Short Stories!
1. Short Stories - They are an often forgotten, but powerful type of fiction. Short and sweet!
-Explain story behind “Baby Shoes," a famous Ernest Hemingway Short Story.
-Some other writers made a bet with Hemingway at a restaurant in the 1930s that he could not write a powerful story in 6 words.
-They all bet him $10
-He scrawled it on a napkin and passed it around. They agreed and he won.
Baby Shoes was the short story. Here it is:
For Sale: Baby Shoes, never worn.
Think about the meaning of the short story. The sense of loss, the sense of wonder. What does it mean? What does it make you think of? See how powerful words can be.
-Explain story behind “Baby Shoes," a famous Ernest Hemingway Short Story.
-Some other writers made a bet with Hemingway at a restaurant in the 1930s that he could not write a powerful story in 6 words.
-They all bet him $10
-He scrawled it on a napkin and passed it around. They agreed and he won.
Baby Shoes was the short story. Here it is:
For Sale: Baby Shoes, never worn.
Think about the meaning of the short story. The sense of loss, the sense of wonder. What does it mean? What does it make you think of? See how powerful words can be.
Guiding Question: Why do humans love stories?
1. Why do human being love short stories? Think about sitting around a camp fire and telling tales. We are hard wired to enjoy narratives.
Mr. Fitton will explain how some stories are just to be enjoyed. The class will watch "Gopher Broke"; however, most of the stories we read here, I will be asking you to look at them on the three levels we've already discussed (Literal, Critical, Inferential).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw-W1K68Sd4
1. Why do human being love short stories? Think about sitting around a camp fire and telling tales. We are hard wired to enjoy narratives.
Mr. Fitton will explain how some stories are just to be enjoyed. The class will watch "Gopher Broke"; however, most of the stories we read here, I will be asking you to look at them on the three levels we've already discussed (Literal, Critical, Inferential).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw-W1K68Sd4
Lesson: Short Stories - What are they?
1. Continue our introduction to Short Stories
Ask the students: Before the invention of electricity (and therefore TV, radio, Ipod, internet etc.) What do you think people did in their spare time for fun? Actually, they read and the modern sitcom, drama and cartoon take their roots from the most popular literary form of the nineteenth century, the short story. People were now working outside the home and the brevity of the short story made it popular because people did not have the time or patience for long drawn out novels that were popular before.
Ask the students to think for a moment: what do we know about short stories that show us the modern TV developed from them:
Potential list:
-short in length
-Few characters
-uncomplicated plot
-Single main conflict (Simpson’s sometimes breaks this)
-usually fictional
Ask the students: Before the invention of electricity (and therefore TV, radio, Ipod, internet etc.) What do you think people did in their spare time for fun? Actually, they read and the modern sitcom, drama and cartoon take their roots from the most popular literary form of the nineteenth century, the short story. People were now working outside the home and the brevity of the short story made it popular because people did not have the time or patience for long drawn out novels that were popular before.
Ask the students to think for a moment: what do we know about short stories that show us the modern TV developed from them:
Potential list:
-short in length
-Few characters
-uncomplicated plot
-Single main conflict (Simpson’s sometimes breaks this)
-usually fictional
Lesson: Gentlemen, Your Verdict.
1. Ask the class how much do you think a human life it worth? AND Why do you think that dollar amount? (dollar amount). As a class we will do a three minute free write on a scrap of paper and then share out as a group.
1.5. Lifeboat activity - complete the lifeboat activity as a class.
1.5. Lifeboat activity - complete the lifeboat activity as a class.
who_should_survive.rtf | |
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2. We will read an article on the EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency of the Uniter States) value on human life (1 per pair) and discuss. Students need to:
A. Highlight the main idea in one colour
B. Highlight a personal bias (opinion) in another
C. Highlight three agencies that have determined the value of life
D. Underline one political disadvantage to putting a value on human life.
See copy of the article below:
A. Highlight the main idea in one colour
B. Highlight a personal bias (opinion) in another
C. Highlight three agencies that have determined the value of life
D. Underline one political disadvantage to putting a value on human life.
See copy of the article below:
the_epa_value_of_human_life_copy.doc | |
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3. Show Batman clip of the convicts on the ferry discuss the difference between economic value and ethical value of life (2hrs in then skip to 2:10 if you have the video. Youtube version is below).
What is the director asking us to do in the movie? He is asking us to be on the boat and make the choice, we squirm in the audience because we don’t want to make the choice, we want someone else to make it for us. Also, there is a third choice, neither boat do anything and do the right thing rather than death being on your conscience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmUWRJInwhk Could anyone in class push the button? |
4. However, today, you have to make a choice. Handout “Who should survive.” Get students to break into 5 equal groups. They must write on chart paper who is going to live and why and who is going to die and why.
