Learning English through Short Stories

EDB Language Arts Electives

HANDOUT BOOKLET

Learning English through Short Stories

This handbook provides all the materials used in the training workshops as well as many suggestions and additional resources to use with your students.

Contents

Introduction to the Module

Relationship of Compulsory and Elective Parts

Aims, Objectives, Content and Assessing of the Short Story Module

Page 3 Page 6

Practical demonstrations

Openings

Collaborative story building

Page 13 Page 18

Teaching / Learning activities

1 Characterisation

2 Helping students to read, understand and enjoy short stories 3 The Element of Setting

4 The Element of Dialogue 5 Storytelling

6 Stories with a Twist : Fractured Fairy Tales

Page 22 Page 23 Page 32 Page 41 Page 50 Page 57 Page 64

Noticing activities

Resources for teaching short stories

Part 1: Relationship of Compulsory and Elective Parts

Aims, Objectives, Content and Assessing of the Short Story Module

By the end of Part 1, you will have:

• Explored the relationship between the Compulsory and Elective parts of the New Senior Secondary English Language Curriculum

• Discussed the Short Story Module

• Had practical experience of working in groups in various activities detailed below

ACTIVITY 1: The Proposed Changes to the NSS English Language Curriculum.

In your groups turn over the ten strips one by one and discuss the statements about the proposed changes to the New Senior Secondary English Language Curriculum and decide which ones are true.

ACTIVITY 2: Aims, Objectives, Content and Assessing the Short Story Module You will complete different tasks with other Workshop Participants to help you gather and process information about each aspect of the Short Story Module.

.

The Proposed Changes to the NSS English Language Curriculum Read the following statements and

decide if they are true or false

True

Fals e

1.The Proposed New Senior Secondary English Language Curriculum consists of two parts; the Compulsory Part and the Elective Part 2. Equal lesson time should be allocated to the two parts

3. Both the Compulsory and the Elective Parts include the learning of English Language in the Interpersonal, Knowledge and Experience strands.

4. The Compulsory Part focuses on language input (a) language forms and function and b) vocabulary presented in a variety of text-types and developing competence in the skills of Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing.

5. The modules in the Elective Part are categorised into two groups with three modules each.

6. The Elective Part reinforces different aspects of English language learning and should a) add variety to the English Language curriculum, b) broaden learners’ learning experience and c) cater for learners’ diverse needs and interests.

7. Students have to complete four of the proposed Elective modules – two from each group.

8. The Elective modules enhance the further development of nine generic skills (collaboration skills, communication skills, creativity, critical thinking skills, information technology skills, numeracy skills, problem-solving skills, self-management skills and study skills).

9. The Proposed New Senior Secondary English Language Curriculum has specific language development strategies such as: a) developing thinking skills, b) developing reference skills, c) developing information skills, d) developing enquiry skills, e) planning, managing and evaluating own learning, f) self- motivation and g) working with others.

10.The development of positive attitudes should be provided in all learning tasks.

KEY to Activity 1 (True/False Activity about Proposed NSS English Language Curriculum)

2 Equal lesson time should be allocated to the two parts. (False) (75% (about 305 hours) to the Compulsory Part and 25% (about 100 hours) to the Elective Part.)

3 Both the Compulsory and the Elective Parts include the learning of English Language in the Interpersonal, Knowledge and Experience strands, and they both have the

same learning objectives. (True)

4 The Compulsory Part focuses on language input (a) language forms and function and b) vocabulary presented in a variety of text-types and developing competence in the skills of Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. (True) 5 The proposed modules in the Elective Part are categorised into two groups with three

modules each. (False)

(True: There are two groups - Language Arts and Non-Language Arts but False as there are four modules each. They are: a) Language Arts: Learning English through Drama /

Learning English through Short Stories / Learning English through Poems and Songs / Learning English through Popular Culture b) Non-Language Arts: Learning English through Sports Communication / Learning English through Debating / Learning English through Social Issues / Learning English through Workplace Communication)

6 The Elective Part reinforces different aspects of English language learning and should a) add variety to the English Language curriculum, b) broaden learners’

learning experience and c) cater for learners’ diverse needs and interests. (True) 7 Students have to complete four of the proposed Elective modules – two from each

group. (False)

(Students have to complete only three in total but one from each group)

