrative as well, this unit will provide a framework for students to explore longer works
of fiction and other genres.
This unit will draw on my knowledge menu in early discussions about the short
story as a genre and how it differs from other forms, as examined in my knowledge tree
and the organization of the discipline. Students will learn about the history of the short
story as a form, and how it evolved from roots in other literary genres. The students will
also learn about and practice the skills and methodologies (outlined in section IV) as they
create and publish their own stories.
This unit will emphasize the Curriculum of Practice Parallel, with some elements
of the Curriculum of Identity Parallel. I chose to primarily focus on Practice because my
greater objective with this unit is to motivate students to write, and I believe that
encouraging them to practice as real writers and create a published product will do that.
Most of the writing students create in school is artificial, and I want students to be able to
create something personal that they are proud of. My work on my knowledge menu has
made me realize that a full understanding of literature comes not from just reading it, but
also by creating it. I dont think students will fully understand what it means to carefully
craft a literary work unless they do it themselves. I would also like to pull in some
elements of Identity. I feel that the Practice Parallel naturally leads into the Identity
Parallel because both emphasize students working as practitioners and invite students to
imagine themselves in those roles. As I would like students to cultivate a lifetime love of
writingor at least a positive attitude towards writing as they progress through schoolI
think the Identity Parallel will help students to recognize their personal identity as
writers, recognize their strengths and areas for improvement, and determine how they can
use writing for their personal needs. At this age, adolescents are wrestling with their own
identities, and writing can be an outlet.

Questions of Focus from the Curriculum of Practice Parallel

What drives the work of practitioners in the field?

What are the methods used by practitioners and contributors in the field to

generate new questions, new knowledge, and to solve problems?

What personality traits support productivity in the field?

Questions of Focus from the Curriculum of Identity Parallel

What do practitioners and contributors in this discipline think about?

How might I shape the discipline over time? How might it shape me?

Lessons
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Why Write? An Introduction to the Writing Process (2 classes)*

The Short Story (2 classes)
Plan for Writing: Character Mini Lesson (1 class)
Writing (2 classes)
Revision: Description, Dialogue, Voice Mini Lessons (3 classes)*
Rewriting (1 class)
Editing (1 class)
Publishing (2 classes)*

This unit will be made up of eight lessons spread over thirteen class periods. If necessary,
extra classes and time can be added in if students need more time and support to write
their own stories. Breakout lessons have *

Unit Background Information

In order for students to successfully complete this unit, students must understand
what a short story is and the process writers use to create them. To begin the process,
students must develop a passion for writing and understand why writers do what they do.
They must learn the process writers go through and the challenges they face. Before
students can start writing their own short stories, they must create their own definition of
a short story by reading and analyzing the work of other writers. They must understand
other concepts within a short story, including character, description, dialogue, voice, and
theme, and they must explore how writers use them to develop an idea of how to use
them in their own writing. To fully understand the writing and publishing process,
students must experience it themselves. They must plan, write, revise, and rewrite to

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refine their use of character, description, dialogue, voice, and theme throughout their
story. Students also need experience sharing their work with others, receiving feedback,
reconciling this feedback with their own goals in writing, and apply feedback to their
work. Once their short stories are polished, students must edit them for proper mechanics
consistent with style guides used by published writers. To push this process beyond
traditional classroom standards, students must know the significance of self-publishing
and why it is so prominent today. They must examine published books to inform the
design of their own book, organize the layout, and prepare their book for publication.
The Curriculum of Practice Parallel requires students to use a variety of resources
used by practicing professionals, as well as experts and practitioners themselves. During
this unit, several guest writers will visit the class to share their knowledge about writing,
the writing process, and the self-publishing process. Students will also examine published
short stories, including the work of Lorrie Moore, Raymond Carver, Sherman Alexie,
Lydia Peelle, ZZ Packer, and others. Anne Lamotts Bird by Bird will be a key resource
throughout the unit, guiding students through the writing process and sharing the
struggles and frustrations of writers. During the editing process, students will use The
Chicago Manual of Style as a reference for editing standards, as this is the style guide of
choice for most literary publishing.
This unit is designed for a hypothetical tenth grade class in a suburban area. The
class includes 20 students, six of which have been identified as gifted.
This unit is an exemplar of high quality curriculum because it allows students to
practice as actual writers and create an authentic published product. Instead of merely
imitating the work of published writers, the students will have the opportunity to become
published writers by self-publishing a book just as professionals do. The unit also
provides students with the opportunity to work in a variety of group settings. Students
will write individually, yet also receive peer feedback. The class must collaborate as a
whole to create the finished product, yet it will still represent the individuality of each
student in the class. The unit is an exemplar of high quality curriculum for higher
readiness learners because it challenges all students to achieve their personal best. High
readiness learners will have opportunities to receive feedback from professional writers,
and they can be held to higher standards of writing, revision, and editing.

This unit also reflects the Identity Parallel because there are many opportunities
throughout for students to reflect on their own disposition towards the discipline and their
progress towards expertise.
This unit reflects the work on my knowledge menu because it invites students
explore the purpose of the writing literature, as explored in the discipline overview. The
insiders knowledge and skills and methodologies sections informed many Practice
elements of this unit, including the general structure focusing on the writing and
publishing process. The knowledge menu also helped me identify resources for the
students to use, including works by published writers and resources, such as style guides.
I have decided to teach the short story form within its historical context, addressing the
tradition from which the form developed and how it has evolved into its contemporary
form.