-There is a "Lifeboat" activity photocopied on a piece of paper. Students must not write on them, as Mr. Fitton wishes to use them again next year.
6. Students will present their answers to the class on a whiteboard. Who should live and why?
-There is a "Lifeboat" activity photocopied on a piece of paper. Students must not write on them, as Mr. Fitton wishes to use them again next year.
6. Students will present their answers to the class on a whiteboard. Who should live and why?
7. Get students to look at the story and make a prediction based on the title of the story and the picture of the sailors. What do they notice about the “men” in the picture? Why do you suppose that picture was used?
8. Read the story "Gentlemen, Your Verdict Please" with the class re-designed to look like a court room. Read the story in 3 chunks. Get students to write down one quality question per chunk. Share with partner and then class. 9. Free write: would you find the Captain Guilty? Why or why not? |
gentlemen__your_verdict_written_by_michael_bruce.doc | |
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gentlemen_your_verdict_.pdf | |
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10. Listen to radio-lab on morality: http://www.radiolab.org/2007/aug/13/
11. Review the experiment from the radio program:
How many of you would pull the lever? Why?
How many of you would push the fat guy? Why?
12. Go through Ethical decision powerpoint
+ Go to slideshare if need be and watch slides 16-25 https://www.slideshare.net/chrkennedy/ethical-decision-making
11. Review the experiment from the radio program:
How many of you would pull the lever? Why?
How many of you would push the fat guy? Why?
12. Go through Ethical decision powerpoint
+ Go to slideshare if need be and watch slides 16-25 https://www.slideshare.net/chrkennedy/ethical-decision-making
ethical_decision_making_copy.ppt | |
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13. Put the three following questions on the screen and ask students to respond to them in a ½ - full page free-write response:
- Is the Captain a murderer or a Hero?
- What gives him the right to play god
- would you kill 25 to save 5?
14. Give them a chance to share their ideas.
15. What does the captain see as valuable traits?
16. Hand out "Supporting your ideas" sheet and go over the rules for including direct and indirect quotes in their writing.
17. Get students to complete the sheet and hand in for completion marks / check in to see if students understand the concept.
- Is the Captain a murderer or a Hero?
- What gives him the right to play god
- would you kill 25 to save 5?
14. Give them a chance to share their ideas.
15. What does the captain see as valuable traits?
16. Hand out "Supporting your ideas" sheet and go over the rules for including direct and indirect quotes in their writing.
17. Get students to complete the sheet and hand in for completion marks / check in to see if students understand the concept.
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Lesson: The Most Dangerous Game (We will link to "Gentlemen, Your Verdict...")
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1. Put the quote on the board: “The world is made up of two classes-the hunters and the hunted"? Ask them if they agree with this statement? Why/Why not? If it were/is true, then which would you be? Explain. Is that good or bad? Explain.
2. Show the video clip "There are Three Types of People..." Is this a better way to see the world? From American Sniper. 3. Have them share with their partner and then discuss as a class. |
3. As a class, come up with a list of pros and cons of hunting.
4. Title Prediction: "Most Dangerous Game". What do you think the most dangerous game is?
5. Read the "Most Dangerous Game" questions prior to reading the text - pre-reading strategy.
4. Title Prediction: "Most Dangerous Game". What do you think the most dangerous game is?
5. Read the "Most Dangerous Game" questions prior to reading the text - pre-reading strategy.
the_most_dangerous_game_discussion_quesions.docx | |
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6. Begin Reading the story stop a couple pages in for discussion and to respond to questions and then get them to read the story on their own from there. Tell them to make sure that they stop every couple of pages and think. Chunk reading.
7. Show the following clip with the question on first person shooter games:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKXWAE8YYxY&feature=related
7. Show the following clip with the question on first person shooter games:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKXWAE8YYxY&feature=related
most_dangerous_game_fulltext.doc | |
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5. Read the article “Volunteers free horses trapped by snow on B.C. Mountain” and the poem “The Sick Deer” by Joan Finnigan with the question about our treatment of animals. To get them to start thinking about synthesis, ask them what they think General Zaroff would think about this poem (it is a poem where people go to incredible lengths to save a sick deer that eventually dies anyway, but they miss the crying child on the side of the road in the meantime) and this article (which is about how much effort people put into saving horses last winter).
Put a chart on the board. How would Lt. Com. Oram react to the deer? What does he value in life? How would Zaroff react to the deer? What does he value about humans? Provide quotes or examples from the story to support.
