Amy Gay ENG 504 Genre Study 12/10/2010

Short Story

Definition of Genre, and the Importance of Genre Studies in the Classroom. Genre is often viewed as the study of a particular category of reading and writing, such as poetry, novels, nonfiction, etc. However, according to Charles Cooper, genre is “types of writing produced every day in our culture, types of writing that make possible certain kinds of learning and social interaction” (25). In other words, genres are a way for students to connect what they read and write with the world outside the classroom; genres are a concept that will assist in students’ learning process and relations with society, even after they have finished their schooling. Genres are all around us, but “we aren’t born with these genre schemas. We learn them socially, by reading and hearing them. In fact, what we learn, what stays with us, from all of the texts we encounter—stories, jokes, newscasts, shopping lists, tests—is not what’s in them, not their content, but their type, that sense of ‘the way this kind of thing goes’” (Bomer 117). Without the knowledge of genres, students lack the skills needed to distinguish between different types of writing, including the writing they read. Cooper states that there are six characteristics of genres: social, communal, situational, functional, structured, and stable. Genres surface from social interactions and the need to communicate; they also enable communication between communities across the world, especially through the internet. Genres build writing that can be used in situations involving family life, school, professions, and any other place where interaction occurs. Genres are a great way of creating a community in the classroom. Genres are functional because they provide a particular function, satisfying a chronic social need. They can provide entertainment, explanations, evaluations, feelings, and can lead to reflections on life. Just like other areas, genres cannot be useful in a social environment if they do not have structure. Genres “emerge, merge, evolve, [and] disappear very slowly, if at all” (Cooper 26), and some have been around since the fifth century B.C.E. and will be around for many years to come. See a trend yet? Genres have been around since the beginning of time, and they not only shape society, they also are an important aspect of communication in most, if not all, social environments. Therefore, genres are something our students need to be aware of in order to function in the world beyond the classroom, so why not incorporate them into our classrooms? As Bomer says, “helping students learn how to learn about different genres of writing empowers them to find a way of writing that counts in the different communities they will move through in their lives…Our students can learn how to learn about a kind of writing, so that they can always use their habitual ways of reading, thinking, collaborating, and composing to master whatever new forms they encounter” (119).

Genre studies are a great way of connecting reading and writing, because “knowledge of genres is essential to reading and writing, making reading comprehensible and writing possible” (Cooper 25). In many classrooms, reading is taught separately from writing, and I do not know why. Bomer says, “every piece of writing, every text we read, comes to us as both a text—the piece it is—and a kind of text—an instance of a genre” (117). In other words, genres give us a path to follow while reading specific genres, and also allow writers to figure out what type of writing they are creating. Reading and writing go hand in hand, because reading gives us models for our writing, and writing allows us to express what we have absorbed from what we read. How to Choose a Genre for Your Classroom In regards to choosing a genre to study, Bomer believe that teachers should keep two things in mind. First, it should be a genre students may encounter in an authentic reading life, and second, that the boundaries of the study are kept wide. Like Bomer, we should keep our genre studies broad so our students have a more open range for ideas, and leave the opportunity for them to choose subgenres. Genre studies can be used at many grade levels, but for this genre study on short stories, I will be focusing on tenth grade. The Significance of a Genre Study on Short Stories. When doing genre studies with students, it is better to stick with shorter works, like short stories or poetry, rather than long works, like novels. We want to keep our students’ interest and focus, and that can be lost during novel lessons. Also, because we plan on having our students write short stories, it is better that they have examples and learn the components of a short story before they make an attempt at writing. Bomer says, “a sense of genre is one of the most important mental frames we use in our writing, too. There comes a point in the writing process when we need a sense of ‘what kind of thing I’m making’” (117). Without models and knowledge of elements, students will be unsure of the kind of thing, a short story, they are making. Cooper’s Eight Steps of a Genre Study. Although there are different ways scholars believe a genre study can be done, I am going to model Coopers eight parts of a genre study: reading models, listing basic features, choosing topics, inventing and researching, planning, revising, reflecting, and assembling a portfolio. Reading Models Before students can write, or even fully discuss, a genre, they need to have models to read and interpret. I like to use texts that are close to the length of the short story I will be expecting my students to write at the end of the unit. I use both texts by famous authors and texts written by teens. It is important for students to see that people around their age are writing short stories and having it published, because it will (hopefully) motivate my students to write a good story that they would be proud to share with a worldwide audience. I like to use three touchstone texts to start. I use Edgar Allan Poe’s “Tell-Tale Heart,” Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree,” and Sarahsinginrain’s (Fan-Fiction author on Teen