CONTENT FRAMEWORK
Learning Goals
Common Core Standards
S1: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and
analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges
and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

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S2: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.3 Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with
multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other
characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
S3: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.5 Analyze how an authors choices concerning how to
structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g.,
pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
S4: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined
experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured
event sequences.
S5: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.3a Engage and orient the reader by setting out a
problem, situation, or observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and
introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or
events.
S6: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.3b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing,
description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or
characters.
S7: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.3d Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and
sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or
characters.
S8: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by
planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing
what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience
S9: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce,
publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of
technologys capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and
dynamically.
S10: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners
on grades 910 topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing their
own clearly and persuasively.
S11: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1a Come to discussions prepared, having read and
researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to
evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful,
well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
Concepts

Major Concepts

Minor Concepts

C1: Short Story

C2: Writing Process

C3: Character
C4: Description
C5: Dialogue
C6: Voice

Principles

P1: A good short story does the work of a novel in a fraction of the length.
P2: Writing is a process through which a writer brings an experience to life.
P3: Description grounds a reader in a story and brings the characters to life.
P4: As in life, the essence of a character can be understood through their actions

and dialogue.
P5: An authentic voice is the difference between a flat text and an exciting story.
P6: Collaboration and conversations with others can improve our writing and
understanding.

Essential Knowledge

K1: The short story is a modern form that evolved from a greater literary
tradition, with roots in oral language, poetry, and the novel. The short story is a
distinctly American form that developed in the early nineteenth century. Today, it

is one of the most popular literary forms.

K2: Writers must go through a process that includes planning, editing, revision,
rewriting, and editing. Collaboration with others can be useful throughout the
process to improve writing.

K3: Self-publishing has become a prominent method of publishing today due to

the state of the publishing industry.

Essential Skills

D1: Students will be able to identify setting, characters, and plot of stories and

understand how the writers use these elements to contribute to the theme.
D2: Students will be able to engage in literary discussions with their peers.
D3: Students will be able to learn craft and techniques from published writers and

apply these skills to their own writing.

D4: Students will be able to function as practicing writers as they plan, write,

revise, rewrite, edit, and publish their own short stories to share with others.
D5: Students will be able to develop characters and events through the use of

description and dialogue.

D6: Students will be able to communicate emotion through descriptive language.
D7: Students will be able to collaborate with others to improve their writing.
Rationale

There are many concepts that apply to literature and short stories specifically, so it
was challenging to select only a few to focus on during this unit. Because this unit
emphasizes the Curriculum of Practice Parallel, I chose to primarily focus on the
concepts of short story and process. I hope that students will understand that writing is an
ongoing process through which a writer tries to perfect a piece of writing. To learn the
writing process, students will explore the short story as a form, focusing on the minor
concepts of character, description, dialogue, voice, theme, and experience. These
concepts can be applied to the greater category of creative narrative, as I learned from my
knowledge menu. The representative topic of the short story is a short form that will
allow them to focus more deeply on the function of these concepts in a literary work.
Throughout the process of planning, writing, revision, rewriting, and editing, students
will attempt to refine their use of these minor concepts to improve their writing.
Principles 1 and 2 attempt to emphasize the objective of a short story and the purpose of
process in writing. The following principles address the functions of the minor concepts
within a short story.
The essential knowledge includes basic information about the history of the short
story, which I learned through my exploration of the representative topic of my
knowledge menu. It also reflects the skills outlined in my skills and methodologies
section, which focuses on the process writers use. The third piece of essential knowledge

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addresses the current state of the publishing industry and the conditions in which
professional writers and producing and publishing their work; this is consistent with the
goals of the Practice Parallel. The essential skills require students to act as writers by
learning from the work of others, applying these skills and techniques to their own
writing, and refining their writing through the writing and publishing process. The skills
also require students to discuss and collaborate with others, which relates to principle 6.
The essential skills are also derived from the standards, which require students to use
reading, writing, and speaking. I feel that these skills represent the work of actual writers
and require students to transfer their understanding and knowledge of the concepts
between different domains.

Concept Map
Writing a SHORT STORY
is a
PROCESS
through which a writer
refines their use of
DESCRIPTION

DIALOGUE
to represent

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CHARACTER
and
uses authentic
VOICE
to bring an
EXPERIENCE
to life.
*The box can be replaced to address different focuses or goals of writing, yet the
remainder of the concept map stays constant.
UNIT ASSESSMENTS
Preassessment
Students will begin the unit by doing three writing exercises at the beginning of
the unit. They will respond to the following questions:
Why do we write?
What process do writers use?
What is a short story?
This will allow me to assess the students understanding of the major concepts of the
unit and their attitude towards writing. They will also serve as a basis for discussion, so
they will be used as a jumping off point for learning experiences.
Formative Assessments

Students will fill out sections of the graphic organizer discussing how character,
description, dialogue, and voice are used in a short story they read.
Students will keep a writing journal throughout the unit. During each lesson, they
may be asked to do a short writing activity or a reflection about what they have

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learned in class. Most of these reflections will focus on the Identity Parallel, so I
can use them to track students dispositions and goals for individual progress
throughout the unit.
Students will write a rough draft of their short story early in the unit. After
reviewing the drafts, I can determine how to address ascending intellectual
demand. This will also help me group students for peer feedback.

