Reading Comprehension, Week 7 Analyzing a Short Story for Adaptation

Overview This week we will begin by having students share their poems and analyses from last week. In the second hour, we’ll move to the short story, “The Last Leaf,” by O. Henry. We’ll read the story and then watch an adapation of it as a video. As a class, we’ll summarize the plot and then have the students discuss in small groups how they would adapt this plotline to a Moroccan situation.

First Hour Put students in groups of ten or so to share their poems and analyses. Have the students read each other’s analyses and then select the best one. Have the best paragraph from each group read, along with the poem. Discuss briefly why this analysis was the best. Collect all paragraphs.

Second Hour Distribute copies of the O. Henry short story, The Last Leaf (and thank Moad Mekroum for his suggestion for this lesson). Use DR-TA to read the story as a class (see marked teacher’s copy). Concluding discussion: Were you surprised by the ending? Why? Summarize the plotline as a class.

Third Hour Discuss the adaptation, choices made by the producers with respect to costumes, setting, etc. Ask: Could a story like this take place in Morocco? If you were going to keep the plot but change the setting and characters to make the story “Moroccan,” how would you do it? Have students discuss how they’d do it in small groups and write their notes on large pieces of paper for presentation at the end of class (or next week).