Ink) “Lucy Loves You, Charlie Brown.” (See Appendix A for a copy of “The Tell-Tale Heart”). When choosing reading models, be sure to choose short stories that are not only engaging to readers, but ones that contain a variety of topics for students to examine. This may open them up to new topics that will spark their interest, or it will give them examples of writing they are already interested in modeling after. I chose a story by Poe because he is a well-known author who writes twisted plots that students usually enjoy. I chose “The Giving Tree” because it is a moving story with a good meaning behind it, and I chose “Lucy Loves You, Charlie Brown” because it is a fan-fiction story based off of a well-known cartoon, “Peanuts,” and it is written by an author around the age of my students. (See Appendix B for a list of other Touchstone Texts). Listing Basic Features After reading the touchstone texts, it is important to list the main components of a short story. This should be done as a class and, if students do not list them all, the teacher should add them at the end. The components we compile are plot, characterization, point of view, setting, and theme. Instead of reading short stories from a text book, I like to create a short story packet for students, because I want them to be able to highlight the five features in each of the stories we read. Also, I like them to be able to write notes on pages, including the definitions of words they do not know and paraphrasing sections they did not understand as well. After we have gone over the basic features, I ask students to find a short story and bring it into class the next day. They need to read the short story they choose, and explain why they chose it. Also, I want them to highlight the basic features. If they are unable to bring in a printed copy, I will print a copy of the story for them. Choosing Topics This is the point when I will hand out the short story writing assignment and rubric to my students. Giving them the assignment earlier on gives them more time to plan what they want to write about and spend more time on writing the story. When choosing topics, I have them use their writing territories section of their writer’s notebooks, where they have listed topics they are interested in writing about, or topics they have written about in the past. I inform my students that they are welcome to write about the same topic more than once, because there are always new stories to be written about a topic. I will show the class my writing territories list, and they will choose the topic I will write about. This allows them to see that I will be writing along with them, and not just sitting back while they do all of the work. (See Appendix C for the short story assignment and Appendix D for rubric). Inventing and Researching Now that students have a copy of the assignment and have chosen a topic to write about, it is time to begin some pre-writing. I will do a mini-lesson involving each of the five components we listed, because I want students to feel confident while writing their stories. I will spend one day on the lessons point of view, setting, and theme, and two days on the lessons involving plot and characterization. If students are having trouble

with the first three, I will use an additional class period for the lesson. (See Appendix E for mini-lesson on plot and Appendix F for mini-lesson on characterization). Planning By this phase, students should feel confident and knowledgeable with the short fiction genre. I allow students to work with each other while planning their stories. This will allow them to get feedback from their peers as well as the teacher. Then, we will begin writing our stories in class. I want students to have an opportunity to write whil I am there so they can ask any questions they may have. When there are no questions, I will be writing my short story. Like Bomer states, “writers need time and control of that time” (Bomer 131), so I want my students to have a good amount of time in class to work on their stories. By giving students this time, they are able to supervise their own work and clear up any misconceptions they may have about their writing fitting into the short story genre. Revising After students have written their first draft, we will have mini-lessons, peer reviews, and student-teacher conferences. For one of the mini-lessons, I use Kelley Gallagher’s STAR revision, which stands for substitute (replace), take things out, add, and rearrange. I will give them a hand out showing the four sections, and we will go over what to do with each section. With substitute I want them to look at words, for take things out I will have them “trim the fat” of their story, for add we will talk about dialogue, detail, missing plot pieces, etc., and for rearrange we will be discussing wording, sentences, and paragraphs. After going over what to do for each section, I will put a page of my story on the Smartboard for students to revise with STAR as a class, and then I will give them the rest of the class period to apply the STAR revision to their own stories. Next, students will have their stories peer reviewed by two of their classmates. I will hand out a peer review checklist for students to fill out while reading their classmates’ stories. During the peer reviews, I will be having individual conferences with my students. This will be the time where students can ask questions they have or discuss where they are having trouble with their writing. Hopefully, students will have received enough feedback from peer reviews, conferences, and the STAR revision to have a solid final draft. (See Appendix G for STAR revision and Appendix H for Peer Review Checklist). Assembling a Portfolio When the final draft is due, I also have my students hand in their rough draft, STAR revision sheet, and the two peer reviews. I like to see the amount of work that they put into each draft, and whether or not they used the suggestions given by peer reviewers. As a way for students to keep everything together, I suggest that they keep their short story materials in a separate section of their binder. That way, they are less likely to lose the parts they must hand in. Reflecting Before handing in their portfolio, I have students write a comment page at the start of class where they say what they liked most about the assignment, what they liked least, and how I could improve the assignment for future classes. I feel it is good to get