Summative Assessment: Class Short Story Anthology

To learn what it is like to be published writers, we are going to become published
writers ourselves. As a class, we will create and design an anthology of short stories that
will be published through Lulu.com, an on-demand publishing site, and then made
available to the public through sale on Lulu.com. This project has both individual and
collaborative components. Each of you will write a short story to include in our
anthology, which you will revise extensively throughout our short story unit. You will
receive feedback from your peers and from me to guide you in this process. As a class,
we will make important decisions about our book, including the title, theme, design,
organization, and layout. We will hold each other accountable for creating our best
personal work, and we will work as a group to create a product we can all be proud of.
In order to write good short stories for publication, we first must understand what
makes a good short story. Throughout this unit, we will read several short stories by
different writers and discuss the qualities of these works, focusing on character,
description, dialogue, and voice. We will write our stories with these things in mind, but
we will also do several revision exercises to help you focus on effectively incorporating
these concepts into your short stories. It is also important to get feedback on your writing
from others. Sometimes a writer gets so caught up in their story that its hard for them to
see which parts can be improved. We will share our stories with each other and provide
constructive feedback to encourage each other to improve our stories.
After we revise and polish our stories, we must edit them before we can publish
them in our book. Editing is the final stage in the writing process. It can be very tedious,
but it is important to edit our writing to make sure it is clear and comprehensible for our
readers. Once our stories are polished, edited, and ready to go, we will organize and
design the layout of our book. We will closely examine published short story anthologies
to learn common contents and organization, and then we will decide what we want to
include in our book. We will design the book with a program called InDesign and send
the file to Lulu.com for print publication. Printing a book can take quite some time, so we
will have to wait patiently for our books to arrive in the mail. When our books arrive, we
will celebrate our publication with a book reading for our families and friends. You will
each be able to read your story aloud, and we will have copies of the book available for
people to purchase.

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Criteria for Student Success
Process:
Prewriting: As a class, we will select a theme for our anthology. You will begin
your writing process by generating ideas for your short story about this theme.
Writing: You will write a draft of your short story. The draft does not need to be
perfect; you will make many changes to it during the revision process. There is no
specific length requirement for your story.
Revision: This is a long, involved process. We will do several class activities for
focus on different aspects of revision. You will receive peer and teacher feedback
about your writing and have the opportunity to incorporate suggestions. You may
create several more drafts during this process. By the end of the revision period,
you will have a strong draft.
Editing: You will edit your story for grammar, spelling, and capitalization, and
you will also peer edit the stories of several of your classmates.
Final Draft: You will create a final, polished draft to submit for publication in our
class anthology.
Your final draft will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
o Evidence of understanding of key concepts and principles: Does the short
story reflect an understanding of character, description, dialogue, and voice? Does
the story include effective dialogue?
o Successful performance of key skills: Does the story include specific details and
figurative language? Does the final draft reveal thorough revision? Does the final
draft thoughtfully incorporate peer and teacher feedback? Was the story edited for
proper grammar, spelling, and capitalization?
o Comprehensiveness: Are the length and pacing of the story appropriate? Are the
characters fully developed? Is the setting firmly established? Does the story
achieve its goal?
o Presentation: Is the story submitted in appropriate format?
In addition to submitting a final draft of your story, you will have a conference with
me to assess how well you have learned the concepts, principles, and essentials skills of
this unit. Our conference will address the following:
o Writing Process: What did you learn about it? How did you use it to
strengthen your short story? How can you apply the writing process to other
genres and types of writing?
o Short Story: How would you define short story? How did your idea of this
concept change over the course of the unit? How does your short story
represent this concept?
o Character, Description, Dialogue, and Voice: How does each of these play a
role in a short story? How did you use them in your own short story? How did
this change as you progressed through the writing process?

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o Personal Growth: How did you grow as a writer during this unit? How do
you hope to continue improving as a writer? What role does writing play in
your life today, and what role will it play in the future?
Commentary
This summative assessment is an effective performance-based assessment because
it allows students to create and self-publish a book, just like real writers. The goal of the
final product is designed to motivate students and encourage them to create a polished
final product to the best of their abilities. This project can be challenging for all types of
learners because students will work to write and improve a short story to the best of their
personal ability. The revision process lends itself to many opportunities for feedback and
scaffolding, so struggling students will be provided with necessary support. More
advanced students will be encouraged to push and improve their writing even further
through conferencing and individualized feedback. The beauty of creative writing is that
it can never be truly perfect, and there really is not limit. Students can all be challenged in
this unit. The absence of a length requirement for the stories also gives students flexibility
to shape their stories to their own personal needs and abilities as writers. This assessment
incorporates information I learned from the Skills and Methodologies section of my
knowledge menu. I attempted to craft this project such that it followed the process actual
writers go through as they write and publish their own books. Self-publishing has
increased in popularity given the current situation with the publishing industry, so I feel
this assessment gives students a unique opportunity to do exactly what professional
writers are doing. The conference will allow me to assess how well the students
understand how the concepts, principles, and skills of the unit applied to their project, and
how their understanding changed over time.
*Lesson 1: Why Write? An Introduction to the Writing Process
(2 class periods, 90 minutes each)
LESSON SEQUENCE
Standards: S8, S10
Concepts: C2
Principles: P2, P6
Essential Knowledge: K2
Skills: D2
This lesson will begin with part one of
the preassessment and a class
discussion about writing. Students
will examine writers quotes in
groups and share their thoughts on
them with the class. A guest writer
will share her experience with and
reasons for writing with the class.
During the second day of this lesson,

REFLECTION

The purpose of this lesson is to

motivate students about the unit
and address one of the focus
questions of the Practice Parallel:
What drives the work of
practitioners in the field? Students
will contemplate this question by
examining quotes from writers about
why they write (taken from my KM).

