Students recognize and evaluate the fundamental components of a story, and then use these components to develop their original story ideas. At the end of this lesson, students are going to:
- recognize and employ possessive, objective, and subjective pronouns.
- identify the five Ws in a short story.
- examine a short story's exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and other literary components.
- examine specific writing components.
- generate and refine their narrative concepts.

- How do language conventions and grammar impact both written and spoken communication? 
- What makes literary and informational texts meaningful to strategic readers? 
- How can reading aloud from a text lead to reflection and action? 
- What is the objective of this text? 
- What is its true purpose? 
- What are the characteristics of effective and clear writing?
- What is the best way to appeal to the target audience? 
- Who is the target audience?
- Why do authors write? 
- How can readers effectively find what they are looking for?

- Characterization: The method an author uses to reveal characters and their various personalities. This method can be seen in the details, actions, and thoughts the writer provides about the individual characters. 
- Conflict/Problem: A struggle or clash between opposing characters, forces, or emotions. 
- Exposition: Writing that explains something, often at the beginning of a story. 
- Literary Elements: The essential techniques used in literature (e.g., characterization, setting, plot, theme). 
- Objective Pronoun: A pronoun that is used after an action verb or in a prepositional phrase. 
- Plot: The structure of a story. The sequence in which the author arranges events in a story. The structure often includes the exposition, the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the resolution. The plot may have a protagonist who is opposed by an antagonist, creating what is called conflict. 
- Point of View: How an author reveals characters, events, and ideas in telling a story; the vantage point from which the story is told. 
- Possessive Pronoun: A pronoun that shows ownership. 
- Pronoun: A word that is used in place of a noun. 
- Setting: The time and place in which a story unfolds. 
- Style: How an author writes; an author’s use of language; its effects and appropriateness to the author’s intent and theme. 
- Subjective Pronoun: A pronoun that is the subject of the sentence. 
- Theme: A topic of discussion or writing; a major idea broad enough to cover the entire scope of a literary work.

- a large screen to project the video “Starless Night,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30AZF8ZKhnY 
- a copy of “Four Skinny Trees” by Sandra Cisneros for class viewing. From The House on Mango Street. (Vintage; Later Printing edition (April 3, 1991) ISBN-10: 0679734775) 
- interview with Sandra Cisneros http://www.amazon.com/House-Mango-Street-Sandra-Cisneros/dp/0679734775/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297363451&sr=1-1
- a copy of a completed Narrative Writing Graphic Organizer (LW-6-2-1_Narrative Writing Graphic Organizer Complete) for sample student responses
- copies of the blank Narrative Writing Graphic Organizer (LW-6-2-1_Narrative Writing Graphic Organizer- Blank) for each student and for projection
- a blackboard and/or an easel with a large sheet of chart paper and markers
- notebook paper and pencil for each student
- highlighters

- The key components of a short story can be reviewed or introduced to students by having them complete the 5 Ws for both the shared video and the short story. 
- Students will demonstrate their comprehension of both the elements of a short story and how the author uses them to develop the plot by completing a graphic organizer about the shared short story. - Students who struggle to recognize the fundamental components of a story should receive review and additional assistance. Reread a well-known short story and provide instances of how the author employs descriptions or figurative language to enhance character, setting, or plot for those who find it difficult to understand the author's craft. 
- Students can begin writing their stories more successfully if their chosen topics are evaluated.

Direct Instruction, Modeling, Active Participation, and Scaffolding 
W: From the start of the unit, students are aware that they will write a personal narrative. They will brainstorm ideas for their story after studying the components of a story. 
H: Before moving on to a published short story, students first identify the plot points of a brief video. After that, they dissect the author's craft in the short story, come up with a few ideas, and narrow the scope for their own narrative. 
E: Using what they've learned from analyzing the components of two stories, students craft their own story components. 
R: After watching a brief video together, students will review the key elements of the story. After that, they read aloud from a short story together and complete a graphic organizer to demonstrate their comprehension of the plot and the author's craft—more especially, "showing, not telling." After talking about how to generate story ideas, each of them will work alone to develop a concept for a story. 
E: To help students clarify their understanding, they will work in groups to complete a graphic organizer for the short story. After that, they will get to compare their answers to those of their peers. 
T: Students work in groups before working individually, and they observe new activities modeled before beginning them. Students with difficulty can receive assistance from both the instructor and other students in the peer group. 
O: The lesson progresses from group projects and individual work to teacher modeling and instruction, then back to shared experiences and analyses. 