feedback from students. After all, they are the ones getting something out of the assignment. They will add this reflection to the portfolio they hand in. Publishing Just because students have handed in their short stories in to me does not mean that I will be their only audience. I will publish a class anthology for my students to keep, and I will suggest places for them to get their work published online and where they can enter writing contests. I will inform my students that publishing their work will be extra credit as a way to entice them to do this. Some online places to publish are:

• Teen Ink (http://www.teenink.com) • Short Stories (http://shortstories.student.com)

New York State ELA Learning Standards When choosing lessons, it is always vital to keep the learning standards of the state, in this case New York, in mind. This lesson will fulfill the following learning standards:

• Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding. o Students will be collecting data, facts, ideas, and concepts involved with

short stories. They will have the ability to interpret, apply, and transmit the knowledge they gain.

• Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression. o Students will read short stories and listen to short stories being read aloud.

They will have the ability to relate texts to their lives, and also add self-expression to the short story they create.

• Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction. Students will be opened up to a new community as both readers and writers of short stories. They will use the writings of others to enhance their knowledge, and apply it to their own understanding and view.

Works Cited

Atwell, Nancy. In the Middle: New Understanding About Writing, Reading, and Learning. New Hampshire: Boynton/Cook Publishers, 1998. Print. Bomer, Randy. Time for Meaning: Crafting Literate Lives in Middle & High School. New Hampshire: Heinemann, 1995. Print. Cooper, Charles. Evaluating Writing: Describing, Measuring, Judging. National Council of Teachers, 1977. Print. Dean, Deborah. Strategic Writing: The Writing Process and Beyond in the Secondary English Classroom. Illinois: National Council of Teachers of English, 2006. Print. Gallagher, Kelley. Teaching Adolescent Writers. Stenhouse Publishers, 2006. Print.

Appendix A: Touchstone Text

“The Tell-Tale Heart” By: Edgar Allan Poe

TRUE! nervous, very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why WILL you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses, not destroyed, not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How then am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily, how calmly, I can tell you the whole story.

It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain, but, once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture -- a pale blue eye with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me my blood ran cold, and so by degrees, very gradually, I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye for ever.

Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded -- with what caution -- with what foresight, with what dissimulation, I went to work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him. And every night about midnight I turned the latch of his door and opened it oh, so gently! And then, when I had made an opening sufficient for my head, I put in a dark lantern all closed, closed so that no light shone out, and then I thrust in my head. Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in! I moved it slowly, very, very slowly, so that I might not disturb the old man's sleep. It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I could see him as he lay upon his bed. Ha! would a madman have been so wise as this? And then when my head was well in the room I undid the lantern cautiously -- oh, so cautiously -- cautiously (for the hinges creaked), I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye. And this I did for seven long nights, every night just at midnight, but I found the eye always closed, and so it was impossible to do the work, for it was not the old man who vexed me but his Evil Eye. And every morning, when the day broke, I went boldly into the chamber and spoke courageously to him, calling him by name in a hearty tone, and inquiring how he had passed the night. So you see he would have been a very profound old man, indeed , to suspect that every night, just at twelve, I looked in upon him while he slept.

Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in opening the door. A watch's minute hand moves more quickly than did mine. Never before that night had I felt the extent of my own powers, of my sagacity. I could scarcely contain my feelings of triumph. To think that there I was opening the door little by little, and he not even to dream of my secret deeds or thoughts. I fairly chuckled at the idea, and perhaps he heard me, for he moved on the bed suddenly as if startled. Now you may think that I drew back

-- but no. His room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness (for the shutters were close fastened through fear of robbers), and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the door, and I kept pushing it on steadily, steadily.

I had my head in, and was about to open the lantern, when my thumb slipped upon the tin fastening , and the old man sprang up in the bed, crying out, "Who's there?"

I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I did not move a muscle, and in the meantime I did not hear him lie down. He was still sitting up in the bed, listening; just as I have done night after night hearkening to the death watches in the wall.

Presently, I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the groan of mortal terror. It was not a groan of pain or of grief -- oh, no! It was the low stifled sound that arises from the bottom of the soul when overcharged with awe. I knew the sound well. Many a night, just at midnight, when all the world slept, it has welled up from my own bosom, deepening, with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted me. I say I knew it well. I knew what the old man felt, and pitied him although I chuckled at heart. I knew that he had been lying awake ever since the first slight noise when he had turned in the bed. His fears had been ever since growing upon him. He had been trying to fancy them causeless, but could not. He had been saying to himself, "It is nothing but the wind in the chimney, it is only a mouse crossing the floor," or, "It is merely a cricket which has made a single chirp." Yes he has been trying to comfort himself with these suppositions ; but he had found all in vain. ALL IN VAIN, because Death in approaching him had stalked with his black shadow before him and enveloped the victim. And it was the mournful influence of the unperceived shadow that caused him to feel, although he neither saw nor heard, to feel the presence of my head within the room.

When I had waited a long time very patiently without hearing him lie down, I resolved to open a little -- a very, very little crevice in the lantern. So I opened it -- you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily -- until at length a single dim ray like the thread of the spider shot out from the crevice and fell upon the vulture eye.

It was open, wide, wide open, and I grew furious as I gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinctness -- all a dull blue with a hideous veil over it that chilled the very marrow in my bones, but I could see nothing else of the old man's face or person, for I had directed the ray as if by instinct precisely upon the damned spot.

And now have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over-acuteness of the senses? now, I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew that sound well too. It was the beating of the old man's heart. It increased my fury as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.

But even yet I refrained and kept still. I scarcely breathed. I held the lantern motionless. I tried how steadily I could maintain the ray upon the eye. Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder, every instant. The

old man's terror must have been extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every moment! -- do you mark me well? I have told you that I am nervous: so I am. And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror. Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst. And now a new anxiety seized me -- the sound would be heard by a neighbour! The old man's hour had come! With a loud yell, I threw open the lantern and leaped into the room. He shrieked once -- once only. In an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done. But for many minutes the heart beat on with a muffled sound. This, however, did not vex me; it would not be heard through the wall. At length it ceased. The old man was dead. I removed the bed and examined the corpse. Yes, he was stone, stone dead. I placed my hand upon the heart and held it there many minutes. There was no pulsation. He was stone dead. His eye would trouble me no more.

If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence.

I took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings. I then replaced the boards so cleverly so cunningly, that no human eye -- not even his -- could have detected anything wrong. There was nothing to wash out -- no stain of any kind -- no blood-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that.

When I had made an end of these labours, it was four o'clock -- still dark as midnight. As the bell sounded the hour, there came a knocking at the street door. I went down to open it with a light heart, -- for what had I now to fear? There entered three men, who introduced themselves, with perfect suavity, as officers of the police. A shriek had been heard by a neighbour during the night; suspicion of foul play had been aroused; information had been lodged at the police office, and they (the officers) had been deputed to search the premises.