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the students will complete the
second part of the preassessment.
The class will discuss the writing
process. I will present the class with
the summative assessment, and the
class will discuss ideas for their
anthology. Students will then
complete a journal activity about

Introduction
The classroom will be arranged into
four groups of five desks each. The
students will be assigned to groups
and asked to sit together.
I will explain that today begins a new
unit about writing, and they will start
by thinking about what they already
know. The students will be asked to
take out a sheet of paper and
something to write with and take 5
minutes to write a response to the
question, Why do we write? The
students will then be asked to share
their responses with their group and
try to come up with consensus. The
groups will then share their
responses with the whole class.
I will project quotes by writers on the
board (list attached at end of lesson).
For each quote, I will ask the
students to share their responses. I
can also pose questions for the
students to think about, like, Do you
have any untold stories you inside
you? or Are there experiences from
your life you could reflect on and
explore through writing?
Around this time, the guest speaker,

The guest speaker will allow them to

interact with a professional and
learn more about how she
developed into a writer from the
time she was the students age until
now. The presentation of the
summative assignment will also
motivate students and allow them to
start thinking about their own
writing from the beginning of the
unit. The journal activity will allow
them to reflect on their personal
thoughts and attitudes towards
writing.
The introduction is meant to spark
passion about writing and get
students thinking about themselves
as writers. It gets at the deep intent
of the Practice Parallel because it
invites students to consider what
drives the work of professionals in
the discipline by exploring quotes by
writers and hearing about the
experience of a guest writer. This
teaching strategy specifically
addresses how professionals in the
discipline work and think about the
issues. The end of the introduction is
designed to help students think
about another focus question, What
personality traits support
productivity in the field? The
students are encouraged to think
about how they possess these traits
and could improve them, which
addresses the Identity Parallel.
As an extension activity, students
will have the option of researching
for more quotes by writers at home.
They can share them with the class
during the second lesson and
explain why they like that quote and
how they can apply it to their own
writing.

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a published writer, will arrive. I will
have met with the speaker ahead of
time to discuss topics to share with
the class. The writer will talk about
their personal experience writing and
why the like to write. She will also
talk about what they were like in 10th
grade and how they developed as a
writer. She will also give the students
advice about writing and share habits
and traits she believes are essential
for writers. Students will be
encouraged to take notes during her
talk, and after they will have the
opportunity to ask questions.
After the speaker leaves, I will briefly
go over the habits and traits she
suggested to the students. They will
be asked to take out their journals
and given 10 minutes write a
response about what they learned
from the speakers experience. They
will also be asked to discuss the
habits and traits she described and
how they feel they stand in relation
to these habits. Students will be
asked to think about what they did in
class before they meet again. This
activity will conclude the first day of
this lesson.
Teaching strategies and learning
experiences
I will begin the second day of class by
asking students to review what they
did the previous class and share any
thoughts they have after thinking
about the material at home.
Next, students will be asked to take
out a sheet of paper and something
to write with. They will be given five
minutes to write a response to,
What is the writing process? Explain
the steps. The students will hand in

These learning experiences allow

students to build off their
background knowledge. The
students will continue to develop
their understanding of this process
throughout the unit as they practice
them themselves.

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their papers.
I will then write the terms planning,
writing, revising, rewriting,
editing, and publishing on the
board. Students will be asked to work
in pairs to come up with definitions of
each of these terms.

AID: Students will more experience

writing can be paired together and
asked to explain why each of these
steps is important and how each
step contributes to the final product.

All pairs will be asked to share their

responses for the class. I will talk
about how professional writers go
through these stages to create a
finished product. I will say that the
students themselves will go through
these steps as they act as writers
and create a class anthology of short
stories.
I will give each student a copy of the
summative assessment assignment.
The students will have the
opportunity to ask any questions
they have about the process. I will
ask the students to share how what
they learned in class yesterday about
why writers write can be applied to
this assignment.
I will explain that the class needs to
make a few decisions about their
anthology. They can decide to write
their stories about a single theme or
topic. They could also do something
like Wedding Cake in the Middle of
the Road, where there was a single
item that writers each had to include
in their story. The students will be
polled to see if they are interested in
doing either of these two options, or
if they would prefer to write about
whatever they choose. The class will
be asked to think about these things
for the next class.
I will then project the following

Presenting the summative

assessment this early in the unit will
motivate students about the writing
process. It will also make them think
about themselves as practicing
writers as they encounter new
material in the upcoming lessons. It
will provide a meaningful context for
their learning, as they will apply
these things to the authentic
product they will create.

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Stephen King quote on the board: If
you want to be a writer, you must do
two things above all others: read a
lot and write a lot. Theres no way
around these two things that Im
aware of, no shortcut. I will explain
that throughout the unit, the
students will do many writing
activities, but they will read as well.
She will tell them that they are going
to read short stories in groups as part
of the next lesson, and she wants to
give them a say in which story they
will read. I will briefly describe the
stories, Sweethearts of the Rodeo
by Lydia Peelle, What You Pawn I Will
Redeem by Sherman Alexie,
Cathedral by Raymond Carver, and
Brownies by ZZ Packer. The
students will be asked to use a scrap
piece of paper to rank the stories by
preference, and the I will collect
them.
Closure
The lesson will end with student
journal entries about the writing
process. Each student will be asked
to write what he or she learned about
the writing process and how to apply
what was learned in the previous
lesson to this process. They will also
be asked to set a personal goal for
their experience with the writing
process.

