This short story is about a classroom of children living on the planet Venus.  On the planet Venus, the sun only comes out for one hour every seven years.  All of the children except for one have lived there as long as they can remember.  Margot has only recently moved and is struggling with the transition.

Reading/Writing Strategies:

inferencing

tone

mood

theme

This is a very short story about a little girl collecting wild flowers near her home on a farm.  As she moves from the open field to the forest, the tone shifts from cheerful to ominous.

Reading/Writing Strategies

tone (especially the shift)

mood

theme

inferencing

pacing (the story feels like it ends abruptly; the final statement packs a punch)

connection to historical events

Harrison Bergeron is an interesting story with historical undertones.  Read this to see what Vonnegut feels would happen if all people in society were made to be completely equal to each other.

Reading/Writing Strategies

symbolism

inferencing

theme

connection to historical events

A Sound of Thunder is the ultimate time travel story mixed with hunting BIG game.  The story is an adventure where the characters travel back in time to hunt a real T-Rex in the past.  Of course, this story also deals with what is known as the "Butterfly Effect".

Reading/Writing Strategies

symbolism

inferencing

tone

mood

theme

connection to historical events