Introduction to Short StoriesDay Literary Element Lessons1 Setting, Mood, Plot, &

Conflict-Review definitions.-Complete wedding cheater group work.

2 Characterization -Review definitions.2 Point of View -Review definitions.

-Create group poster.3 Irony -Review definitions.

-Discuss irony examples.3 Theme -Review definition.

-Read Aesop’s fables.3 Symbolism -Review definition.

-Create individual coat of arms.4 Figurative Language -Review definition.

-Create a group poster.

Section: Literary Terms Date:Heading: Elements of a Short Story, Notes 1

A short story is a short piece of fiction, usually focusing on a single major event and on a few characters.

Elements of a Short Story: Define each of the following terms.

Setting:

Example:Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr. Watson shared quarters at 221B Baker Street in London. It was early in April in the year 1883 when Watson awoke one morning to find Sherlock Holmes standing fully dressed by his bed. Watson looked up at him in surprise.

Where: ________________________________________

When: ________________________________________

Mood:

Example: It stood all alone among the barren trees. Tattered curtains struggled to cover broken panes of glass as vines attempted to conceal the ever-widening cracks in the stone. Every trace of the home’s once stately appearance had vanished.

Circle the best word to describe the mood. Then underline the words in the passage above that helped you determine the mood.

a. anticipation b. regret c. despair d. excitement

Conflict:

Internal Conflict:

External Conflict:

Conflict Examples: Write I in the blank before each description of an internal conflict. Write E before each description of an external conflict.

1. _____ Susan sees the answers to an upcoming test on the teacher’s desk. She knows it is wrong, but she is tempted to jot down some of the answers.

2. _____ A man is lost in a blinding snowstorm and struggles to find shelter.

3. _____ Two families are involved in a feud that has lasted several generations.

4. _____ Tim finds a wallet containing fifty dollars. Although there is an I.D. card inside, he is tempted to keep the wallet and money rather than return it to its owner.

Types of Conflicts: Person vs. ___________A.B.C.D.E.F.

Plot:

Exposition:

Rising Action:

Climax:

Falling Action:

Resolution:

Sketch the plot diagram. Label each part.

Section: Literary Terms Date:Heading: Elements of a Short Story, Notes 2

Elements of a Short Story: Define each of the following terms.

Characterization:

Direct Characterization:

Indirect Characterization:

Protagonist:

Antagonist:

Flat Character:

Round Character:

Static Character:

Dynamic Character:

Point of View:

Fill in the following chart:Singular Plural

1st

2nd

3rd

1st-Person Point of View:

3rd-Person Objective Point of View:

3rd-Person Limited Point of View:

3rd-Person Omniscient Point of View:

Determine the point of view and perspective for each paragraph.

1. As I walked through my bedroom door, my mom came to stand beside me. The walls, once decorated with posters, and the bookshelves, once covered in toys and games, were now barren. Only two boxes remained—an old collection of toys and one last box ready to go with me to college. Mom gasped and threw her arms around me as she saw the empty room. My excitement dampened when I realized how sad my mom was to see me go. I couldn’t believe today was the day I would be leaving for college, and even though I was excited, I was sure going to miss my family.

Point of view: ________________________ Perspective: ________________________

2. When I walk into my oldest child’s bedroom, I am shocked to see the bare walls and empty shelves. It felt like yesterday that I was looking into the same room and watching him play happily with his favorite toys, zooming Buzz Lightyear through the air. Today, there are only two boxes left. As I hug him tightly, I whisper in his ear that I wish I could always be with him. By heart breaks to see my boy going off to college, and I’m not sure how I’ll get along without him here at home. I’m reassured when he tells me that I will always be with him. I just can’t believe my dear son is leaving today.

Point of view: ________________________ Perspective: ________________________

3. Peering through the cardboard box, Woody could see Andy coming through the door, followed closely by his mom. He watched eagerly, excited to see what would happen. When Mom began to cry while hugging Andy, Woody knew something was wrong. He quickly realized that he would be leaving, separated from his friends stuffed in the box sitting on the floor. Woody turned his head away from the sad scene and came face to face with an old picture of himself, Andy, and his best buds. His eyes lowered, and his heart sank with sadness.

