In this course, students will be exposed to short stories of varying genres and topics. Through the course, we will review and look at the basic literary elements from the story such as plot, setting, character, theme, symbolism, and more. Each week we will review the elements before starting a new novel to help students gain a better understanding and knowledge of the concepts and how they function within a story. We will work on plot diagrams to showcase our knowledge and understanding of the story and of the literary elements while participating in different literary analysis activities which include writing, poetry, art, analysis, and more!

Each week, students will have the chance to choose between two stories. Every story has its perks and uniqueness, but they also offer a different experience. At the beginning of the week, the teacher will provide a short summary of the story so that students can choose the one that interests them so that they can better learn the skills using something that they would enjoy! Students will post their activities, projects, and reasoning paragraphs to the classroom. Students will provide peer feedback and compliments to one another so that these can be built into our museum exhibit as well!

Week One:
"The Sound of Thunder" OR "Thank You, Ma'am"
     - Plot Diagramming
          - Setting, Character, Theme, Symbolism

Week Two:
"The Most Dangerous Game" OR "The Open Window"
     - Tone and Mood
          - Short Story and Video Analysis and Discussion

Week Three:
"The Gift of the Magi" OR "The Story of an Hour"
     - Irony
          - Comparing and Applying Irony to Real-Life Applications

Week Four:
"The Dinner Party" OR "All Summer in a Day"
     - Analysis of Evidence
          - Annotating Short Stories for Reading Comprehension

OPTIONAL: 
Final Project Development
This includes the following topics where students can choose whatever project they would like to complete:
     - Story Quilt
     - Creative Short Story of Your Own
     - Art Project
     - Analysis Essay
     - Video
     - And Other Options

Each week, students will post their projects in the classroom for teacher feedback, but also to create a "museum showcase". The teacher will collect the work of students into a mini-museum exhibit for students to enjoy and experience at the end of the class!