This closure activity requires

students to focus on one of the main
concepts of the unit, the writing
process. It also requires them to
think about the essential skills they
will explore throughout the unit.

Writers Quotes:
Because its the answer to everythingIts the streaming reason for
living. To note, to pin down, to build up, to create, to be astonished at
nothing, to cherish the oddities, to let nothing go down the drain, to
make something, to make a great flower out of life, even if its a
cactus.
-Enid Bagnold

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When I sit down to write a book, I do not say to myself, I am going to
produce a great work of art. I write it because there is some lie that I
want to expose, some fact to which I want to draw attention, and my
initial concern is getting heard.
-George Orwell
All stories have to at least try to explain some portion of the meaning
of life.
-Gene Weingarten
There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.
-Maya Angelou
We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.
-Anais Nin
You can make anything by writing.
-C.S. Lewis

Lesson 2: The Short Story

(2 classes)
LESSON SEQUENCE
Standards: S1, S2, S3, S10,
S11
Concepts: C1, C3, C4, C5, C6
Principles: P1, P3, P4, P5
Essential Knowledge: K1
Skills: D1, D2, D3
The class will begin with the third part of
the formative assessment, where students
will be asked to write a definition for short
story. Next, I will give a brief explanation
of the history of the short story as a form
and explain that students will develop a
definition and list of criteria for short
stories by reading and discussing several
texts. As a class, we will review the
meanings of the terms character,
description, dialogue, and voice. I will
explain that these concepts will be part of
our focus throughout the semester. I will

REFLECTION

The purpose of this lesson is to

teach students about the form of
a short story within its historical
context, based on what I learned
in my knowledge menu. This will
help students think about the
genre as scholars do, and it will
provide them with a greater
perspective on the form.
The lesson also introduces
students to the minor concepts of
the unit and asks them to think

19
lead a DRTA for The Tell-Tale Heart by
about how these are applied to
Edgar Allan Poe and the students will fill
various short stories. This activity
out a graphic organizer about character,
is first modeled to the students,
description, dialogue, and voice during the
and then they are able to work on
reading. Students will then be split into
it in groups. The reading groups
groups I planned based on their story
will be partially determined by
rankings. The students will be assigned to
student choice, which will give
read either Sweethearts of the
students a sense of ownership
Rodeo by Lydia Peelle, What You over their work. I can also take
Pawn I Will Redeem by Sherman
individual strengths and learning
Alexie, Cathedral by Raymond
preferences into account when
Carver, or Brownies by ZZ
forming groups.
Packer. In the next class, groups will have Reading How to Become a
the opportunity to discuss their story and
Writer will expose students to a
then be asked to give a brief presentation to non-traditional form of short story
the class summarizing the story and
The closure activity is designed to
explaining how the writer used character,
help students reflect on the
description, dialogue, and voice. They will
concept of the short story.
also fill out part of their graphic organizer
about how these concepts are used in their
AID: If students become
story. As a class, we will create a list of
interested in the writer they read,
techniques writers use for each of these
they will have the option to read
concepts, as well as a list of criteria for a
another story by that writer at
short story. Next, the class will read Lorrie
home and write a comparison
Moores How to Become a Writer.
between the two stories, focusing
Students will be asked to fill out a third
on the concepts of character,
section of their graphic organizer about this description, dialogue, and voice.
story. We will also discuss how this short
story compares to and differs from The
Allowing the students to choose
Tell-Tale Heart and try to make
the topic for the class anthology
generalizations about how the short story
will give them ownership over the
has evolved. Next, we will discuss what
product. I want them to feel that
this story tells us about traits and habits of
they have a lot of say and control
writers. In what way is this short story a
in this unit, and so I think its
story, and in what way is it instructive? For important to include student
the closure activity, students will be asked
choice.
to do a journal entry about their new
definition of short story and new concepts.
At the very end of class, the class will vote
to determine which topic, if any, they
would like to focus their anthology on.
Students will be encouraged to think about
ideas for their story at home. They will also
be asked to read chapters by Ann Lamott
for next class.
Lesson 3: Plan for Writing; Character Mini-Lesson

20
(1 class)
LESSON SEQUENCE
Standards: S2, S4, S8
Concepts: C2, C3
Principles: P2, P4
Essential Knowledge: K2
Skills: D4
Before this class, students will
have been asked to read
Polaroids and Character from
Bird by Bird. We will begin class
with a discussion of what we
learned about writing from these
readings. Students will be able to
use their graphic organizers as a
reference as we discuss
characters, and they will also be
able to share thoughts about
characters from other things they
have read and explain why that
character felt so real to them.
Next, students will each
brainstorm ideas about the main
character (or a main character) of
their story. They will do several
writing activities to help establish
this character, such as describing
their physical appearance, writing
a paragraph in the voice of the
character, writing about three
moments in that characters
childhood that helped define their
identity (even if these events do
not occur in the story). I will
emphasize that its important for a
writer to know their character very
well, to flesh them out as if they
were a real person. Students will
have the remainder of the class to
plan out their story in whatever
manner they see fit. I will work on
planning out my own story as the
students work on this and also

REFLECTION

This lesson focuses on one of the

minor concepts of the unit,
character, and asks students to
think about it in the context of
their own writing, just as
practicing writers do. Lamotts
chapters are a resource used by
many writers, exposing students
to expert-level resources. This
lesson also requires students to
synthesize information about how
character is used in various texts
and create generalizations about
the concept. They will have to
transfer this knowledge to their
own writing, which helps create
firm understanding. The journal
entry at the end is designed to
help students reflect on what they
learned in class as well as their
own progress as a writer. It
emphasizes one of the focus
questions of the Practice Parallel,
What are the methods used by
practitioners and contributors in
the field? It also help students
think about their own place on the
continuum to expertise and how
they push themselves further
along.