8 The Elective modules have to enhance the further development of nine generic skills (collaboration skills, communication skills, creativity, critical thinking skills, information technology skills, numeracy skills, problem-solving skills, self-management skills and

study skills). (False)

(The English Language Education KLA provides greater opportunities for the development of six of the generic skills - collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving and study skills)

9 The Proposed New Senior Secondary English Language Curriculum has specific language development strategies such as: a) developing thinking skills, b) developing reference skills, c) developing information skills, d) developing enquiry skills, e) planning, managing and evaluating own learning, f) self-

motivation and g) working with others. (True)

10 The development of positive attitudes should be provided in all learning tasks.

(It is an integral part of the curriculum) (True)

General Description of the Module :

This module introduces learners to the world of short stories, encouraging them to read, write and tell them.

Learners will be engaged in different activities which aim to develop a) their understanding of the major features of short stories, b) their language skills

c) cultural awareness

d) critical thinking skills and e) creativity.

At the end of the module learners will either a) write their own story or

b) develop a given story outline.

Learning Targets of the Module

To develop learners’ ability to

a) understand the major features of short stories (e.g. openings/closings, character, plot, twists)

b) respond and give expression to the imaginative ideas and feelings expressed in short stories through oral, written and performative means.

c) understand how English works in short stories and apply this understanding to their learning and use of the language.

Learning Objectives of the Module

a) To help learners to understand the concepts of narration, setting, character, theme

b) To help learners to apply the concepts and techniques they have learned in their own writing.

c) To enhance learners’ skills and interest in reading and appreciating short stories from a wide variety of sources.

d) To help learners to talk about fiction in an informed way.

e) To introduce learners to storytelling as an art form.

Content of the Module

In Part 1, learners are introduced to the aims, design and content of the module. They will learn to identify and understand the key features of a short story, and read short stories with appreciation.

In Part 2, learners read and write specific aspects of a short story such as setting,

character, theme, dialogue, opening and closing. They will also start to write their own story for the module by gathering ideas and producing drafts.

In Part 3, learners practise oral and story-telling skills by sharing a story of their own choice with the class. They will finalise the draft for their module story and perform it to the class.

Time Allocation of the Module

It is recommended that approximately a total of 50 periods be allocated to the teaching of this module. The suggested number of periods is based on the assumption that schools are running 40-minute periods. The breakdown for the three parts can be as follows:

Part 1 ____ 9 _____ periods Part 2 ___ 21 _____ periods Part 3 ___ 20 _____ periods

Assessment

Assessment in the Short Stories module will focus on learners’ demonstration of their ability to:

a) understand concepts and techniques of short story writing b) apply this understanding to create short examples

c) produce a written short story

d) comment helpfully on the work of others e) tell or perform stories orally

f) read and comment on a number of short stories

A range of activities will be used for assessing learner performance, including a) short pieces of writing

b) an end-of-course short story c) oral performances

Match the type of short story with the extracts

1. Horror Story a) She waved her magic wand, and suddenly the frog turned into a handsome prince.

2. Love Story b) He woke to see a shadowy figure in medieval clothes walking across the room. He went cold and tried to call out, but could not speak

3. Detective Story c) “Darling!” she whispered. “I’ve waited all my life for you”.

4. Ghost Story d) The spaceship lowered itself onto this red, powdery planet which appeared to have no people, no animals and no oxygen but which had a series of underground cities.

5. Fairy Story e) The sheep was praising the wolf for his compassion when a passing fox warned “The compassionate wolf is not what he appears”.

6. Fable f) Watson looked first at Holmes, and then at the gun on the table. “I know who did it”, he said calmly.

7. Science Fiction g) They set off on their way at dawn. The caves were not far away but the journey seemed long by horseback.

8. Adventure Story h) Slowly, he opened the door and looked inside the room. The portrait on the wall had changed.

It was now a mass of tangled branches and

blood. He let out a loud scream and ran down

the stairs.

Reflection

1. What helped you to match the story types and the extracts?

2. Which story types might not be appropriate for use with your students? Why not?

3. Which vocabulary and language structures might to be central to students’ reading comprehension of (and ability to write) each story type?

