REVISED 2015

HPISD CURRICULUM (ENGLISH II, GRADE 10)

EST. NUMBER OF DAYS: 5TH SIX WEEKS

UNIT NAME STORY DEVELOPMENT THROUGH SHORT STORIES

Unit Overview This thematic unit focuses on themes found throughout short stories: Over-dependence of technology, physical and

emotional burdens, and Innate evil.

Generalizations/Enduring Understandings

1. Short stories allow themes to be presented on a smaller scale allowing the possibility for a greater

understanding.

2. Short stories allow the discussion of structure based on a standard plot development.

3. Short stories employ a variety of literary devices that highlight the themes.

4. Student appreciation for novels is enriched because of the connections made between the short stories and

chosen novels.

Concepts Technology; Evolution of culture and society; Fate versus Free Will; Types of Irony

Guiding/Essential Questions

1. What is the structure of a short story?

2. How does this structure differ from longer pieces?

3. How does the author use literary devices to enhance the theme?

4. How can a society evolve without losing interpersonal skills and communications?

5. What is the value of change?

6. How do choices made impact mental state and future choices?

Learning Targets

Students will understand the short story structure based on the plot diagram specific to short stories.

Students will be able to analyze the words and actions of characters to determine development and theme.

Students will be able to identify specific literary devices such as extended metaphor and types of irony as well as analyze

their effectiveness to the story.

Students will be able to write using persuasive technics through the use of short answer responses.

Students will be able to effectively respond to open-ended questions and be able to appropriately respond to the topics.

Formative Assessments Reading Quizzes; Open-Ended Responses; Persuasive Writing

Summative Assessments Unit Test; Quizzes

(7) Monitor and modify reading strategies to ensure understanding; summarize texts

(11) Identifying literary devices

(7) Summarize texts; make inferences and support them from text

(12) Analyze characteristics of text.

(8) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History. Students analyze, make inferences and

draw conclusions about the author’s purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide

evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain the controlling idea and

specific purpose of an expository text and distinguish the most important from the less important details that

TEKS (Grade Level) / Specifications

REVISED 2015

support the author's purpose.

(14) Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real or

imagined people, events, and ideas. Students are responsible for at least two forms of literary writing. Students

are expected to:

(13) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing,

and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to:

(23) Research/Organizing and Presenting Ideas. Students organize and present their ideas and information

according to the purpose of the research and their audience. Students are expected to synthesize the research into

a written or an oral presentation that:

(24) Listening and Speaking/Listening. Students will use comprehension skills to listen attentively to others in

formal and informal settings. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students

are expected to:

(26) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students will

continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to participate productively in

teams, building on the ideas of others, contributing relevant information, developing a plan for consensus-

building, and setting ground rules for decision-making.

Processes and Skills Use and practice of vocabulary skills; analyzing short stories not only for their own merits, but also in the larger context of

this unit’s themes; use and practice of discussion skills in large and small groups

Topics Over-dependence of technology, physical and emotional burdens, and Innate evil;

Language of Instruction Inferences; Conclusions; Predictions; Text evidence; Character types; Conflicts and conflict resolution; Irony;

Imagery; Diction; Detail; Tone; Thematic statement; Recognizing symbols; Plot; Setting; Character; Mood;

Point of view

State Assessment Connections Open-ended Responses; Persuasive Writing

National Assessment Connections

Resources

Literature resources such as:

“There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury

“Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut

“The Possibilities of Evil” by Shirley Jackson

“The Pit and the Pendulum” by Edgar Allan Poe

“The Ransom of Red Chief” by O’Henry

“Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne

“On the Rainy River” by Tim O’Briend

Sadler-Oxford Level F Vocabulary Book