Lesson 2.6 - THEMES THAT MATTER & How to Write Great Essays and Analyses
Learning Goals: By the end of this lesson you will be able to
(1) successfully demonstrate knowledge of how to analyze character and figurative language;
(2) write a concise personal response to a short story and express its meaning to you.
This page contains all the lectures for this lesson.
If you are experiencing slow internet and couldn't view the videos, you can listen to the audios instead.
YOUR SHORT STORY: Literary Elements
1. Literary Style: What literary devices can you use in your short story?
How about: Imagery; Figurative Language; Description; Sentence structure; Word choice? Dialogue etc.
2. Characters: How do they interact with each other? How do they grow and change throughout the story? Can you distinguish between the main and secondary character(s)? Can the reader identify with them? How do you want us to feel about them? What is their role in the story?
3. Setting: Where is the principal location in the story? How can you describe it? What image is in your mind when you picture setting? How does it contribute to the mood of the story?
4. Main Events: What are the key events in your story? What is(are) the turning point(s)? How do they contribute to the story and enrich the characters?
5. Theme: What is the focus of the story? Your purpose in writing the story? What message do you want to share with the readers? What do you want the readers to learn ?
Consider some family rituals/traditions that have been or are part of your own life.
In your Journal write a description of who, what, where, when and why initiated these rituals. Are they cultural, such as Chinese New Year’s celebrations, or personal such as annual camping trips, birthdays, going fishing as a family? How do they make you feel?
Put it to your Journal Section C: Own Opinion, Thought and Connections; Subtitle: Family Ritual and Traditions; 100 Words
Write two summative paragraphs (each of 80 -100 words) to answer each the following two questions:
(1) What insights have you gained about short stories from this Unit's texts? What ideas in this Unit challenged your understanding of the short story?
(2) How will the insights and knowledge you gained about reading fiction change the way you read texts in the future?
Your short story must be submitted by 6 pm on Sunday - China Time
Students share there responses to Activity 2.6.3 and raise any questions that require clarity.