Story Type Lexis Structures

Horror Story Adverbs of movement Narrative tenses

Love Story

Detective Story

Ghost Story

Fairy Story

Fable

Science Fiction

Features of short stories – Matching Activity

Opening the first few sentences, which usually arouse curiosity, pull the reader in and carry compressed information in short stories

Exposition at the start of the story, the setting, situation and main characters up to now are introduced (though not used as much in short stories as in novels)

Characterisation the process of creating and developing characters

Plot a planned, logical series of events having a beginning, middle, and end. The short story usually has one plot so it can be read in one sitting

Dialogue speech used for moving the story forward, though some dialogue can be redundant

Narrative describes a sequence of events.

Symbol an enhancement tool to stress the theme of a story, e.g. a dog can symbolise loyalty.

Complication an event that introduces conflict.

Rising action action that leads to a crisis.

Conflict this is essential to a storyline Without conflict there is no plot. It is the opposition of forces which ties one incident to another and makes the plot move. Within a short story there may be only one central

struggle, or there may be one dominant struggle with many minor ones.

Climax the point of highest interest in terms of the conflict and the point of the story with the most action

Falling action when events and complications begin to resolve themselves.

Resolution the point of the story when the conflict is resolved.

Twist an unexpected final paragraph which shatters readers' perceptions.

Closing the last paragraph of the story.

Moral the message conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story – e.g.

fairy stories often have a moral about distrusting people who appear to be trustworthy

NOTES:

 The short story tends to be less complex than novels in structure, but its language tends to be more compressed. This can be very challenging for learners.

 The short story may have a climax, crisis, or turning-point

 The short story only occasionally it has an exposition

 Typically, it has an abrupt OPENING with the story starting in the middle of the action

 CLOSINGS (endings) may also be abrupt, have a twist, & do not necessarily have a moral or practical lesson.

These features will vary by author and by story

Practical Demonstrations

The following pages provide copies of materials used in the practical demonstrations section.

The assumption is that you can adapt and use similar activities with your learners of different levels of proficiency. We have also included some additional materials for your use.

By the end of the practical demonstration section you will have participated in activities and staging:

 To increase students’ awareness of effective story openings

 To develop learners’ ability to co-construct a story

 To give practice in creating character, setting, dialogue.

 Using chains of action and sequencing devices

 Shaping ideas and creating first drafts

Openings

What Makes a Good Opening? Opening Writing Techniques

You will first look at some examples of openings to short stories and discuss/compare your ideas about what makes a good short story opening. You will match four openings with the technique that was used. You will be given frameworks for some story openings and will write your own opening.

Materials provided on Good Closings

These materials are not demonstrated in the training session due to time constraints.

Co-constructing a story

Providing whole class brainstorming at the start of a writing lesson on an area such as character, setting or plot can help generate ideas and language for students to use.

You could prompt this through something as simple as focusing on words starting with the same letter, in this lesson the letter ‘P’ or with a grid of topics to include in a story (handout)

It is important to allow for all students to add their ideas to the story so giving each student an area of responsibility to add to the story recipe can help prompt this. For example, one student decides on a character for the story, another student decides on a location, another student decides on some verbs to use in the story. The students in groups then make a story using as many of the ideas as possible.

Students may be able to build a story through telling it together in a whole class group and then write their individual version.

Students may build a story in small group orally and then write it together. You may want students to write a draft of the story together as their first draft. You will need to remind students that everyone needs to take part in the creating and writing so that the strong writer doesn’t take over.

Chains of Action

This is a technique to quickly generate plot ideas. They can be created individually, in small groups or as a whole class. They could be directly recorded as they are created or they could be written on to a worksheet.

What makes a good ‘opening’?

a) Match the example story openings to the descriptions below (there is one extra description without an example opening). Not: You may have more than one possible answer for each.

A

Gregor woke up from a bad dream and found he was transformed into a giant

insect.

Adapted from Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis

B

‘Why is he here? Why has he come now?

whispered a small voice. There was no reply.

C

As Paul Chan stood in the middle of the shopping mall, all he could think of was

lying down and closing his eyes.

D

The clock struck thirteen as the glass smashed. They were inside.

A Good Opening?

1. Dropping the reader into the middle of the dramatic action.

2. A quote or dialogue to make the reader ask questions – Who’s this? What are they saying? Why are they saying it?

3. A shocking statement – The telephone rang. He picked it up. The voice at the end told him to run. To run now. To not stop running.

4. ‘Mirror’ or ‘circular’ openings/closings – where each mirrors the other –. (opening) The young boy looked out of the window and wondered “What am I doing here?”