Point of view: ________________________ Perspective: ________________________

Section: Literary Terms Date:Heading: Elements of a Short Story, Notes 3

Elements of a Short Story: Define each of the following terms.

Style:

Irony:

Verbal Irony:

Situational Irony:

Dramatic Irony:

Examples: Identify the types of irony in the following examples.

1. In a typical horror movie move, the scared babysitter runs to hide in the basement and bolts the door behind her, but we already know the killer is waiting behind the boiler with an axe.

Type of Irony: _____________________________

2. When Bob points out the obvious, Joe exclaims: “Wow, you’re a regular Einstein!”

Type of Irony: _____________________________

3. An ambulance rushing to the scene of a car accident runs over one of the victims who had been crawling across the street to get away from the wreckage.

Type of Irony: _____________________________

Symbolism:

Examples: List three examples of symbols. Include what each symbol represents.

1.

2.

3.

Theme:

Examples:

1. A crow sat in a tree, holding a piece of cheese in his beak. A sly fox smelled the cheese and said to the crow, “How handsome and noble you look today. Your wings are so shiny and black. I wish I could hear you sing, for I’m sure that your voice must be as beautiful as the rest of you.” In an attempt to impress the fox with his wonderful voice, the crow opened his mouth and croaked, “Caw! Caw!” Down fell the piece of cheese right into the clever fox’s open mouth.

Theme: _________________________________________________

2. A female fox was proudly tending her large brood of offspring. She scoffed at a lioness because the lioness never bore more than one cub at a time. “Only one,” the lioness replied, “but it is a lion.”

Theme: _________________________________________________

Section: Literary Terms Date:Heading: Elements of a Short Story, Notes 4

Elements of Fiction and Figurative language: Define each of the following terms.

Tone:

What is the tone of the image? Explain.

Simile:

Example:

Metaphor:

Example:

Hyperbole:

Example:

Personification:

Example:

Alliteration:

Example:

Onomatopoeia:

Example:

Idiom:

Example:

Allusion:

Example:

Oxymoron:

Example:

Section: Literary Terms Date:Heading: Elements of a Short Story Exercise #1  Group Assignment – Setting, Mood, Conflict, and Plot

 Most good stories are very heavily influenced by their settings. Consider this simple story setup:

A young couple has just gotten married. At the reception, the bridesmaid reveals that she and the groom had a fling the night before the wedding. As they head off on their honeymoon together, the bride and the groom must work through this crisis or their marriage will end before it has truly even begun.

This is a story that could happen virtually anywhere and at almost any time in history. It could be a comedy, melodrama or tragedy. All of the elements are there for any sort of story you can imagine. The overt crisis (though not the underlying conflict) is clear, and the stakes are equally clear. Consider the effect that setting would have on this story:

Setting #1: 2013. The wedding took place at a posh hotel in Chicago. The bride and groom now face a long plane ride (first class tickets) to Hawaii, where they have secured a small villa right on the beach. While they are in Hawaii, they are scheduled to attend a luau, tour the island, and snorkel in a private lagoon.

Setting #2: 1988. The couple was married at a Las Vegas chapel by an Elvis impersonator. The reception was held at the Circus Circus hotel buffet, which is the hotel they will be staying at, surrounded by their family and friends for the next several days. They have tickets to see Celine Dion and have booked a helicopter tour of the Las Vegas Strip.

Setting #3: 1954. Rural Virginia. The couple was married in a small, local church with the reception at the Elk’s Lodge. For their honeymoon, they are driving down to a little motel in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Their car is a 1944 Cadillac.

Names: __________________________________________________ Date: ____________

Directions: Discuss the following questions with the members of your group. Each group member should take notes. At the end of class, you will submit one group member’s responses. Use complete sentences.

1. Which setting is your group assigned?

2. What does your setting tell you about the couple?

3. What effect might the setting have on the couple’s ability to work things out? Why?

4. Create a PG scenario in which the scandal is revealed. Include the bride, groom, bridesmaid, and other witnesses in your description.

