The Alchemy of Fiction:

English 11 Short Story Analysis and Discussion

We will be reading, studying and discussing the following stories from Viewpoints:

Short Story to be Read/3 Discussion Questions / Date: / Group Members presenting:
“The Charmer” / Tuesday, October 22nd / Nobody – in-class assessment
Review terms/work on projects / Thursday, October 24th / All members have read story to be presented and ready to work.
“Learning the Language” - p. 4 / Wednesday, September 30th / Kelvin, Brian, Lawrence, Warren, Roger
“A Cap for Steve” - p. 167 / Friday, October 2nd / Irene, Evan, Priscilla, Chantelle, Glenda, Michelle
“Initiation” - p. 198 / Tuesday, October 6th / Chilly, Carmen, Sarah, Tammy, Lauren
“Ramu and Rani” - p. 74 / Thursday, October 8th / Melissa, Diane, Sadie, Christine
“Gentlemen of the Jungle” - p. 123 / Tuesday, October 13th / Dave, Tyrell, Daniel, Ardy, Zane
“The Pedestrian” - p. 153 / Thursday, October 15th / Rizwan, Truong, Isaac, Ben, Hieu
Task / Date: / Value
Original Short Story / Wednesday, October 28th / 5 homework marks (draft/peer editing sheet); assessed according to Grade 11 Writing Rubric (good copy)
Final Test / Thursday, October 22nd / 50 marks

N.B. This outline is subject to change. Keep updated by checking our class wiki at http://tuppersecondaryenglish.wikispaces.com.

I – To prepare for a discussion of these stories, each member of the class will:

a)  read each of the stories and participate fully in class discussions/activities.

b)  make up three intelligent discussion questions for each story (EXCEPT your group’s story).

II –To lead a class discussion of each story, your group (4-5 people/group) will:

a)  Give a concise plot summary; discuss conflicts (include types). /5

b)  Explain important short story elements (e.g. setting, mood, irony, p.o.v, style.) Choose 2-5 important phrases from the story; explain their significance. /5

c)  Discuss characters include (types), their motivations and roles. /5

d)  Propose at least two possible themes, explain how they are revealed in the story, and discuss their relevance to our lives and/or society. /5

e)  Create an activity that relates to the story that involves the entire class. /5

f)  Teamwork, effort and smooth delivery of presentation. /5

III – Each person will write an original short story. Stories will be multi-paragraph, include dialogue, and be about 500 -750 words (3 pages, double spaced, 12 font.) Remember: more does not necessarily mean better. Have fun and be creative!

Task / Value / Due Date
Homework Questions / 3 marks/class / Each class
Presentation / 30 marks
Original Short Story / Assessed on Grade 11 scale / Wednesday, October 28th
Final Test / 50 marks / Thursday, October 22nd