Main Idea: How do writers write a short story?

Part 1

Inform students that they will be working on certain assignments to get ready to write their own stories. Watch a brief video, such as "Starless Night" ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30AZF8ZKhnY), to introduce the components of a short story. As they watch the video, ask students to fill out a piece of chart paper with their responses to the 5 Ws (Who? What? Where? When? Why?). After students have answered the following questions, identify each question's story element.

"Who participates in the events?" (a dog and a cat that appear to be friends) "These are the characters."

"What takes place?" (The stars fade away as the cat sneezes. The dog consumes the moon, causing the sky to fill with new stars.) "This is the story's plot."

"Where are the events taking place?" (a city rooftop) "This is the scene."

"When do the events take place?" (at night) "This is also part of the setting."

"What causes the events to occur?" (The cat is depressed over the disappearance of the stars. The dog is eager to assist.) "This is the story's central issue or conflict."

"These fundamental components make up every short story. Usually, you get a message or theme when you combine all of these components. What possible theme does this story have?" (The answers will vary. Some possible answers could be, "Everyone needs a good friend," or "A person will do whatever he or she can to make a friend feel better.")

"Writers must use words to convey ideas in the same way that videos do with images."

Language Skills Mini-Lesson

Install a copy of Sandra Cisneros' "Four Skinny Trees" short story on the overhead projector. ( You can also use another suitable short story. The story should be just long enough to read in a few minutes without sacrificing any of the crucial plot points for discussion.) "This story is taken from Sandra Cisneros' book The House on Mango Street." Have students read the narrative to themselves in silence.

To demonstrate proper pronoun usage in the appropriate case, use "Four Skinny Trees." Let's go over pronouns and their "cases" or "forms" using "Four Skinny Trees."Explain what a pronoun means in simple terms." (A word that functions as a noun substitute is called a pronoun.) "There are a lot of possessive, objective, and subjective pronouns in the short story "Four Skinny Trees. Just pay attention to "they," "them," and "their." Look for these pronouns in the sentences I read from the story. 1. 'They are the only ones who understand me.' 2.'I am the only one who understands them.' 3. 'Their strength is secret.'" Put these sentences on the board, number them, and highlight the words "they," "them," and "their." "The subject of the sentence is a subjective pronoun. "They" is a pronoun that serves as the subject in the first sentence. Label "they" as a "subjective pronoun." " An objective pronoun is employed in prepositional phrases or following action verbs. "Them" is a pronoun that comes after the action verb "understands" in the second sentence." Put an "objective pronoun" after "them." "Pronouns that indicate possession convey ownership. "Their" is a pronoun in the third sentence that denotes possession of "strength." Put "their" in the list of "possessive pronouns." If necessary, let students ask questions and continue the conversation about these examples.

"With a partner, look for another instance of each of these three pronouns in the story 'Four Skinny Trees.'" For each form, there are a minimum of additional examples. Copy the sentence, highlight the pronouns they, them, or their, and explain how you determine whether the example is possessive, subjective, or objective."

Once they are done, have the students write their examples in neat rows on the board with the labels "subjective," "objective," or "possessive," and ask them to explain their selection.

Place copies of these sentences on the board and ask students to fill in each one with the appropriate pronoun (they, them, their).

1._____ are hilarious.              2. We like _____.                    3. _____ like us.

4. _____ jokes are witty.         5. We wave to _____.

6. _____ walk with _____ friends and laugh with _____.

"In your stories, you'll employ pronouns. If you require assistance, consult these sentences."

Part 2

"Let's examine how one author uses just a few words to make a significant point. We'll read "Four Skinny Trees" again. Look for, underline, and label the five Ws as you read them."

Write the five Ws for the class to see after reading, then ask them to complete the story chart with their answers. (A list of possible answers is provided below.)

Who? (A narrator and four trees; note that the trees are regarded as characters in this instance.)

What? (The narrator admires the four trees' fortitude and perseverance. Describe how not every story features a lot of action.)

Where? (A city)

When? (It's unclear what time it is. Describe how a story element might not always be developed in full.)

Why? (The narrator encounters unidentified difficulties; the trees provide hope.)