I smiled, -- for what had I to fear? I bade the gentlemen welcome. The shriek, I said, was my own in a dream. The old man, I mentioned, was absent in the country. I took my visitors all over the house. I bade them search -- search well. I led them, at length, to his chamber. I showed them his treasures, secure, undisturbed. In the enthusiasm of my confidence, I brought chairs into the room, and desired them here to rest from their fatigues, while I myself, in the wild audacity of my perfect triumph, placed my own seat upon the very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the victim.

The officers were satisfied. My MANNER had convinced them. I was singularly at ease. They sat and while I answered cheerily, they chatted of familiar things. But, ere long, I felt myself getting pale and wished them gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears; but still they sat, and still chatted. The ringing became more distinct : I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definitiveness -- until, at length, I found that the noise was NOT within my ears.

No doubt I now grew VERY pale; but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased -- and what could I do? It was A LOW, DULL, QUICK SOUND -- MUCH SUCH A SOUND AS A WATCH MAKES WHEN ENVELOPED IN COTTON. I gasped for breath, and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly, more vehemently but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased. Why WOULD they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men, but the noise steadily increased. O God! what COULD I do? I foamed -- I raved -- I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder -- louder -- louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly , and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God! -- no, no? They heard! -- they suspected! -- they KNEW! -- they were making a mockery of my horror! -- this I thought, and this I think. But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! -- and now -- again -- hark! louder! louder! louder! LOUDER! --

"Villains!" I shrieked, "dissemble no more! I admit the deed! -- tear up the planks! -- here, here! -- it is the beating of his hideous heart!

Appendix B: Other Touchstone Texts

Achebe, Chinua. “Dead Men’s Path” Anderson, Sherwood. “Hands” Atwood, Margaret. “Happy Endings” Baldwin, James. “Sonny’s Blues” Camus, Albert. “The Guest” Cheever, John. “The Swimmer” Chekov, Anton. “Misery” Chopin, Kate. “The Storm” Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour” Cisneros, Sandra. “Barbie-Q” Coover, Robert. “Grandmother’s Nose” Crane, Stephen. “The Open Boat” Ellison, Ralph. “A Party Down at the Square” Fan-Fiction. (http://www.fanfiction.net) Faulkner, William. “A Rose for Emily” Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. “The Yellow Wallpaper” Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “The Birthmark” Hemingway, Ernest. “A Clean Well-Lighted Place” Hurston, Zora Neale. “Sweat” Jackson, Shirley. “The Lottery” James, Henry. “The Real Thing” Joyce, James. “The Dead” McGuane, Thomas. “Cowboy” Mishima, Yukio. “Patriotism” Moffett, Kevin. “Tattooizm” Munro, Alice. “How I Met My Husband” Oates, Joyce Carol. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” O’Connor, Flannery. “A Good Man is Hard to Find” Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Fall of the House of Usher” Sarahsinginrain. “Lucy Loves You, Charlie Brown” Silverstein, Shel. “The Giving Tree” Teen Ink (http://www.teenink.com) Tartt, Donna. “The Ambush” Tolstoy, Leo. “The Death of Ivan Ilych” Walker, Alice. “Everyday Use” Wharton, Edith. “Roman Fever” Wolff, Tobias. “Awaiting Orders” Woolf, Virginia. “A Haunted House”

Appendix C: Short Story Writing Assignment

Now that you have read a number of examples of short stories, it is time to put your creative writing helmets on, and write your own short story! You may choose your own topic, and I suggest looking at your writing territories in your writer’s notebooks to help you choose a topic, or think of some new topic. Feel free to write about a topic you have used in the past. Remember, there is always more than one story to tell about a given topic! We will be making a class anthology of the stories you write, so make sure your writing will make you proud to be a published author! Your story must meet the following criteria:

• At least eight pages, double spaced. • Be told in either the first or third person point of view (refer to your point of

view handout). • Setting is made apparent. • Characters are well-developed (refer to your mini-lesson on characterization). • Has a theme. • All components of the plot diagram are discussed: exposition/introduction,

rising action, conflict, climax, falling action/denouement, and resolution/conclusion (refer to your mini-lesson on plot diagram).

