1. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
By Jack Finney

2. Missouri Communication Arts Grade-level, course-level expectations
R2A: Recognize the text features of fiction in grade-level text
Understand time and sequence Analyze time and sequence

3. Missouri Communication Arts Grade-level, course-level expectations
R1G: During reading, utilize strategies to self-question and correct, infer, visualize, predict …
Understand cause and effect.
Analyze causes and effects.

4. Missouri Communication Arts Grade-level, course-level expectations
R1E: Develop vocabulary through text.
Understand and use prefixes.

5. Missouri Communication Arts Grade-level, course-level expectations
W1: Apply a writing process in composing text.
W2: Compose well-developed text using standard English conventions.
W3A: Compose a variety of texts using narrative features.
Write an autobiographical narrative.

6. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
The story is written in chronological order. The events unfold slowly at almost the same pace as real time. The entire story covers less than one hour in the main character’s life.

7. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
The story contains many words that describe time and the way time passes. Jack Finney uses words like postponed, immediately,
indefinitely, momentarily, instantaneous, abruptly.

8. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Activity #1
Understand and use prefixes.
A prefix is a word part added to the beginning of a base word, or root, to create a new word with a different meaning.
Complete the prefix worksheet.

9. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Activity #2
Cause
Effect
Tom opens the window.
Tom goes out on the ledge.
Tom looks down.
Tom becomes very afraid.
Tom decides to break the window.
Tom laughs at the end of the story.

10. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Activity #3
Compose a variety of texts using narrative features.
Using the computers, complete the activity #3 instruction sheet. This is a timed activity so that everyone will get the chance to use the computers.

11. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Climax
Complications
Characters
Resolution
Activity #4
Complete the short story elements sheet for this piece of literature

12. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Activity #5
Tom’s problems arise from an internal conflict. He would really like to go to the movies with his wife, and he feels bad for not going, but he feels obligated to stay and work. He wants to work hard because of his ambition and his dreams of a better job and a better life for him and his wife.
In a one-page minimum writing, discuss a time when you had an internal conflict. Describe the cause of the internal conflict and the effects it had on you and others. Walk the reader through the conflict as you experienced it.

13. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Activity #6
Make a timeline of events in the story. Include a minimum of 10 events.

14. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Concept Quiz
• Can you define the following terms?
• Can you identify them in a piece of literature?
• Can you analyze them in a piece of literature?

15. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Concept Quiz:
Define, identify, analyze
Complications

16. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Concept Quiz:
Define, identify, analyze
Suspense

17. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Concept Quiz:
Define, identify, analyze
Flashback

18. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Concept Quiz:
Define, identify, analyze
Setting

19. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Concept Quiz:
Define, identify, analyze
Conflict

20. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Concept Quiz:
Define, identify, analyze
Mood

21. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Concept Quiz:
Define, identify, analyze
Synthesize

22. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Concept Quiz:
Define, identify, analyze
Statistics

23. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Concept Quiz:
Define, identify, analyze
Prefix

24. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Concept Quiz:
Define, identify, analyze
Etymology

25. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Concept Quiz:
Define, identify, analyze
Plot

26. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Concept Quiz:
Define, identify, analyze
Exposition

27. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Concept Quiz:
Define, identify, analyze
Resolution

28. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Concept Quiz:
Define, identify, analyze
Climax

29. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Concept Quiz:
Define, identify, analyze
Flash-forward

30. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Concept Quiz:
Define, identify, analyze
Chronological order

31. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Concept Quiz:
Define, identify, analyze
Sequence

32. “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket”
Vocabulary review
Define; use in a sentence.
projection
confirmation
rebounded
unimpeded
interminable
irrelevantly
incomprehensible
imperceptibly