5. What happens after the scandal is revealed?

6. Describe the mood of the scenario you have created.

7. Identify the types of conflicts in your scenario (person vs. self, person, God/fate/supernatural, nature, society, technology/machine, etc.).

Section: Literary Terms Name:Heading: Elements of a Short Story Exercise #2 Date:

Group Assignment – Point of View Poster

Directions:

1. As a group, you are going to receive one image. Paste the image in the center of the poster. Then divide the poster into five sections and label the sections as follows: perspectives, first-person, third-person limited, third-person objective, and third-person omniscient.

2. Record notes in the “perspectives” section. Who could tell the story in the picture? What story would that character tell?

3. For the point of view sections (first-person, third-person limited, third-person objective, and third-person omniscient), write a minimum of five sentences from each point of view.

FCAs:

Perspectives: _______ / 20

First-person: _______ / 20

Third-person limited: _______ / 20

Third-person objective: _______ / 20

Third-person omniscient: _______ / 20

Grade: _______

Section: Literary Terms Date:Heading: Elements of a Short Story Exercise #3

Directions: As a group, complete parts 1-3. Each item (1-5) is worth twenty points. At the end of class, you will submit one group member’s responses. Use complete sentences for the explanations.

Part 1: Group Assignment – Irony Review the definitions of irony. Identify the type of irony and explain why it qualifies as verbal, dramatic, or situational. Use complete sentences for the explanations.

1. In the movie The Sixth Sense, Bruce Willis’ character thinks he’s helping a troubled boy through the trauma of supposedly seeing dead people, when in actuality, he himself is dead and the boy ends up helping him.

Type of Irony: ___________________________________________________________

Explanation: _____________________________________________________________

2. In an argument with your mother, who reprimands you for being "smart," You reply sarcastically, "If you think I am smart, then why won't you let me make some smart decisions?"

Type of Irony: ___________________________________________________________

Explanation: _____________________________________________________________

3. Darla from the soap opera All My Problems is pregnant. Her husband Derek believes that he is the father, but the audience knows that Darla has been having an affair with Bruce and that he is the baby’s real father.

Type of Irony: ___________________________________________________________

Explanation: _____________________________________________________________

Part 2: Group Assignment – Theme Review the definition of theme. Label this Part 2.

4. Identify the theme of the following passage. Explain using evidence from the passage. Use complete sentences.

A Wolf had stolen a Lamb and was carrying it off to his lair to eat it. But his plans were very much changed when he met a Lion who, without making any excuses, took the Lamb away from him.

The Wolf made off to a safe distance, and then said in a much injured tone:“You have no right to take my property like that!”The Lion looked back, but as the Wolf was too far away to be taught a lesson

without too much inconvenience, he said:“Your property? Did you buy it, or did the Shepherd make you a gift of it? Pray

tell me, how did you get it?”

Theme: _________________________________________________________________

Explanation: _____________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Part 3: Group Assignment – Symbolism

Coat of Arms: the distinctive heraldic bearings or shield of a person, family, corporation, or country

5. Create your group’s coat of arms. Include symbols that represent all of you. This should look like a final draft, so please color your coat of arms. Your group will present your coat of arms at the beginning of class tomorrow.

FCAs:

Irony: ______ / 60

Theme: ______ / 20

Symbol: ______ / 20

Grade: ______

Section: Literary Terms Date:Heading: Elements of a Short Story Exercise #4

Group Assignment – Figurative Language Poster

Directions:

1. As a group, you are going to receive one image. Paste the image in the center of the poster. Then divide the poster into four sections.

2. Choose four of the following terms: simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification, alliteration, onomatopoeia, idiom, allusion, and oxymoron.

3. Write the terms on this handout beneath FCAs. 4. Label each section of the poster with a different term. 5. On the poster, create two examples of each term. The examples should fit an aspect of

the image. Each section of the poster is worth 25 points.

FCAs:

Term 1: _____________________ - _______ / 25

Term 2: _____________________- _______ / 25

Term 3: _____________________ - _______ / 25

Term 4: _____________________ - _______ / 25

Grade: _________