Time Schedule:

• Day 1: “The Giving Tree” • Day 2: “Lucy Loves You, Charlie Brown” • Day 3: “The Tell-Tale Heart” • Day 4: Mini-Lesson on Plot • Day 5: Continue Mini-Lesson on Plot • Day 6: Theme and Setting • Day 7: Point of View: First and Third • Day 8: Characterization • Day 9: Continue Characterization • Day 10: Go over chosen examples/Choose topic • Day 11: Start writing short story • Day 12: Continue writing short story • Day 13: First Draft due/STAR Revision • Day 14: Peer Reviews/Student-Teacher Conferences • Day 15: Continue Peer Reviews/Student-Teacher Conferences • Day 16: Final Draft/Portfolio due/Write reflection

Criteria for Evaluation:

• First Draft: 10% • Peer Review: 15% x2 • Final Draft: 50% • Reflection: 10% • For each day the Final Draft/Portfolio is late, I will deduct five points from your

grade.

Appendix D: Writing Assignment Rubric

Meaning. • 6—Story has depth, captivates readers, and readers will want to read it again

and again. • 5—Story has depth, gets the readers’ attention, and reader may want to read

story again. • 4—Story has depth, holding readers’ attention, but reader may not think it is

worthy of a second read. • 3—Story flows, but reader may trail off now and then. Reader will read story

once, possibly enjoy it, and put it away. • 2—Story has little flow, and reader is not interested in what is going on.

Reader may not even finish this story once. • 1—Story is a summary of something. Reader not engaged and has no desire to

finish reading. Development.

• 6—Story has characters, setting, and plot fully developed. Point of view is apparent.

• 5—Story has characters, setting, and plot mostly developed. Point of view is apparent.

• 4—Story has characters, setting, and/or plot mostly developed. Point of view is apparent.

• 3—Story uses some detail, with characters, setting, and/or plot only partly developed. Point of view may not be apparent.

• 2—Story uses little detail, and there is little development of characters, setting, and/or plot. Point of view is not apparent.

• 1—Story uses little to no detail, and there is little to no development of characters, setting, and plot. Point of view is not apparent.

Organization.

• 6—The story is coherent, and easy to follow. Paragraphs are separated properly and fully developed.

• 5—The story is mostly coherent, and easy to follow. Most paragraphs are separated properly and are fully developed.

• 4—The story is mostly coherent, but may not be easy to follow at times. Most paragraphs are separated properly and are fully developed.

• 3—The story is somewhat coherent, but reader is unable to follow it at times. Paragraphing not always separated correctly, and may not be fully developed.

• 2—The story is not coherent, and reader is having trouble following. Only a few paragraphs are separated correctly, but none are fully developed.

• 1—The story is not coherent, and reader is cannot follow. Story is one big paragraph or separated in random places. No development of paragraphs.

Language Use.

• 6—Sophisticated vocabulary, and keeps readers engaged. • 5—Uses sophisticated vocabulary, with maybe one or two wrong uses. Readers

may notice errors, and are engaged.

• 4—Attempts using sophisticated language, and reader will notice errors, but readers will be engaged regardless.

• 3—Little to no sophisticated language used, but reader is still engaged by story. • 2—No sophisticated language used, and reader is not engaged by language of

story. • 1—Language makes no sense. Reader has no desire to read story.

Conventions.

• 6—Writer demonstrates control of conventions, with essentially no errors. • 5—Writer demonstrates control of conventions, with only one or two errors, but

reader will not take notice. • 4—Writer demonstrates control of conventions, with few errors that reader will

notice. • 3—Writer attempts control of conventions, but there are some errors and reader

takes notice. • 2—Writer has little control of conventions, and reader cannot follow story.

1—Writer has no control of conventions, and reader cannot follow story.

Appendix E: Mini-Lesson on Plot

All stories, both short stories and novels, have a plot. A plot is an organized pattern or sequence of events that make up a story. Above is a picture of a plot diagram, showing each part of the plot of a story as it unfolds.

