Digital Unit Plan Template

Unit Title: Short Story Fiction Writing

Name: BROOKE BUTTREY

Content Area: ENGLISH

Grade Level: 10

CA Content Standard(s)/Common Core Standard(s):

W.3.d: Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting,
and/or characters.
W.10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a
day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Big Ideas:

Students will be able to interpret personal experiences creatively using metaphor, simile, point of view, characterization and other
techniques. Students will be able to write descriptively and self-edit. They will learn revision and how to critique and identify what works
and what doesnt work in stories (believability, etc). Students will complete a full story arc in a set amount of space and must,
therefore, learn to write concisely and descriptively.
Unit Goals and Objectives:

1) Recognize creative writing techniques within a short story (simile, metaphor, plot, point of view, characterization, etc)
2) Illustrate knowledge of necessary concepts to translate a personal experience into a fiction piece (through personal practice)
3) Organize character/setting/plot/etc information into distinguishable parts
4) Discuss and explain story elements to fellow students and the teacher
Unit Summary:

Students will write their own short story using personal experiences as inspiration. They will self and peer edit these stories, ensuring they
have correctly and fluidly incorporated all essential elements of the short story into the space given to them while artfully using literary
techniques. They will also learn how to recognize these elements and techniques within other short stories from professional authors and
from their own peers. Students will complete journal warm-up activities each class period which will help them practice short story
writing and identify story elements.
Assessment Plan:
Entry-Level:

Formative:

Summative:

-Literary Techniques Crossword

- Socratic 60-second short answer

-Journals
-Whole-group writers workshop
-Critiques

-Short Story Packet

-Journal Reflection

-Small-group writers workshop

-Small-group critiques
-Story Cube Interactive (for both The
Most Dangerous Game and personal short
story

Lesson 1
Student Learning
Objective:

Acceptable
Evidence:

Recognize creative writing

techniques (simile,
metaphor, dialogue, point
of view, etc).

-Fill out guided

lecture notes
-Discussion with
fellow students and
teacher

Instructional
Strategies:
Communication
Collection
Collaboration
Presentation
Organization
Interaction

Lesson Activities:

Instructional
Strategies:
Communication
Collection
Collaboration
Presentation
Organization
Interaction

Lesson Activities:

Instructional
Strategies:
Communication
Collection
Collaboration
Presentation
Organization

Lesson Activities:

-Watch YouTube video

-Introduce/discuss story elements and writing techniques
-Journal prompt
-Fill out guided lecture notes

Lesson 2
Student Learning
Objective:

-Organize
character/setting/plot/etc
information into
distinguishable parts
-Discuss and explain story
elements to fellow
students and the teacher

Acceptable Evidence:

-Story Cube
-Discussion with
students and teacher
-Story cube for
personal story

-Journal prompt
-Read The Most Dangerous Game short story
-Fill out/create story cubes to identify various elements in
Connells story
-Apply story cube to own personal experience and fill out
for story elements
-Discuss/review with partner
http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=268806

Lesson 3
Student Learning
Objective:

Illustrate knowledge of
necessary concepts to
translate a personal
experience into a fiction

Acceptable Evidence:

-Write personal
experience short story
-Self-edit
-Peer-edit
-Final drafts of story

-Students write short stories

-Writers Workshop with class of all stories
-Peer-edit in workshop
-Take home and self-edit/revise
-Mini workshops in groups of 4 with final drafts

piece (through personal

practice)

Interaction

Unit Resources:

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)

Good-by Grandma by Ray Bradbury

The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell
Dress Your Family in Corduroy by David Sedaris
The Best American Short Stories 2014 edited by Jennifer Egan and Heidi Pitlor
The First 50 Pages by Jeff Gerke
Make a Scene by Jordan E. Rosenfeld
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King
Writing for Story by Jon Franklin
Creative Writers Handbook by Philip K. Jason and Allan B. Lefcowitz

Useful Websites:

1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_GVgbykf8A
2) http://writingexercises.co.uk/index.php
3) http://io9.com/366707/8-unstoppable-rules-for-writing-killer-short-stories
4) http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/creative1/shortstory/
5) http://teacher.scholastic.com/writeit/fiction/
6) http://shortfictionwritersguild.wordpress.com/
7) https://prezi.com/
8) http://edu.glogster.com/?ref=com
9) http://bookbuilder.cast.org/model.php
10) http://www.edjoin.org/
11) http://literarydevices.net/