Put a chart on the board. How would Lt. Com. Oram react to the deer? What does he value in life? How would Zaroff react to the deer? What does he value about humans? Provide quotes or examples from the story to support.
the_sick_dear_-_joan_finnegan.pdf | |
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volunteers_free_horses_trapped_by_snow_on_b.c._mountain_-_british_columbia_-_cbc_news.pdf | |
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For another modern day example, let's look at the story of Harambe....
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6. Discuss themes (For example, you never know what it is like for someone until you are forced to be in their place, Violence and cruelty are part of human nature, Revenge makes people do things they would otherwise find horrifying, sometime the most horrific things can come from the most civilized of places, The game in the story isn’t any different then war)
7. Show the Simpsons “Survival of the Fattest” Tree house of Horror, parody of the Most Dangerous Game http://www.wtso.net/movie/147-The (Watch the Simpsons online). It is 9:40 in after the Bart robot episode to 15:30. - Also, there is a Family Guy episode which participates in the same type of Parody.
8. Show the clip Button, Button from The Twilight Zone. (0:00 - 19:30). How does this connect to The Most Dangerous Game?
7. Show the Simpsons “Survival of the Fattest” Tree house of Horror, parody of the Most Dangerous Game http://www.wtso.net/movie/147-The (Watch the Simpsons online). It is 9:40 in after the Bart robot episode to 15:30. - Also, there is a Family Guy episode which participates in the same type of Parody.
8. Show the clip Button, Button from The Twilight Zone. (0:00 - 19:30). How does this connect to The Most Dangerous Game?
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1. Go through the expectations for the paragraph on the board, remind them of how to make a topic sentence, supporting their ideas and to integrate quotes. Handout is available below.
a. Topic Sentence: Must include argument, title, author (The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell demonstrates the theme_________________________ or “The Sick Deer” by Joan Finnigan and “The Most Dangerous Game” both contain the theme or General Zaroff in “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell would think _____________________________ of the deer in the poem “The Sick Deer” by Joan Finnigan)
b. Write in the present tense
c. Have 2-3 specific and thoroughly explained reasons
d. Integrate 2 quotes and explain what they prove
e. Interesting conclusion
f. May be multi-paragraph if you are doing a synthesis (ie one paragraph on one story, one paragraph on another…except for option three, that is probably best achieved through one paragraph
Statement
Example
EXplanation
ALSO - We will go over the hamburger model of paragraph/essay writing - see handout below.
2. Ask them if they need the sick deer or gentlemen your verdict for quotes
3. Give them the rest of class to write. May bring it home if they like.
a. Topic Sentence: Must include argument, title, author (The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell demonstrates the theme_________________________ or “The Sick Deer” by Joan Finnigan and “The Most Dangerous Game” both contain the theme or General Zaroff in “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell would think _____________________________ of the deer in the poem “The Sick Deer” by Joan Finnigan)
b. Write in the present tense
c. Have 2-3 specific and thoroughly explained reasons
d. Integrate 2 quotes and explain what they prove
e. Interesting conclusion
f. May be multi-paragraph if you are doing a synthesis (ie one paragraph on one story, one paragraph on another…except for option three, that is probably best achieved through one paragraph
Statement
Example
EXplanation
ALSO - We will go over the hamburger model of paragraph/essay writing - see handout below.
2. Ask them if they need the sick deer or gentlemen your verdict for quotes
3. Give them the rest of class to write. May bring it home if they like.
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4. Students will submit essays, then as a class, we will peer-edit as a class. Then give students another day to submit it. We will also grade it based on the 6 point scale used in English 12. Students received a copy on the rear of the assignment.
synthesis_checklist.doc | |
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Final Short Story - Bloodsuckers and the Bystander Effect
1. Free-write: Describe a time when someone needed your help, but you didn’t give it (because of peer pressure, inconvenience etc.). Share their answers. (Tell Starbucks Racism Story)
2. Begin reading “The Bloodsuckers”. Give them one sticky note and ask them to record a “What’s important and why” (pick a line, image, symbol, etc.) attach it to free-write and hand in. Use the post it notes to discuss the story.
OR - We will do an annotation (Title Prediction, What's important and why, literary techniques, vocabulary define/explain Theme Statement at conclusion)
-Show a picture from "Google Images" of what an "annotation" looks like. Below is a student sample from 2019.
2. Begin reading “The Bloodsuckers”. Give them one sticky note and ask them to record a “What’s important and why” (pick a line, image, symbol, etc.) attach it to free-write and hand in. Use the post it notes to discuss the story.
OR - We will do an annotation (Title Prediction, What's important and why, literary techniques, vocabulary define/explain Theme Statement at conclusion)
-Show a picture from "Google Images" of what an "annotation" looks like. Below is a student sample from 2019.
bloodsuckers_annotation_example.pdf | |
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3. Discuss the story using their post it notes.