(Closing) The young boy looked out of the window and finally knew why he was there.

5. An intriguing opening that makes you wonder – Why? What’s happening here?

b) The four story openings include one or more of the following important elements:

character, time/place setting, event and dialogue. They have been annotated for you.

A

Gregor woke up in bed from a bad night’s sleep and found

he was transformed into a giant insect.

Adapted from Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis

B

‘Why is he here? Why has he come now?’ whispered a small voice . There was

no reply.

C

As Paul Chan stood in the middle of the shopping mall, all he could think of was

lying down and closing his eyes

D

The clock struck thirteen as

the glass smashed

Orange = characters Blue = time/place setting

Pink = event

A:

_______________ (who?) ______________________ (where?) and found ___________________

_________________________________________________________________________(what?)

B:

_______________ ______________________ ______________________(dialogue) whispered ___________________

_______________________________________________________________________(dialogue)

C:

As_______________ (who?) ______________________ (where?) all he could think of was

_________________________________________________________________________(what?)

D:

_________________________________________________________________(event?)________

______________________ (who?) were_________________________________________(what?)

What makes a good ‘closing’?

a) Read the four statements about how a short story should end. With your group decide if you agree (

ü

b) Add one more piece of advice

A Good Closing?

1 End with “…then s/he woke up and it was all a dream!”

2 Make the reader always ask “What’s going to happen next?”

3. Answer all the questions that the reader has in the closing.

4. Use ‘frames’ – make your opening and closing scenes mirror each other.

Tips!

Circular opening / closings

Get students to write an opening based on a theme. Then ask them if they can close the story with the same opening words/phrases to bring their writing full circle.

Shared openings and closings

Get each student to give a classmate just the first line of something he or she has been working on. The classmate has to write something starting or ending with that line. This reduces the struggle of finding leads or endings.

Classifying openings and closings

Get students to classify the openings they write in a chart according to whether they contain dialogue, a shocking statement, a quote, or other categories they discover through reading.

Use a second chart for endings, with categories such as summary statements, predictions, reflections about the events. Later, refer back to these charts to help students think about

• Uninspired chronology: Students often make the error of just reverting to

chronology, and ending their writing with the characters dying or falling asleep. If you ask students never to end their pieces with phrases such as "...and they all went to bed," you'll eliminate lots of dull conclusions. Why not make a light-hearted poster of banned short story phrases for your classroom?!

• Catchall endings: As above, students use these when there are loose ends that they cannot tie up. In these instances, it is typical for students to conclude with passages such as, "It was all just a dream," or anything that provides an easy return from fantasy to reality. Discourage them from doing this.

References:

http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/lessonplans/instructor/power.htm#strategies http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/english/englishC1.htm (adaptable to secondary contexts)

STORY-BUILD RECIPE CARDS

1- Write a description of the setting:

2- Write a description of a character he meets:

3- Write three things Percy says during this story:

4- Choose 5 verbs you can use in the story:

5- Choose 5 adjectives we have to use in the story:

6- Choose 3 objects that appear in

the story:

Write your story about Percy below.

The Collaborative Storytelling Activity and the NSS English Language Curriculum

Write two more sentences for your story starting ‘Because…’

Because ……….

Because………..

action consequences

Fortunately Unfortunately

Re-write your first draft ideas using fortunately, unfortunately, because and some of the words below:

Today Suddenly Luckily

Later that morning Later that day Finally

Give your story an interesting beginning and end. Organise your ideas into paragraphs. Now tell your partner the story. Use your notes to help you but do not read from the paper- keep eye contact with your audience!

Part 3 Introductory note to Learning & Teaching Activities

At this stage you will experience the activities from the perspective of the student. As we have limited time in the workshop, we will divide you into 6 groups, and give you instructions to follow in each group. The tutor will be mingling amongst you to help with procedures, ideas and the development of your work. Some of the work you generate at this point will be used as material for formative assessment practice in Part 4 of the day.

Important note: if you were to run these activities with your students, you would not give them the instructions to follow (remember that we have used this method in the workshop today because of time constraints). Instead, as a teacher, you would lead the students, stage by stage, through the activities.

Therefore, as you are working through the activities, think about the sequencing of your presentational language, your concept checking questions, your instructions and your round- up questions. This will help you decide which stages may need to be modified for the needs of your particular groups.

