1. Themes (Group Work) Directions: Identify two themes each for your three short stories.
objectives: swbat… 1. identify theme in each from each of the Unit 5 short stories. 2. explain the guidelines for the unit 5 short story assignment.
Story
Theme
Homeless
My Mother, the Crazy African
The Way of the Machete
Ysrael
In the Shadow of War
The Rich People’s School

2. Themes (Developed as a Class)
objectives: swbat… 1. identify theme in each from each of the Unit 5 short stories. 2. explain the guidelines for the unit 5 short story assignment.
Story
Theme
“Homeless”
“My Mother, the Crazy African”
“The Way of the Machete”
“Ysrael”
“In the Shadow of War”
“The Rich People’s School”

3. Unit 5: Writing a Creative Short Story
Name:
objectives: swbat… 1. identify theme in each from each of the Unit 5 short stories. 2. explain the guidelines for the unit 5 short story assignment.
Unit 5: Writing a Creative Short Story
Overview:
For this project you will write your own short story that revolves around one of the essential themes from one of the stories we read earlier in the unit. This theme must be apparent to the reader of your story and must be connected to the plot, characters and central conflict of your story. To complete this project you must:
1) Create an outline that includes all of the story elements you learned about in this unit:
Setting
Plot (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution)
Characterization (direct or indirect)
Point-of-view (first person, third limited or omniscient narrator).
2) Apply mini-lessons on descriptive language, apostrophes, and dialogue to your writing.
3) Write a story that is organized and has a clear exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution and includes clear and distinct paragraphs.
4) Write at least two pages typed!
5) Meet all deadlines– outline due Thursday, 4/28/2011 and final draft due Thursday, 5/5/11.

4. Theme I am writing on:
Short Story Outline: Characterization and POV
Narrator: Who is it? What kind of narrator will you use and why? First person, third person limited, third person omniscient?
Characterization: What method (direct or indirect) will you use to create interesting characters for your reader?
Characters:
Description of each character and relationship to other characters

5. Short Story Outline: Setting
Where will your story take place?
Why did you choose this place?
How will you connect the setting of your story to your theme?
What role will the setting take place in the character’s lives?
Is this a realistic setting or an imagined world?
When (what time period) does your story take place?
How does the time period of your story connect to your theme?
To your characters?

6. Short Story Outline: Plot
Exposition: the beginning of your story where characters and setting are introduced
What will happen? How will your story begin? What background information do you need to set-up for your reader? What does he/she need to know in order to fully understand the conflict in your story?
Rising Action: Conflicts are introduced that build up to the main conflict/climax.
What will happen? What is the conflict of your story? How will you build the tension and action of your story and make the readers interested? What type of conflict is it; internal or external? If it is external, what type of external conflict are your using (man v. man, man v. nature, man v. society)?

7. Short Story Outline: Plot
Climax: a confrontation or big blow up that connects to the rising action.
What will happen during the climax? What is the most tense part of your story? What part do you want your reader engaged and eager to keep reading?
Falling Action: the action of the story after the climax
What will happen? How will your story begin to move toward resolution?
Resolution: how the conflict is solved.
How will your story end? What type of ending will your story have (happy/sad/mysterious/etc)?

8. Short Story Outline: Connection to Theme
How does the plot of your story connect to the theme of your story?
How do the conflicts and the climax connect to the theme of your story?