Let’s take a moment to go over what each part means: Exposition/Introduction Rising Action Conflict Climax Falling Action/Denouement Resolution/Conclusion In small groups (no more than 3 people per group), write down what part of the story represents the sections of the plot diagram. Exposition/Introduction

Rising Action Conflict Climax Falling Action/Denouement Resolution/Conclusion

Appendix F: Mini-Lesson on Characterization

Characterization

I will be handing out a photo of a person for you to describe. Do NOT write your name on the front of your description. We will be using these for an activity tomorrow as well. You will be using your five senses (sight, sound, taste, touch, smell) to describe the people in the pictures. Also, use words from the list we created on the white board in your descriptions. Here are some examples of character descriptions: “He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache.” “She was a very frail girl who looked as if she had been lost in the rain for years and the rain had washed out the blue from her eyes and the red from her mouth and the yellow from her hair.” “His hair was long and tangled and greasy, and hung down, and you could see his eyes shining through like he was behind vines.” You have the rest of the class period to work on this. Tomorrow, we will be hanging up your descriptions on the walls and trying to match them with the pictures they describe.

Appendix G: Mini-Lesson on STAR Revision

Before we apply the STAR acronym to your writing, let’s discuss what we are looking for with each topic:

• S (substitute (replace)): words, sentences • T (take out): words, sentences, paragraphs, too much description, too much

dialogue • A (add): detail, description, dialogue, additional sentences, additional paragraphs,

missing parts of the plot • R (rearrange): words, sentences, paragraphs, misplaced parts of the plot

Now, use STAR to revise your own stories: Substitute (replace) Take Out Add Rearrange

Appendix H: Peer Review Checklist

___The writer engages the reader right from the start. ___The writer gives a good description of setting. ___The writer’s characters are fully developed. Reader has a mental visual of characters. ___The writer uses either the first person or third person point of view correctly, and does not go back and forth between the two. ___The reader notices each parts of a plot diagram present. If any parts are unclear, please list them here:_____________________________________________________ ___The reader is able to follow the story from start to finish, without having to question what just happened. Any comments for the writer: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Appendix I: Student Example

This example is taken from Teen Ink (http://www.teenink.com). It is one of my touchstone texts.

Lucy loves you, Charlie Brown. By sarahsinginrain, setauket, NY Lucy propped her head up on her elbow, listening to Charlie Brown go on and on about his problems yet again. She shouldn’t really complain, he was the only one who ever came to her physiatrist stand. But still… “…I mean my sister always tricks me into doing her homework for her. She’s 5? How did I get tricked by a 5 year old! I’m a good 3 years older than her. Three and a half!” He started She stared at the cute little patch of hair on his head. Had it always been this… adorable? And while Charlie brown was a stupid, bubbling, perpetual loser, bland, unathletic, failure face of a small person, she’d always loved that patch of hair. “And really, sometimes it feels like even SNOOPY doesn’t love me. I feed him every day, but he always goes off with those birds.” Charlie brown continued. He is very kind, she thought, kind to all the animals and everyone he met. She liked that. “I’m nicer than a bird? Aren’t I? Oh good grief, maybe I’m not better than a bird. Maybe the birds are more fun than me. I want to be funner than a bird. Oh good grief funner isn’t even a WORD. I’m a mess.” Charlie Brown started shaking his head mercilessly. He may be a mess but he really was awfully cute, Lucy thought. And he even gives me a chance every time I pull that football away. Schroeder wouldn’t have given me a chance after the first time. Not at all, she thought in dismay. “No wonder nobody wants to sit with me at lunch!” He sighed. “Nobody wants to sit with someone at lunch who isn’t even as fun as a bird! I guess it’s for the best…” He retorted I’ll sit with you at lunch! Lucy thought. I will, I will, I will! After all, maybe I should spend my lunch period doing something other than chasing Schroeder. All he does is look at his piano, when he really should look at me. I really am quite lovely, I deserve to be looked at! She shifted her weight. “Oh Lucy, I’m so depressed. That little red haired girl- she won’t even look me! She’s something, and I’m nothing. When she looks at me, there’s nothing to see! How can she talking to someone who’s nothing. I know you’ve heard this so many times but…” Charlie Brown looked down at his palms, helpless.

