Josephine F. Ablamsky
For the middle school reading and/or English teacher, I’ve devised a curriculum unit emphasizing the teaching of the major fiction story elements in one comprehensive teaching unit. It’s designated as a three-week program, but in reality the pace will be totally dependent upon the skills of your particular students.
For those teachers utilizing the Crosswinds series, the lesson plans include an in-depth description of the story elements—plot, setting, characters, tone, mood, point of view and theme—that you will not have to research further. I’ve typed the description in such a way that you can read directly from the lesson plan, if you wish. I’ve also analyzed two “Crosswinds Two” stories as illustrative of this plan.
English teachers will not have any need of the Crosswinds’ stories but can make considerable use of the definitions and descriptions presented (of the story elements) and then relate them to their English class literature assignments.
There is also a copy of a worksheet that can be copied and made up as a master ditto or may even be thermafaxed. This worksheet can be used by the students in class or as a homework assignment for their reading interpretations.
With this more unified study of the fiction story elements, I’m hoping students will gain better insights from what they read and improved comprehension skills.
(Recommended for 6th, 7th and 8th grade Reading and English)
Key Words
Short Stories Reading Instruction Writing