21
circulate to provide support and
feedback. In the last ten minutes,
students will do a journal entry
about the methods writers use to
establish characters and what they
learned about themselves as
writers during the process.
Students will be encouraged to set
goals about how they hope to
develop their characters in their
stories.

Lesson 4: Writing
(2 classes)
LESSON SEQUENCE
Standards: S4, S5, S6, S8
Concepts: C1, C2
Principles: P2, P5
Essential Knowledge: K2
Skills: D4
Students will be given two full
class periods to write their short
stories. The format of this class
will be very loosely structured. The
classroom will be arranged to
include a variety of work
environments; there will be some
desks set apart individually for
students to work quietly and some
groupings of desks for students to
share what theyre working on and
bounce ideas off one another.
There will also be an area on the
floor with big pillows, if students
would prefer to write in a more
relaxed setting. Students will also
be able to pace around the room
and take writing breaks if they
need to. Throughout the classes, I
will walk around the room, provide
support to students, and discuss

REFLECTION

These two class periods are

designed for students to write in a
way they feel comfortable and
play and explore with different
writing environments.
AID: Students can be encouraged
to research a writer they admire
and find out their habits during
writing. At my discretion, students
can try to imitate the writing style
and habits of this writer. This
allows them to explore these skills
as experts do and try them on for
fit. If possible, our guest writer
can also be present during this
time to provide support for
students and encourage them to
push their writing.
The journal entry is designed to

22
their progress with them. At the
end of the first day, students will
pass in their drafts so I can
monitor their progress, see if there
is any necessary support needed. I
can also provide comments on
drafts with suggestions for their
writing. At the beginning of the
second class, I will explain that its
important to receive and
incorporate feedback into writing,
and that writers often share their
work with others. Students will be
encouraged to finish the rough
draft by the end of the second
class. I will remind them that they
will have many opportunities to
revise their stories later in the
unit, so its ok if its not perfect
now. I will collect the drafts to look
over so I can properly plan
instruction and incorporate
activities to address student
needs. The last ten minutes of the
second class will be devoted to
journaling. The students will be
asked to write about their process
and discuss areas they struggled
with. Students will also be asked to
discuss what they learned about
their personal writing preferences
during the class time. They can
discuss how they would like to
write on their own in the future
and what their ideal writing
environment would be.

help students reflect on their

experience as a writer and think
about the habits that support their
craft. It is also supposed to help
them think about how to improve
their writing

*Lesson 5: Revision; Description, Dialogue, & Voice MiniLessons

(3 classes)
LESSON SEQUENCE
Standards: S4, S5, S7, S8
Concepts: C1, C2, C4, C5, C6

REFLECTION

23
Principles: P2, P3, P5, P6
Essential Knowledge: K2
Skills: D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7
Each of the three classes in this
revision lesson will be structured
the same way. Class will begin
with a mini-lesson about one of
the concepts: description,
dialogue, or voice, and then the
students will spend the remainder
of the class working on revising
their story, applying what they
learned from the mini-lesson.
Introduction & Learning
Experiences
1. Description*
The first mini lesson will focus on
description by asking students to
do a question flood. I will begin by
leading a discussion about what
description means and the
important role it serves in a story.
We will specifically address how
description can help bring a scene
to life. I can show the students my
concept map for the unit as a part
of this discussion. Next I will
explain that a question flood
involves writing down as many
questions as possible on a story,
and our question floods will focus
on description. I will model this
activity on my own activity, and
then give each student a draft by
one of his or her peers. I will
explain that collaboration with
peers can help improve our
writing, and that a fresh set of
eyes can offer a new perspective.
They will have 5 minutes to create
a question flood. Next, I will give
each student a copy of their own
draft and give them 5 minutes to
do a question flood, encouraging

Revision is given the most time of

any step of the unit because I
want the students to really focus
on improving and strengthening
their writing. This is something
professional writers spend a lot of
time on, but I feel this doesnt
usually happen in a classroom
setting. Providing the students
with many opportunities to
strengthen their work in different
ways is consistent with the
Practice Parallel because it helps
them function as real writers.
*This is adapted from a lesson I
created for 6th graders in EDIS
5400 this semester
The description mini lesson
focuses on the concept map of
the unit and also the importance
of collaboration in the writing
process. It will also help students
learn how to give constructive
feedback to their peers, which is
something good writers often do. I
think this learning experience is a
good way to help students look at
their writing in a new way, as
modeled by their question flood of
a peers work.