All he cares about is that darn piano! Lucy’s inner rant continued. I bet he would marry Beethoven if he could. I don’t even want to marry him any more. She stared at Charlie Brown, yet again. The adorable way his cheeks got red when he was talking really intensely about something. He’s not a stupid, bubbling, perpetual loser, bland, unathletic, failure face of a small person. Not at all, she thought. “Lucy, you know trust your opinion, I mean, if you can’t trust your own physiatrist, who can you trust? Aww gee I have to many problems to count. What do you think lucy? At least about the Little-Red Haired Girl. What should I do about her?” He looked up now That Little Red Haired Girl. Lucy grimaced at the thought. Ok, I have to just tell him. Tell him or It will bottle up inside of me and that’s the worst thing a physiatrist can ever do, bottle things up inside. “Charlie Brown, maybe you need to face the fact that the Little Red Haired Girl is out of your league. But… there are plenty of other girls that would love to be your girlfriend..” Lucy started “Gee thanks Lucy, that made me feel worse! And yea right? Who are these other girls anyway?” Charlie brown retorted in a huff. “Well, Umm,…” Lucy stuttered. “That’s it, I’m leaving.” Charlie brown stood up, and dropped 5 cents in Lucy’s hand. “Gee, that didn’t help much.” “WAIT JUST ONE MINUTE CHARLIE BROWN!” Lucy stood up and yelled in his face.“THERE IS ONLY ONE GIRL FOR YOU AND ITS ME. NOT THE LITTLE RED HAIRED GIRL OR PEPPERMINT PATTY OR ANYONE ELSE. ME ME ME. LOVE ME!” Her cheeks turned red. She stared at the ground, grinding her foot into the dirt. Then she quickly looked up to gauge his reaction. “Lucy… didyaa really mean that?” Charlie Brown asked her, blushing. “Do you really love me?” “Well… Yea. YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT?” She demanded “no, well, I don’t think so, at least, I hope not, erm, what about Schroeder? He stammered “I’m eternally over musicians. I find them extremely vain and incapable of true love.”

She explained “So… are you my girlfriend now?” “Well, you see Charlie Brown, it’s customary for the boy to formally ask the girl to be his girlfriend.” Lucy pointed out “Ok then… Lucy Van Pelt, do you want to be my girlfriend?” He asked Lucy smiled and nodded, then took his hand. He handed her the 5 cents that she normally charged for her services. “WHAT?” Lucy cried “IS MY LOVE SOMETHING SO MATERIAL THAT YOU FEEL THE NEED TO PAY FOR IT? DO I LOOK LIKE THE TYPE OF GIRL WHO WOULD SELL THEMSELVES, CHARLIE BROWN?” He just stood there. “Oh, good grief!”

Sources for Teachers

Atwell, Nancy. In the Middle: New Understanding About Writing, Reading, and Learning. New Hampshire: Boynton/Cook Publishers, 1998. Print. Bomer, Randy. Time for Meaning: Crafting Literate Lives in Middle & High School. New Hampshire: Heinemann, 1995. Print. Collins, James L. Strategies for Struggling Writers. New York: The Guilford Press, 1998. Print. Cooper, Charles. Evaluating Writing: Describing, Measuring, Judging. National Council of Teachers, 1977. Print. Dean, Deborah. Strategic Writing: The Writing Process and Beyond in the Secondary English Classroom. Illinois: National Council of Teachers of English, 2006. Print. Dillard, Annie. The Writing Life. New York: First Harper Perennial, 1990. Print. Gallagher, Kelley. Teaching Adolescent Writers. Stenhouse Publishers, 2006. Print. Gioia, Dana & Gwynn, R.S. The ART of the SHORT STORY. New York: Pearson Longman, 2006. Print. Kenison, Katrina & Patchett, Ann (Editors). The Best American Short Stories. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006. Print. King, Stephen. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. New York: Pocket Books, 2000. Print.