1. Elements of a Short Story
7th Grade Language Arts
Students will be provided a copy of the power point presentation in outline form. The outline form will have blanks to be filled in during the presentation. This presentation is in preparation of writing a short story for their portfolio. This presentation was designed for a resource Language Arts class; students having learning and behavior disorders. 1

2. Elements of a Short Story
Setting
Characterization
Plot (including Climax)
Conflict
Theme
Point of view

3. Short Story Vocabulary
Setting:Tells the reader where and when the story takes place.

4. Short Story Vocabulary
Plot: A series of events through which the writer reveals what is happening, to whom, and why.

5. Plot Structure

7. Brainstorming
What are some significant events in the story “Seventh Grade” by Gary Soto?

8. Practice
Let’s diagram the plot of “Seventh Grade” by Gary Soto.

9. Homework Watch your favorite T.V. show (cannot be a reality show!)
Take notes on the events that happen
Diagram the plot
The title of the assignment should be:
Plot Diagram of “insert name of t.v. show”
*Due Tomorrow!!

10. Now it’s your turn
Read your assigned short story and diagram the plot.
Key questions to consider:
What did the author need to explain to the readers in the exposition section?
What inciting event causes the action to begin to “rise”?
Where does the story peak? Is there a clear climax?
Which events lead up to the conclusion?
How is the story resolved?

11. Plot: Conflict
Conflict is the problem in the story that needs to be resolved. Without conflict, there is no plot.

12. Plot: Types of Conflict
Character vs Character
Character vs Nature
Character vs Society
Character vs Self

13. Plot: Character vs. Character Conflict
This type of conflict finds the main character in conflict with another character, human or not human.
“The new one is the most beautiful of all; he is so young and pretty.” And the old swans bowed their heads before him.
Then he felt quite ashamed, and hid his head under his wing; for he did not know what to do, he was so happy, and yet not at all proud. He had been persecuted and despised for his ugliness, and now he heard them say he was the most beautiful of all the birds.
The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Anderson

14. Plot: Character vs. Nature Conflict
This type of conflict finds the main character in conflict with the forces of nature, which serve as the antagonist.
It´s a Truffula Seed.
It´s the last one of all!
You´re in charge of the last of the Truffula Seeds.
And Truffula Trees are what everyone needs.
Plant a new Truffula. Treat it with care.
Give it clean water. And feed it fresh air.
Grow a forest. Protect it from axes that hack.
Then the Lorax
and all of his friends
may come back.
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

15. Plot: Character vs. Society Conflict
This type of conflict has the main character in conflict with a larger group: a community, society, culture, etc.
“I’m tired of living in a hole,” said Jenny.
“Let’s fight for freedom!” cried Bouncer. “We’ll be soldiers! Rough-riding Rowdies! I’ll be the general and commander-in-chief!”
The Island of the Skog by Steven Kellogg

16. Plot: Character vs. Self Conflict
In this type of conflict, the main character experiences some kind of inner conflict.
Finally, Sam’s father said, “Go to bed now. But before you go to sleep, Sam, tell yourself the difference between REAL and MOONSHINE.”
Sam, Bangs & Moonshine by Evaline Ness

17. Short Story Vocabulary
Point of view: The position of the narrator of the story and what the writer sees from that vantage point.

18. First-person narration
The narrator is a character in the story.
The narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of one character and speaks directly to the reader, who know only information of which this character is aware.
The narrator uses the first-person pronouns, I, me, and my.

19. First-person narration example
I took the subway to Clancy Street, found a spot in front of Park View Apartments and started to play my sax. I was hoping to attract an audience and, if I was lucky, earn some money. The morning started out great. This girl opened her window and applauded madly. Later, I had a duet with this big howling dog—what a riot! I had to move on, however, when a guy slammed the window shut and called police—not a music lover. He said I was disturbing the peace. Give me a break.

20. Third-Person Limited
The narrator does not participate in the action of the story.
The narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of one character; the reader knows only information of which this character is aware.
The narrator uses third-person pronouns like he, she, and they.

21. Third-person limited narration example
The man couldn’t take any more. It was noon, but he had just fallen asleep, because he had worked the night shift. He had trouble getting to sleep because he was worried—he had just lost his job at the warehouse. And why was he fired? Because he fell asleep on the job. And why had he been so sleepy? Because a barking dog had kept him awake the day before. And here it was again, a barking, howling dog right outside his window! And some beggar playing a horn besides. The man picked up his phone and dialed 911.