By the end of Part 3a, you will have:

• experienced detailed procedures and worked with material which relates to each content part of the module and can be used, modified or adapted for

the needs of your own students.

Activity 1 Characterisation: “FRANKENSTEIN” by Mary Shelley

Note for teachers: Strictly speaking, Frankenstein is not a short story, but these activities use the abridged version (from Oxford graded readers for language learners) which makes it accessible for students. We feel that it will be highly motivating for students to feel they can read an entire novel which is also a well-known classic.

A A SHORT DISCUSSION - BEFORE READING

Discuss the following questions with the students in your group

• What is a monster?

• What famous monsters can you think of?

• Can you describe any monsters from films? Think about their appearance, behaviour and personality.

• How might people react to a monster?

• Do you think we’ll be able to create monsters in the future?

• Read the following definitions of monsters and tick the ones you agree with:

A monster is someone who looks different a freak of nature

a scary creature a beautiful person

someone with a frightening appearance

a person or animal that is deformed or unusual

an imaginary creature having human and animal parts an extremely clever animal

a very cruel or wicked person a huge or horrible creature

Now look at the blurb on the back cover and read the first page of the book inside the front cover.

Tell your partner what you know about this story.

INSTRUCTIONS

1 Do activity 1 with your group.

2 Open Envelope 2 which contains:

- 6 copies of Student A and Student B Worksheet

•

Divide your group into 2 or 3 x Student As and 2 or 3 x Student Bs. Turn to the appropriate side of the worksheet (A or B).

•

Go to the chapter on your worksheet for the story “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley and answer the questions.

You have 10-15 minutes to do this activity.

•

Now compare your ideas with someone who answered the same questions as you.

2

Open Envelope 3 which contains 6 sheets.

• You now need to work with someone who looked for information about a different character.

•

Each Student A should work with a Student B.

•

Tell your partner about your character using your notes to help you.

You have 10 minutes to do this part of the activity.

3

Work together to complete the text analysis activities or sample extension task. Check with the answer key in Envelope 4.

You have 10 minutes to do this part of the activity.

4

Open Envelope 5 which contains 6 A4 sheets. In your pairs (each pair should have a Student A and a Student B), discuss the questions and statements.

You have 15-20 minutes to do this activity.

B WHILE-READING TASK

1. What information can you find in the story about the character of Victor Frankenstein?

Fill in the table below with as much information as possible. Read Chapter 2 and chapter 3 to the end of page 7

Name: Victor Frankenstein : a. Where is he from?

b. What do we know about his

appearance? No specific details given.

c. Tell us about his family

d. What do we know about his childhood?

e. What were his feelings about studying and learning?

f. How would you describe his personality? Tick the words which you think apply to him….

hard-workingsensitivestupidfocussedcrazy kindlight-hearted sadambitioushopelessconfusedangryshyloving eccentric |

Justify your impression with examples from the story.

make some notes about the words you have chosen:

hard-working - studied hard at school, read a lot of books and wanted to learn

Fast finishers:

Write a short summary of Victor Frankenstein: I think he’s ……… because

………..

………...

Exchange your ideas:

Work with a partner who read about the other character. Tell each other your information and fill in the other side of the worksheet as you talk with your partner.

Envelope 2

B WHILE-READING TASK

1. What information can you find in the story about the character of the monster?

Fill in the table below with as much information as possible. Read chapter 7.

Name: unknown

a. Where is he from?

Switzerland

b. What do we know about his appearance?

c. How do people react to the monster?

d. How does he survive?

e. What did he learn from the blind family?

f. How would you describe his personality? Tick the words which you think apply to him….

hard-workingsensitivestupidafraidcrazy kindlight-hearted sadambitioushopelessconfusedangryshyloving eccentric |

Justify your impression with examples from the story.

make some notes about the words you have chosen:

confused – he doesn’t understand the reaction of people to him Fast finishers:

Write a short summary of the monster : I think he’s ……… because

………..

………...

Exchange your ideas:

Envelope 2

C POST-READING TASKS

TEXT ANALYSIS

1. Look back at the chapters you read. Which of these short story devices does the write use to tell us about the character? Add an example from the text to illustrate your

analysis.

