How to Write a Short Story for Beginners

Students will have access to a short video that describes and explains the current topic. Then the students will be assigned parts of picture books to read based on the day's lesson (links provided). For example, when we talk about the beginning of a story, students will read different story beginnings to see how other writers have used the lessons we are learning about in the beginning of their stories. Students will receive a one page worksheet to help them remember the important lessons from the video with questions about how those lessons tie into the story segments that they've read. Finally, students can write a portion of their story and post it to the classroom for myself to read. I will give gentle feedback based on the video's topics and help students to craft a complete story by the end of the class. 

For our first lesson, students will be encouraged to generate a story idea, including a main character and possible villain. We will look at the reading list for this class (CAN I BE YOUR DOG? by Troy Cummings, READ THE BOOK, LEMMINGS! by Ame Dyckman, and LADY PANCAKE AND SIR FRENCH TOAST by Josh Funk) and guess what they think the story might be about and who the characters might be. It is wonderful if a student comes to class with an idea already! We will use the lesson to deepen their idea and make it even stronger.

Students will learn about the most important part of the beginning of a story. They will read the beginning of three picture books and examine how those authors wrote their beginnings. 

Students will learn how to create obstacles for their characters and possible villains to challenge their characters! They will read the middle of the three previous books and examine the obstacles and challenges those authors used in their stories. 

Students will learn how to solve the obstacles they created for their character to create a satisfying ending for their story. They will finish the three books to see how they feel about the authors' endings. 

Now it's the students turn! They can post a story that includes a beginning, middle, and satisfying ending to share with the class. Or they can send it to me privately for constructive feedback. Students can also share any illustrations that go with their story. 

Interaction with the teacher:
I respond to all comments and classroom posts. Students can post their worksheets in the classroom for feedback or comments on their thoughts about the stories. They can also expect answers to any questions they have about the videos or the stories they read. The major part or out interaction will revolve around the students' writing. The more students post questions, thoughts, and ideas about their own writing, the more I'll be able to give them encouraging feedback and help them toward the goal of a finished short story.