22. Third-Person Omniscient
The narrator does not participate in the action of the story.
The narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all the characters; the reader gets insight into several characters and learns any information of which they are aware.
The narrator uses third-person pronouns like he, she, and they. 

23. Third-person omniscient example
One sunny day, a young woman looked down from her apartment window and saw a young man playing a saxophone. “Cool,” she thought as she swayed in time with his tune. Shortly, a large brown dog sauntered up, sat in front of the musician, and howled along with the music.
Then a man in his pajamas yelled from another window. He said that the noise woke him up and he was going to call the police. This man worked the night shift and had to sleep all day and liked cats better than dogs anyway. The young saxophonist left. Soon the young woman appeared in the street and hurried off in the direction taken by the departing horn player. In a year’s time, the young woman married the talented saxophonist, he had a hit CD, and they adopted a large brown dog.

24. Identify the point of view of the following selection:
1. The three with the medals were like hunting-hawks; and I was not a hawk, although I might seem a hawk to those who had never hunted; they, the three, knew better, and so we drifted apart.

25. Identify the point of view of the following selection:
2. Judith had studied hard for the test, and she though she had understood the material. Now that it was over, she just didn’t know. For some reason, her mind just went blank at the start of the test! Now she wondered about her answers-were they too short? should she have added more details? She just wasn’t sure!

26. Identify the point of view of the following selection:
3. “What’s that sound in the attic?” thought Angela. “It sounds like ghosts playing marbles.” The thought of ghosts having a game of marbles in the attic made her smile. She was almost tempted to go upstairs and join them, but she still had an essay to finish, and had frequently been distracted that afternoon by the sound of light scampering on her roof. A squirrel sitting in a tree near the window chewed on an acorn thoughtfully and watched intently as Angela went back to her homework.

27. Short Story Vocabulary
Characterization: The process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character.

28. Ways writers reveal a character:
By telling us directly what the character is like: humble, ambitious, impetuous, easily manipulated, and so on
By describing how the character looks and dresses
By letting us hear the character speak

29. Ways writers reveal a character:
By revealing the character’s private thoughts and feelings
By revealing the character’s effect on other people—showing how other characters feel or behave toward the character
By showing the character’s actions

30. Two methods of revealing character:
1. Direct characterization
2. Indirect characterization

31. Direct Characterization
The writer tells us directly what the character’s personality is like.

32. Indirect Characterization
The reader has to use their own judgment and put clues together to figure out what the character is like.
You can develop your characters by showing the reader what they are like. Describing how characters look, act, think, and speak.
We do this in real life when we are getting to know someone.

33. Showing the reader is far more effective!
Original sentence:
His mom was really mad.
Revised writing showing character through how she looks, acts, thinks, and speaks:
As her face slowly began to turn bright red, he noticed her taking a deep breath and sucking in her cheeks. Her large brown eyes narrowed into slits, and a hundred new wrinkles appeared on her forehead as her eyebrows scrunched together in a frown. His mom’s long black hair started to shake from side to side as she raised an accusing finger in his direction. 

34. Showing is more effective!
Revised writing showing character through how she looks, acts, thinks, and speaks:
As her face slowly began to turn bright red, he noticed her taking a deep breath and sucking in her cheeks. Her large brown eyes narrowed into slits, and a hundred new wrinkles appeared on her forehead as her eyebrows scrunched together in a frown. His mom’s long black hair started to shake from side to side as she raised an accusing finger in his direction. 

35. Practice
Lucy looked sad.
Take a few minutes to revise this sentence.

36. Short Story Vocabulary
Climax: When the action comes to its highest point of conflict.

37. Short Story Vocabulary
Resolution: The story’s action after the climax until the end of the story. The “conclusion” of the story.

38. Short Story Vocabulary
Theme: The story’s main ideas. The “message” the writer intends to communicate by telling the story.

39. Elements of a Short Story
Setting
Characterization
Plot
Conflict
Climax
Resolution
Theme
Point of view

40. Short Story
Great writers are able to use the elements of the short story with such precision that the reader is caught up in the action of the story. This is a mark of a good story and our goal as a writer.

41. The Assignment
In the next lesson you will review the short story elements and learn to follow and map the sequence of events in a story.
You will learn to distinguish the various points of view from which a story may be told.
You will learn about all of the previously mentioned short story elements.

42. Step-by-step Instructions
Begin Elements of a Short Story web quest, go to:
Follow the directions for each step before going onto the next step.
Complete the activities worksheets.
Complete open response question.
Let's Go!!!