4. Discuss the Bystander effect and relate to “Bloodsuckers”
-Social psychological phenomenon in which individuals are less likely to offer help in an emergency situation where other people are present.
- Inverse relationship, more people present, less likely they will help.
-Why? Bystanders monitor reactions to see if help is necessary, since everyone else is doing the same thing (nothing) nothing needs to be done.
-all assume someone else will deal with it.
-may assume others more qualified will help, may fear losing face in front of others, offering unwanted help, legal consequences.
-can be countered by victim giving specific instructions (you in red shirt call 911)
-Good Samaritan laws help
-“No one raindrop thinks it caused the flood” (ie. Someone else has surely called 911 when they see a car accident
-SEP “Someone Else’s Problem” Selfish gene causes us to primarily be concerned with self, can be overridden when there is a threat to the group.
-Fire squad Randomly assign some a weapon with blank Cartridges to shooters . This allows each to believe they didn’t fire the fatal shot, same with electric chair and lethal injection.
-when being attacked, yell fire, more people want to watch that
-Nazis tried unsuccessfully to use Bystander effect as defense in Nuremberg Trials.
5. Show two youtube clips
A.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMsbsgLJ8O4 (no one helps girl ran over by car in China)
B.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aRlbCkRrfU (What would you do? Gay Bullying - think about "Bloodsuckers" and how it is about assault based on the concept of sexual discrimination - much like the WWYD episode).
C.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xya617Gu7o0 - Clip from Mr. Fitton's Grade 10 class 4 years ago...
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1. Divide class into two. Read half the group one article about Kitty Genovese
Read the other half the other article. summarize the key points and report out to the class
2. Discuss the two articles as a class, get each group to write a key point /fact on the board
3. Get them to think of ways the narrator of “Bloodsuckers” would respond to the lack of action in the Giovenese murder.
What would the narrator say? Would he be angry? Would forgive him? You have to make a judgment based on what we know about him as a character. (he is a hitchhiker, had a previous experience that would have made him act at the Giovenese murder, felt good when he helped the Indian women).
Read the other half the other article. summarize the key points and report out to the class
2. Discuss the two articles as a class, get each group to write a key point /fact on the board
3. Get them to think of ways the narrator of “Bloodsuckers” would respond to the lack of action in the Giovenese murder.
What would the narrator say? Would he be angry? Would forgive him? You have to make a judgment based on what we know about him as a character. (he is a hitchhiker, had a previous experience that would have made him act at the Giovenese murder, felt good when he helped the Indian women).
Short Story Review
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1. Review short story terms. Students will be given a moment to read over the sheet we filled out from the day we viewed "Modern Family." The sheet contained many of the examinable terms for the short stories unit. 2. Play Bingo to review short story vocab. We will play a round or two of "Bingo" to review terms. Prizes will be awarded. 3. Short story review activity - the Mantis Parable. Watch the following youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPZPxGoNnn0 (USE THE MODERN FAMILY ELEMENTS OF SHORT STORY SHEET GIVEN OUT AT START OF UNIT) Fill out the accompanying sheet. This will help students learn to read more "actively" rather than passively. In order to become better readers and in order to do better on the exam. 4. Watch "The Children's Zoo" from 0:00-840 and fill out the back of the Mantis Parable Sheet the same way we did with the Mantis Parable. |
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Theme Mini Lesson
1. Go over theme notes. Practice with Twilight Zone - Dreams for Sale; or "Examination Day", Man in the Mirror and a Calvin and Hobbes Cartoon.
Calvin and Hobbes: http://calvinandhobbesagain.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/19860323.gif
2. Hand out songs of their choice and get them to write a theme statement and 2 lines that support the theme.
3. Present
Calvin and Hobbes: http://calvinandhobbesagain.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/19860323.gif
2. Hand out songs of their choice and get them to write a theme statement and 2 lines that support the theme.
3. Present
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Final Summative Evaluation for the Unit
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I've made it my goal is to empower students. What is way that we can show our learning? Do we need a test on short story terms and analysis? Can we show our learning in alternative ways?
Here's a small post-apocalyptic "Twilight Zone" episode about exams. What we've learned: -Ethics/Morals -Short Story Terms reviewed -Synthesis writing -Integration of quotations -Theme Statements ---whatever our evaluation is, it should see how you are able to do some of the skills we've learned, and how you've mastered some necessary content. I am open to suggestions. Make a Kahoot? Make a draw my life? Here is the one from the past below. |
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This year, the class came up with their own final assessment for the unit, which they believe will satisfy the learning outcomes of the unit, as well as their own curiosity and passions. It involves choice. Well done class.
final_assessment_–_ethics_and_morality_unit.docx | |
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