Create Your English 10 Short Story Unit in 5 Easy Steps

How to Make Your Short Story Unit Planning Way Easier

Borrow What You Can

First, instead of teaching you how to create your own English 10 short story unit, I am going to make it easy for you! These five steps in this blog post are all about taking my content. That’s right, I want you to borrow it all. As ELA teachers, we sometimes think way too hard! Likewise, we try to do it all on our own and make it perfect. But, one major lesson I have learned from education is to think smart, not hard. That’s why I want you to take my entire unit. I am going to share everything I do for this unit. Plus, why I do it! Then all you have to do is take my ideas and start teaching! 

Design What You Want

Still want to have a chance to design your curriculum? Then, take my ideas and make them your own! You know how sometimes you just need to see someone else’s ideas for inspiration? Consequently, I hope that seeing my unit will help give you even better ideas. Furthermore, If you do not have to design an entire short story unit, you have time to customize it. Then, you can focus on creating an amazing introduction activity. Or maybe a better way to teach the literary elements. No matter what you do, you can breathe a little easier because I’ve got your back. 

Steal My English 10 Short Story Unit in 5 Steps

Step #1: Use My Literary Elements In a Story Purpose & Standards

As always the first step in any unit design is to determine your focus. First, for my short story unit, I want to focus on literary elements in a story and analysis. My essential question for the unit would be: How do the literary elements in a story contribute to the theme? This question allows me to not only teach the literary elements. But, to demonstrate that analysis needed to connect those elements to a theme. 

Furthermore, my state uses the Common Core standards, so I focus on the Reading Literature for 9th-10th grade. Here are the standards that I wanted to cover in this unit. 

Common Core Standards: Reading Literature 9th-10th Grade

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1
  • Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• 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.
• 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.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.4
  • Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.5
  • Analyze how an author’s 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.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.6
  • Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.

Step #2: Take My Literary Analysis Paragraph Final Assessment

Now that we know the focus, we are ready for the final assessment. For this short story unit, I want my students to write a literary analysis paragraph. First, students will use the essential question from the unit as their prompt. Then, they will focus on including two cited examples from their short story and analyze those examples for theme. 

This final assessment paragraph is modeled after the constructed responses that my students will see on their standardized test in 10th grade. However, it is also great practice for PSAT, SAT, ACT, AP tests etc. that require students to give constructed responses as well. 

Here are the elements that my students must include in their literary analysis paragraph: 

1. Topic Sentence: TAG (Title, Author, Genre) of their story and their theme
2. Transition Sentence #1: Sentence that summarizes their evidence by sharing where we are directly in the story. 
3. Signal Phrase, Evidence #1, In Text Citation
4. Analysis Sentences: Two sentences that explain how this evidence connects to their theme and what lesson the reader can learn
5. Transition Sentence #2: Sentence that summarizes the second piece of evidence
6. Signal phrase, Evidence #2, In Text Citation
7. Analysis Sentences for Evidence #2: How does this piece of evidence connect to the theme and what lesson does it teach us
8. Clincher Sentence: Restate the theme from the text without repeating it word for word

Want an easy way to teach this literary analysis paragraph? Click HERE to grab my detailed lesson plans, prompt, outline, and examples for a literary analysis paragraph.

Step #3: Snag My Short Stories

Now that you know where we are headed, you are ready for the texts. My English 10 short story unit is for World Literature. So, my goal is to have students learn about perspectives outside of the United States. As a result, my short stories offer varying perspectives from different places in the world. 

Here are the short stories that I use: 

1. “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
2. “Dead Men’s Path” by Chinua Achebe
3. “Apollo” by Chimamanda Adichie 
4. “The Interlopers” by Saki

   

Step #4: Borrow All My Short Story Unit Activities

Now, here is where your life gets so much easier! First, check out my short story unit lesson plan outlines ready for you. Likewise, keep in mind that I teach 80-minute blocks in a semester-long class. My schedule is based on that time frame. 

Day #1: Short Story Reading & Plot Diagram 

1. Literary Elements Review Game
2. “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings by Gabriel Garcia Marquez” Reading #1
3. Plot Diagram Identification: Literary Elements Google Slides

Day #2: Literary Elements in a Short Story Practice

1. “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” Story Review Game
2. A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings by Gabriel Garcia Marquez” Reading #2
3. Literary Elements Google Slides: Partner Work
   1. Setting
   2. Point of View
   3. Conflict
   4. Characterization
   5. Mood & Tone
   6. Symbols
   7. Author’s Style
4. Literary Elements Answer Review as a Class

Day #3: Theme & Literary Analysis Paragraph Writing

1. Themes Mini-Lesson
2. A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings by Gabriel Garcia Marquez” Reading #3
3. Literary Analysis Paragraph Writing: Teacher-Led/ Written in Partners

Day #4: Short Stories & Literary Elements-Student Choice

1. Student Choice Short Story Reading
   1. “Dead Men’s Path” by Chinua Achebe
   2. “Apollo” by Chimamanda Adichie
   3. “The Interlopers” by Saki
2. Short Story Plot Diagram
3. Literary Elements
   1. Option #1: Students choose 2-3 literary elements
   2. Option #2: Choose 2-3 literary elements students struggled with the mist
   3. Option #3: Choose 2-3 different literary elements for certain students

Day #5: Literary Analysis Theme Paragraph Writing

1. Literary Analysis Writing Review
   1. Students review their literary analysis paragraph from Day #3
   2. Choose 1-2 specific things to review as a class
2. Identify the Theme in the Short Story from Day #4
3. Write a Literary Analysis Paragraph on the theme

   

Step #5: Make Your Short Story Unit Your Own

Now that you have all the pieces that you need for a complete short story unit, it is time to make it your own. First, you can take my unit step by step and use everything in it. Or, you can add in your own stories. Perhaps, you want to dedicate a little more time to each part of this process. So change up the schedule and add in activities that you know work for you. Likewise, the best part about this unit is that the work is done for you. But, that just gives you time to rewrite what you want and keep the rest!

Check Out Even More Ways to Teach Short Stories

How to Teach Literary Elements in a Story in an Engaging Way. 

How to Create a Fun and Thrilling Short Story Lesson for High School

Short Short Stories: 9 Reasons to Use them in High School English

Changing your curriculum or rewriting a unit can seem like a daunting task. But, it does not have to be. You can steal all my ideas and make them your own! I would love to see how you incorporate these ideas into your lessons. Send me an email to theteacherrewrite@gmail.com. Or tag me or send me a DM @theteacherrewrite on Instagram. If you want all these steps done for you and you just have a ready to print unit, check out my Short Story Unit Plan. I include everything you will need to customize this unit or just start it right away. This unit comes in both print and digital formats so you have what works best for your classroom. Now that you have these five easy steps, you are ready to start teaching your new English 10 short story unit!