24
them to look at their work in the
same way they looked at the work
of their peer. As the students are
doing this, I will have revised my
paragraph to incorporate
questions that came up during the
question flood. I will present the
students with both examples, and
we will discuss why the second
one is stronger. Students will then
have be asked to revise one
paragraph of their story to
incorporate questions from the
flood. I will remind them that it is
not necessary to include every
question, because too many
details and cloud the story.
Students will be encouraged to
revise more sections based on the
question flood, or to keep what
they learned from this activity in
mind as they revise their story.
2. Dialogue
We will begin the class with a
discussion about dialogue and how
it is used in a story. Students will
be encouraged to look at their
graphic organizers from earlier in
the unit and share how dialogue
was used in the story they read.
As a class, we will read Jamaica
Kincaids Girl, a piece of flash
fiction told entirely through
dialogue. We will discuss the effect
this has on the reader and how we
learn about the characters through
their voice. As a class, we will
create a generalization about how
dialogue can be used in a story,
which we will compare to the
principle I created for the unit
about dialogue (P4). Students will
then be asked to look over their
story and think about how
dialogue is used. They will be

This activity uses a professional

writers work as a model and
encourages the students to
deeply consider the concept of
dialogue and then form a
generalization about it.

25
encouraged to revise their stories
to incorporate more dialogue and
to use that dialogue to reveal
more about their characters.
3. Voice
To begin the lesson, I will pair up
the students and ask each to take
turns telling an anecdote about
something exciting that happened
to them to their peer. Each pair
will have a tape recorder to record
themselves sharing the story. We
will then discuss the concept voice
and what the students think it
means. I will have them listen to
the clip and then discuss with their
partner how their voice
contributed to the story. Next, I will
show the importance of voice in
writing by taking a short passage
from Moores How to Become a
Writer and project on the board
alongside with a revised version
that takes the voice out of the
passage, telling the story
objectively and distantly. The
students will be asked to discuss
the differences between these two
with their partner. The pairs will
share their ideas with the class.
We will then discuss how students
can use voice in their own writing,
and students will be encouraged
to read over their story, underling
parts that show an authentic
voice. They will be encouraged to
focus on this as they work on
revisions.
After each of these mini lessons,
students will work on revisions,
and I will have conferences with
individual students about their
writing.

AID: One of the themes of AID for

English is transferring ideas about
language to other forms. This
activity asks students to consider
the concept of voice in both oral
and written language. Higher
readiness students can be
encouraged to explore this
connection further, doing a short
writing exercise discussing how
voice in oral language is similar to
and different from voice in written
language.

AID: Individualized feedback can

address how each student should
progress on the continuum
towards expertise in writing.
These conferences will allow all
students to have specific,
individualized feedback and
criteria for success.

26
Closure
At the end of each class, students
will do a journal entry to reflect on
what they learned that day. The
question will be How did your
understanding of (concept) affect
your revision and strengthen your
writing? Students will also be
asked to write a goal for the next
day.

The closure activities are

designed to help students reflect
on the progress they have made
and their understanding of the
concepts. This reflects the deep
intent of both the Identity and
Practice Parallels because it asks
students to apply concepts to the
skills and methodologies used by
professionals, and to reflect on
their personal progress towards
expertise.

Lesson 6: Rewriting
(1 class)
LESSON SEQUENCE
Standards: S4, S5, S8
Concepts: C1, C2, C6
Principles: P2, P3, P4, P5
Essential Knowledge: K2
Skills: D4
Students will be given one
additional class period to finish
rewriting their stories based on
revision. During this class, the
minor concepts will be written on
the board to remind students
about their importance in their
short stories. I will be available to
provide support for the students in
this process.
At the end of this class, students
will hand in their completed
stories.

Lesson 7: Editing
(1 class)

REFLECTION

The purpose of this lesson is to

allow students to work on their
projects.
AID: Some students may have the
option to receive feedback from
our guest speaker, which allows
them to receive expert-level
feedback on their work; this is
consistent with the Practice
Parallel. During this class,
students can incorporate those
suggestions.

27
LESSON SEQUENCE
Standards: S8
Concepts: C2
Principles: P2, P6
Essential Knowledge: K2
Skills: D4, D7
Before this class, I will read over
the stories and give each student
two comments about the types of
grammatical or mechanical errors
they should improve. I will make a
list of common errors so that
during this session, I can hold mini
group lessons targeted at students
who need support in those areas.
We will begin the class by
discussing why editing is an
important part of the writing
process, and why it comes last. I
will emphasize that its important
to edit so that the reader is not
distracted by grammatical and
mechanical errors, and instead can
focus on the story itself. We will
discuss the differences between
grammar and mechanics.
While I am holding these mini
lessons, students will be asked to
read over their story, paying close
attention grammar and
mechanics, and marking and fixing
mistakes. Students will also have
to exchange stories with a partner
and edit their stories as well. Once
students have finished this, they
can begin typing up and
formatting the final copy of their
story. If they dont finish in class,
they can finish for homework.
They will be asked to read over
their final copy again to make sure
there are no errors.

REFLECTION

AID: Feedback on editing will be

individualized for each student,
addressing what he or she
specifically needs to do to
advance and improve his or her
writing. Higher readiness learners
can be given a copy of the editing
marks sheet used by Chicago
Manual of Style and instructed to
edit their story using the proper
marks. This allows them to
practice editing as professional
writers and editors are required to
do. Students will also be asked to
explain why it is important to use
these specific marks in the editing
process.

28

*Lesson 8: Publishing
(2 classes)
LESSON SEQUENCE
Standards: S9
Concepts: C1, C2
Principles: P2, P6
Essential Knowledge: K3
Skills: D4, D7
The final lesson in this unit will focus
on publishing and how the students
will compile and present their
product. A self-published writer will
be our guest speaker, and she will
share her experience with process
and discuss why it is so prominent in
publishing today. As a class, we will
discuss and make decisions about
what our published product will look
like, using published collections of
short stories as models.

