Short story writing in high school comes after the students have picked up the basics of composition from previous studies. Starting in elementary school, students learn how to create sentences and put together paragraphs. Middle school students learn about creating fictions and distinguishing genres. In high school, students learn the nuances of the short story, including the elements, great short story writers and how to create their own short fiction. Students in the 10 th grade are in that learning stage. To help them understand the elements, creators and techniques of short fiction, 10 th grade teachers can use activities in class and as home assignments.
Exploring Elements
The elements of a short story (plot, setting, characters, climax, theme, conflict, action, resolution and more) are important parts of literary learning. Students can learn these elements and better understand them through a few activities. Assign the class a story to read. Let the students identify the elements of a short story and how they are presented in the assigned story.
Another activity is to assign groups of students the task of creating the element as a part of a larger story that the class will create together. For example, assign one group the task of creating a plot, while another group makes up the characters for the story and yet another group defines the setting. Once the class has the elements finished, bring them together and allow each student to create a short story using the elements defined by the groups. This is also a good activity on learning to write a short story.
Genre Activities
Short story genres (horror, comedy, romance, mystery, etc.) are also important lessons for 10 th graders. Tell the students a task or bring in a short story of a genre that you assign. Ask the students to tell the class about the story and why they believe the story belongs in the genre they were assigned. This activity will help students to look for the different indicators of genre fiction. Some may find stories that cross genres, another important lesson for 10 th grade English.
Learning Story Authors
All students must learn the great short story writers of our time. Gather together some of the well-known names and let the students devise a presentation on that author. Tell the students to cover the author’s life, works and best known works for the class. Posters, shadow boxes, Power Point presentations and even videos are some of the ways that the students can complete the activity. The important lesson is learning about the most well-known short story writers.
Writing a Short Story
Every 10 th grade student should have at least one opportunity to write a short story. Assign them the activity defined in the “Exploring Elements” section of this article or let the students create their own works. You can also provide prompts in the form of initial sentences, storylines or characters that the students must use in creating their stories. The goal is to give them experience in writing a short story, even if creative writing is far from their life’s goals.
References:
Teaching the Short Story, Kentucky Educational Television.
Elements of Short Story, Alabama Learning Exchange.
Teaching Students to Read and Write Short Stories, Jefferson County Public Schools.