How to show character in a story √ Х

She uses some adjectives to describe their personalities, example: Victor was a hard-working and determined man.

example:

She uses verbs and descriptions of actions/events to give us an impression of their personalities and how they behave.

example:

She uses direct quotations from the characters to show how they speak.

example:

She shows how other people react to the characters.

example:

2. Compare the following pairs of sentences. Choose the one in each pair which you think is more interesting for the reader and say why.

a) (i) The monster was very ugly and had big hands.

(ii) Their faces were filled with horror and fear when they saw him.

b) (i) He was a kind creature.

(ii) “I tried to help them in other ways too…”

c) (i) Victor was an ambitious man.

(ii) “I wanted to use electricity to help people, and I wanted to discover the secrets of life.”

3. Sample Extension Task:

Read the extract below. Do you know when it takes place?

What is missing? (a) verbs (b) linking words (c) time reference words

Add the missing words and phrases to the gaps so that it is easier to understand when the events happen.

a) two days later b) for hours c) at last d) suddenly e) at first

f) after a few minutes

g) at about one o’clock in the morning h) now

i) for a year

(1)__________ I had worked to make this creature but (2) _____ it looked terrible and frightening. I almost decided to destroy it. But I could not. I had to know if I could put life into it.

(3) _____________ I saw dark clouds in the sky, and I knew that a storm was coming.

(4) _______________________________ the lightning came. My mast began to do its work immediately and the electricity from the lightning travelled down the mast to my machine. Would the machine work?

(5) ____________ nothing happened. But (6) _______________ I saw the creature’s body begin to move. Slowly, terribly, the body came alive. Its arms and legs began to move, and slowly it sat up.

The dead body had been an ugly thing, but alive, it was much more horrible.

(7) ____________ I wanted to escape from it. I ran out of the laboratory, and locked the door. I was filled with fear at what I had done.

(8) ____________, I walked up and down in my flat. (9) ___________ I lay down on my bed and fell asleep.

ANSWER KEY

POST-READING TASKS

TEXT ANALYSIS

1. Look back at the chapters you read. Which of these short story devices does the write use to tell us about the character? Add an example from the text to illustrate your

analysis.

How to show character in a story √ Х She uses some adjectives to describe their personalities,

example: Victor was a hard-working and determined man.

example:

√

She uses verbs and descriptions of actions/events to give us an impression of their personalities and how they behave.

example:

√

She uses direct quotations from the characters to show how they speak.

example: Х

She shows how other people react to the characters.

example:

√

2. Compare the following pairs of sentences. Choose the one in each pair which you think is more interesting for the reader and say why.

a) (i) The monster was very ugly and had big hands.

(ii) Their faces were filled with horror and fear when they saw him.

b) (i) He was a kind creature.

(ii) “I tried to help them in other ways too…”

c) (i) Victor was an ambitious man.

(ii) “I wanted to use electricity to help people, and I wanted to discover the secrets of life.”

Students’ own answers, but in general the second sentence in each pair is preferable because it makes use of the techniques in (1) above.

3. Sample Extension Task:

Read the extract below. Do you know when it takes place?

What is missing? (a) verbs (b) linking words (c) time reference words

Add the missing words and phrases to the gaps so that it is easier to understand when the events happen.

a) two days later b) for hours c) at last d) suddenly e) at first

f) after a few minutes

g) at about one o’clock in the morning h) now

i) for a year

(1)_____ i ___ I had worked to make this creature but (2) __h _ it looked terrible and frightening. I almost decided to destroy it. But I could not. I had to know if I could put life into it.

(3) _____ a ______ I saw dark clouds in the sky, and I knew that a storm was coming.

(4) _____________ g ________________ the lightning came. My mast began to do its work immediately and the electricity from the lightning travelled down the mast to my machine. Would the machine work?

(5) _____ e _____ nothing happened. But (6) _______ f ______ I saw the creature’s body begin to move. Slowly, terribly, the body came alive. Its arms and legs began to move, and slowly it sat up.

The dead body had been an ugly thing, but alive, it was much more horrible.

(7) ____ d ______ I wanted to escape from it. I ran out of the laboratory, and locked the door. I was filled with fear at what I had done.

(8) ______ b ____, I walked up and down in my flat. (9) _____c _____ I lay down on my bed and fell asleep.

Choose some of the following questions to discuss as a follow up to lessons or on completion of the book

1. The title of this story is ‘Frankenstein’. Does the title make it clear that Frankenstein is the scientist, not the monster? And if it doesn’t, is there a reason for this, do you think?