Ask the question: "What possible message or theme does this story convey?" (Possible answers: Don't be scared to take charge of your own life; you need to be strong to overcome challenges.)

Part 3

Turn back to the "Four Skinny Trees" display (or select another suitable short story). "We've talked about the main components of this tale. Let's now examine the author's technique. The way a writer conveys meaning through language and other methods demonstrates their skill."

Each student should receive a blank copy of the LW-6-2-1_Narrative Writing Graphic Organizer-Blank after being divided into small groups. Inform the students that they will collaborate to finish the "Four Skinny Trees" graphic organizer. Go over the terms used in the literature and explain how to finish the organizer. Tell them to list specific words or sentences from the story that the author uses to illustrate each of the various plots, characters, settings, and other elements in the evidence column. They should note the impact these words or sentences have on the reader or how they add to the story overall in the effects column. Provide an example to illustrate. "What impact does the author's opening line, 'They are the only ones who understand me,' have? The only person who comprehends them is me." Assist students in realizing that this highlights the narrator's sense of isolation and rapidly forges a bond with the trees. Before students start using the organizer, give them time to ask questions. Please feel free to add more instances from the narrative to help clarify the roles and consequences of various elements such as theme, setting, and characterization. As they finish organizing, let the students talk about the story in their groups. Keep an eye on the groups and respond to any queries. After that, fill in a blank organizer so that the class can see the responses from the students. See sample student responses in the completed Narrative Writing Graphic Organizer (LW-6-2-1_Narrative Writing Graphic Organizer Complete).

"Excellent writers demonstrate rather than just tell. An illustration of telling would be, "It was a gloomy day." A writer could depict it as gloomy in the following ways: "Like gray balloons filled with lead, the clouds hung low and heavy." You now have an image of the gloomy day. What kinds of demonstrations are there in "Four Skinny Trees"?"The use of personification—with the trees biting the sky with their teeth and grabbing the earth with their toes—is a powerful example, though responses will differ. “Using figurative language, like personification, is one-way writers show instead of telling. Personification is imbuing inanimate objects with characteristics of life. 'The chair in the room looked tired,' for example." Examine and provide examples of various figurative language devices, including simile, metaphor, alliteration, rhyming, and onomatopoeia. With very few words, figurative language can convey intense emotion or meaning."

"You're going to start working on your own story soon. Each writer begins with an idea. Which thought might have motivated Sandra Cisneros to pen this narrative?" (The answers will differ, but students should notice that Cisneros aimed to convey the viewpoint of a young girl growing up in difficult circumstances and that the narrator's strong voice is based on experience. See the interview with Sandra Cisneros at http://www.amazon.com/House-Mango-Street-Sandra-Cisneros/dp/0679734775/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297363451&sr=1-1 if at all possible. She talks about wanting to write about people who are similar to her and stresses the value of writing from one's own experience.)

"Most seasoned authors advise beginning writers to "write what you know." Frequently, authors scrutinize their personal experiences to uncover a narrative they can pen down. Everybody's memories and experiences are extremely detailed. What are some ideas you have for a story you could write?"

Give students a notebook and ask them to make a list of potential story ideas. Ask students to seek inspiration from sports activities, their neighborhood, a pet, a friendship, etc. if they are struggling to come up with ideas. You ought to jot down a list for yourself too. After they have a list of ideas, have students circle the one that seems most likely to come to pass or that they are most comfortable with. They will create their narrative using this concept. As you weigh the items on your list, think aloud to serve as an example for your students. Ask students to list the factors that influenced their choice of story topic. They ought to send you their concepts for review. Verify that the subjects they have chosen are ones they are knowledgeable enough to write about; this should be clear from their justification list. Instruct students to prepare for the next class so they can work on their story ideas.

Extension:

Provide students with additional opportunities to practice the concept of "show, don't tell" by utilizing cartoons or advertisements and highlighting the use of figurative language as well as the important information and emotion that pictures convey. Students should practice writing descriptions of these images. Then, using excerpts from previously read stories, highlight striking instances where writers choose to show rather than tell. Alternately, assign students to practice crafting sentences with precise descriptive details, such as "The snowstorm struck" or "The kitchen was a wreck."

Help students who are struggling to come up with ideas by having one-on-one meetings or having them brainstorm what they know in pairs with another student. Ask them to consider challenges they have overcome or successes they have experienced.