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Short Story Unit for Older Teens
Tired of teaching the same old short stories? Did a teacher in the earlier grades steal your thunder by already teaching some of the short stories you were planning to use in your classroom? This bundle of modern and classic short stories (all with multimedia add-ons) is for you! Designed for high school junior and senior English classes, this unit plan includes a wide variety of lesser-known high-interest short works that will entertain and challenge your upperclassmen.
Wondering how this short story bundle differs from my other short story unit? The materials in this collection are at a slightly higher reading level and include more complex themes. All of the stories are school-appropriate for 11th and 12th grade students, but please read the special notes below on the “21 Chump Street” and “Prom” listings to make sure those particular materials will work for your students before purchasing this short story bundle.
What’s included? Click links below to learn more about individual items. Items without a link are exclusive to this download. All materials are in PDF with Google Drive options for student handouts. Due to font and software licensing rules, all items are uneditable.
This HUGE bundle – 117 pages + lots of multimedia options! – includes:
• A day-by-day calendar to follow with helpful details and suggested pacing (read this file first when you open the bundle) (4-page PDF)
• Power of Storytelling lecture slide set to introduce unit and briefly remind students of the main elements of storytelling: plot, characters, setting, conflict, theme, style, and point of view (14 slides in PDF)
• Station rotation answer grid/organizer (1-page PDF)
• Sticks by George Saunders short story – link to full-text story; deep-thinking questions handout with key/discussion starters; link to video supplement (4-page PDF)
• A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell short story – full-text story (in public domain) with deep-thinking questions handout; answer key/discussion starters; symbolism handout/activity; fine art analysis with image and worksheet (21-page PDF + JPG of art image)
• 21 Chump Street podcast from This American Life and musical version by Lin Manual Miranda – links to online multimedia productions and deep-thinking question sets for both the podcast and the short musical; answer key/discussion starters (7-page PDF) Please note: This real-life story centers around the case of an 18-year-old high school senior who agreed to sell a baggie of marijuana in a foolish attempt to impress the new hottie at school – a girl who turned out to be a 25-year-old undercover police officer. There aren’t any swear words or objectionable content; however, if you’re uncertain about the appropriateness of the content for your classroom community, please preview the media before purchasing these lesson materials. The podcast can be accessed here: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/457/what-i-did-for-love/act-two
The musical can be accessed here (play from 21:33 timestamp to 38:00): https://youtu.be/AagGcXs3_IQ?t=1293
• The Bet by Anton Chekhov and The Silence (Twilight Zone episode) by Rod Serling – full-text story (in public domain) with deep-thinking questions handout; answer key/discussion starters; link to television episode; compare/contrast worksheet; optional creative writing extension task (9-page PDF)
• Where is Everybody? Twilight Zone episode – link to television episode with a worksheet to guide students’ viewing; answer key/discussion starters (3-page PDF)
• The Last Leaf by O. Henry short story – full-text story and mp3 audio version (both in public domain) with deep-thinking questions handout; answer key/discussion starters; links to modernized story podcast and high-quality film version of story for compare/contrast purposes (6-page PDF + MP3 file)
• All is Vanity by C. Allan Gilbert – fine art analysis activity with artwork image to show students and a short answer question grid handout (4-page PDF + JPG of art image)
• Desiree’s Baby by Kate Chopin short story – full-text story (in public domain) with deep-thinking questions handout; answer key/discussion starters; link to modernized story podcast for compare/contrast purposes (7-page PDF)
• Author biography research organizers for in-class small group activity covering George Saunders, Susan Glaspell, Lin Manuel Miranda, Anton Chekhov, Rod Serling, O. Henry, and Kate Chopin (7 pages in PDF)
• Prom by Hasan Minhaj spoken word performance – link to online audio file with deep-thinking questions handout; answer key/discussion starters (5-page PDF) Please note: The language of Hasan Minhaj’s charming podcast is clean, but one curse word is bleeped out and he does say “Jesus” once in an exasperated voice. The story is appropriate for high school students, but you should listen to the podcast before purchasing these lesson materials to make sure the content is a good match for your classroom. Click here to listen to Minhaj’s story: https://themoth.org/stories/prom
• Jason Reynolds’ commencement address to Lesley University graduates – link to online video file with deep-thinking questions handout; answer key/discussion starters (4-page PDF)
• The Doll’s House by Katherine Mansfield short story – full-text story (in public domain) with deep-thinking questions handout; answer key/discussion starters; fine art analysis with image and worksheet (11-page PDF + JPG of art image)
• Bad Teeth podcast episode by This is Uncomfortable – link to online audio file with deep-thinking questions handout; answer key/discussion starters (5-page PDF)
• The Egg by Andy Weir short story – link to full-text story; deep-thinking questions handout with key/discussion starters; link to video supplement (4-page PDF)
• Optional end-of-unit in-class essay prompt (1-page PDF)
Note: Most items included in the bundle are sold separately in my store, but you’ll save more than 30 percent by buying them together. No need to purchase these items separately if you grab this budget-priced bundle. Three of the items – the calendar, Power of Storytelling lecture slide set, and essay prompt – are sold only as part of this bundle. If you’d like a closer look at any of the individual items, click on the links above for more product details.
Licensing:
This purchase includes a license for just one teacher to use the materials solely with his/her direct students. This resource cannot be shared with colleagues or used by an entire school or district without purchasing the appropriate number of licenses.
Copyright:
The licensing agreement and copyright law prevent you from posting any of these materials online in any form. Posting of materials may happen ONLY within a password-protected environment intended to be accessed solely by your direct students, such as Google Classroom, MSTeams, or Canvas. Posting on social media groups or public websites (WordPress, Weebly, Wix, Quizlet, etc.) is prohibited.
Download includes: 117 pages + Google Drive versions of student-facing material (uneditable)
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$28.99
