English IV Unit 11

Short Stories

30 Instructional Days - 5th 6 Weeks

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Big Idea:

Survey a selection of British short stories to make inferences and draw conclusions.

Student Expectations:

Priority TEKS

E4.5(C) [Supporting] compare and contrast the effects of different forms of narration across various genres of fiction

E4.7(A) [Supporting] analyze how the author’s patterns of imagery, literary allusions, and conceits reveal theme, set tone, and create meaning in metaphors, passages, and literary works

Focus TEKS

E4.1(C) [Supporting] use the relationship between words encountered in analogies to determine their meanings (e.g., synonyms/antonyms, connotation/denotation)

E4.6(A) [Supporting] analyze the effect of ambiguity, contradiction, subtlety, paradox, irony, sarcasm, and overstatement in literary essays, speeches, and other forms of literary nonfiction

E4.15(D) [Supporting] produce a multimedia presentation (e.g., documentary, class newspaper, docudrama, infomercial, visual or textual parodies, theatrical production) with graphics, images, and sound that appeals to a specific audience and synthesizes information from multiple points of view

E4.14(A) [Supporting] write an engaging story with a well‐developed conflict and resolution, a clear theme, complex and non‐stereotypical characters, a range of literary strategies (e.g., dialogue, suspense) and devices to enhance the plot, and sensory details that define the mood or tone

Ongoing TEKS

E4.2(A) [Readiness] compare and contrast works of literature that express a universal theme

E4.5(A) [Readiness] analyze how complex plot structures (e.g., subplots) and devices (e.g., foreshadowing, flashbacks, suspense) function and advance the action in a work of fiction

Student Learning Targets:

  • I will evaluate the use of text structure to achieve the author's purpose.
  • I will evaluate how the author's diction and syntax contribute to the effectiveness of a text.
  • I will critique and evaluate how the author's use of language informs and shapes the perception of readers.
  • I will analyze how characters' behaviors and underlying motivations contribute to moral dilemmas that influence the plot and theme.
  • I will discuss and write about the explicit and implicit meanings of text.
  • I will analyze text using the different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Essential Questions:

  • What are the merits of a short story versus a longer piece of prose?
  • Which literary devices are most effective at advancing plot and theme?
  • How do authors build complex meaning within the confines of the short story form?

Extra Information:

Adopted Textbook: Texas Treasures - British Literature, McGraw-Hill

District Grading Policy

Texas Gateway Online Resource Center

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