REFLECTION

The guest speaker will provide the

students with an expert resource.
Her talk will focus on the relevant
issues in the world of publishing,
which gets at the deep intent of the
Practice Parallel by inviting students
to think about issues dealt with by
professionals. Making decisions
about the class anthology will give
students experience making the
types of decisions that are made by
professional publishers, and writers
who choose to self-publish.
I feel that this lesson reflects the
deep intent of the parallel because it
addresses an aspect of the writing
process that is usually not
addressed in classrooms. I think this
makes the unit an exemplar of the
Practice Parallel because it moves
beyond traditional classroom
experiences to help students learn
what professionals in the field
actually do, and to go through this
process themselves.

Introduction
We will begin class with a discussion
about publishing. Students be asked
to share what they know about
publishing, and the teacher will make
a list on the board. If necessary, I can
prompt students to encourage

This introduction is designed to

spark student interest in issues
about publishing before the speaker
comes to share with the students. It
will get them thinking about
important issues in the field today
and allow them to build on their

29
thought about books and the steps
that would be used to create them.
I will then ask students to consider
how the Internet may have affected
the publishing industry. Students will
work with a partner to brainstorm a
list of ideas. After a few minutes of
pair work, students will be asked to
share their ideas with the class. I will
write ideas down on the board and
ask students to consider online
stores, such as amazon.com, and
how that might affect the publishing
industry. As a class, we will come up
with a prediction about the state of
the publishing industry due to recent
technological advances. I will tell
students that we have a guest
speaker coming to talk about her
experience with publishing, and I will
ask them each to write one question
they could ask her.

personal experience and

background knowledge.

Teaching strategies and learning

experiences
Our guest speaker will arrive and
introduce herself and her work.
(Ideally, this will be a new guest
speaker.) I will have met with her
beforehand to discuss topics to share
with the class. She will speak about
her experience with self-publishing
and why she chose to go that route.
Hopefully, she can share anecdotes
about experiences with agents and
publishing companies. She can also
provide her opinion about the state
of the publishing industry and where
she thinks the future of publishing
lies. She can guide the class in
coming up with predictions about
what will happen in the future of
publishing and how individual writers
can persist through these conditions.
Students will have the opportunity to
ask her questions about publishing,

Our guest speaker will provide

students with a glimpse into the
issues dealt with professional
writers. Using an expert as a
resource will help students imagine
themselves in that role, and it will
also help them think about how the
issues we discussed at the
beginning of the class impact
individuals working in the field.

As an extension activity, interested

students can research articles about
the state of the publishing industry
and bring them to class to share.
AID: Students can also think about
how different types of publishing,
such as magazines, have been
affected by the state of the
publishing industry. Students can
research this at home and report
their findings to the class,
comparing it to book publishing.

30
and she will leave them with a few
words of wisdom about selfpublishing before she leaves.
The journal entry reflects the intent
After our speaker leaves, we will have of the Identity Parallel by asking
a short discussion debriefing the
students to think about and reflect
experience, and we will make a list of on how they would deal with issues
the things we learned from our
in the discipline.
speaker.
Students will also do a brief journal
entry about their reaction to the
speaker. They will be invited to think
about what they would do if they
were a professional writer: would
they search for an agent, or selfpublish? They should consider the
pros and cons of both options.
From here, we will turn to working on
our own book. I will explain to the
students that we first must
determine which elements we want
to include in our book in addition to
our stories, and we will do this by
looking at published anthologies of
short stories. The class will be broken
up into groups of three, and each
group will be given a book to
examine. The groups will create a list
of all elements in the book from start
to finish, paying attention to things
like the table of contents, author
biographies, etc. We will then have
each group share their findings, and I
will keep a running list of elements
on the board, adding new items to
the list and checking off other
elements each time they are
repeated. As a class, we will discuss
which elements are important and
what we would like to include in our
own anthology. By the end of this
class period, we will have a list of all
of the elements we would like to

Looking at published books as

models is a way of using the works
of experts in the classroom.

31
include. I will ask students to think
about ideas for a title (if that has not
been determined yet) and what the
cover of the book should look like.
Before the next class, I will assign
students to groups to work on each
element selected for inclusion in the
book. Possible elements will likely
include a title page, dedication, table
of contents, author biographies, etc.
During the next class period,
students will work in their groups to
prepare these elements and type
them up on the computer.
If necessary, this lesson can extend
to another class period. There are
many decisions to be made about
publishing a book, so this could take
quite some time!
Closure
The students will complete this
lesson with a reflection on the
process of designing their book.
Students will be encouraged to
discuss their experiences working
with peers to make decisions and
strategies they used to compromise.

AID: Higher readiness learners can

be introduced to InDesign, the
publishing software I will use to
format and design the book for the
class. They can begin some aspects
of the design process, and if theyd
like, continue to help me as I design
the book.

This closure activity allows students

to reflect on their experience with
the writing process, and their work
collaborating with peers. Students
can recognize their dispositions
towards the discipline and the
process.

They will also be asked to write a

final reflection about what they
learned about the writing process,
including specific insights. They
should also discuss their dispositions
towards the writing process.
Unfortunately, it will take a while for our anthology to come back to us. The
design process will take a while, and we must wait for it to be printed and come in the
mail. Our summative assessment will happen before our book arrives. When our book
comes, we will have a celebration and students can read their stories for an audience.