How much should a title explain about a story? Should it give information, or be mysterious?

2. What do you think about Frankenstein’s decision to try and put life into a dead body?

Do you think what he did was right or wrong? Why?

3. Can we blame the monster for his actions? For example, did he know what he was doing when he committed the murders or was it not his fault?

4. How do you think a ‘monster’ like Frankenstein would be treated in our society today?

5. What were your feelings towards the monster? Did you feel sorry for him? Why / why not?

6. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Explain why.

• Scientists should try new things all the time. If they don’t, we will never find new and better ways of living.

• There are some ideas that scientists should not think about or study, for example, putting an end to a seriously ill person’s life, or putting parts of animals into humans.

• Nobody (doctors, scientists, artists etc.) should re-use parts of dead people’s bodies for any reason.

• Scientists just want to discover and understand new things. It is not their fault if other people use their scientific discoveries in dangerous or evil ways.

7. What did you think of the story? Would you recommend it to your friends? Why / why not?

Choose one of the questions you discussed to give you some ideas to add to your reading journal. Write about your thoughts

and impressions of the book (or part of it).

Envelope 5

Activity 2 Helping students to read and understand short stories:

“THE LONG TUNNEL” by John Milne INSTRUCTIONS

1 Five-minute discussion

Answer the questions in envelope 1 with your group.

2 While-reading task

Take a copy of the book ‘The Long Tunnel’ from envelope 2. Read the questions on the worksheet. Read the whole story through once. Now answer the questions.

3 Post-reading Tasks

Work with a partner to discuss questions 1 - 7.

4

5 Language Analysis

Open envelope 4. Work through the language analysis tasks together.

6 Role-Play

Open envelope 5. Divide your group into two smaller groups of 3 (Group A and group B) for the role-play activity.

7 Follow-up Discussion

Discuss the questions as a whole group.

Envelope 1

Activity 2 Helping students to read and understand short stories (2):

“THE LONG TUNNEL” by John Milne

1 FIVE MINUTE DISCUSSION

The story you are going to read is about some students and a robbery.

Discuss the following questions with the students in your group before you read.

• What age do people go to university?

• How many universities are there in Hong Kong? Where are they?

• When do university students do exams?

• How many months holidays do university students have?

• When is the summer holiday?

• What do you do in the summer holidays?

• Which type of holiday would you like to go on? Why?

(a) a camping holiday

(b) staying at a hotel by the beach (c) visiting relatives

(d) staying at a friends house in the countryside (e) a sports camp

• What is it called when someone takes money that is not theirs from a bank?

(a) a bank robbery (b) a bank burglary (c) a bank steal

• Do people rob banks in Hong Kong? Why / why not?

• Is it safer to live in the country than the city? Why / why not?

Envelope 1

2 WHILE-READING TASK

Read the book then work with a partner to answer the questions.

How many characters are there in this book? What do you know about them?

Fill in the table with as much information as possible. Some answers have already been done for you.

Character’s name (some characters aren’t named)

What is her/

his job?

How old is she/he?

What does he/

she look like?

Is he/she an important character in the

story?

Yes No

student

Sheila



about forty years old 4 men- no names

given

robbers

train driver



the sergeant

3 POST-READING TASK

Answer the questions.

1. Paul, Charles and Sheila go on holiday in the book.

• Where do they go on holiday?

• How long are they going to stay there?

• When is their holiday?

Envelope 2

3. What happened when Sheila and Charles got to the cottage?

a) They met Paul and had dinner with him

b) Paul wasn’t there because he had gone to the cinema c) There was a stranger at the cottage

4. Where was Paul?

a) He was tied up in the bedroom b) He was at McDonald’s

c) He was asleep in the bedroom 5. What was the problem?

a) Paul was sick b) Paul was a prisoner c) Paul made a loud noise

6. What were the men planning to do that night?

a) Go for coffee b) Rob a train c) Kill Paul

7. How did Sheila and Paul trap the robbers?

a) They tied them up and gagged them

b) They locked them in the cottage until the police came

c) They put stones on top of the shaft cover so they couldn’t get out

4 CUT-UPS

Number the sentences in the correct order to give the outline of the story.¹ 1

Paul, Sheila and Charles were sitting their exams.

Sheila and Charles agreed to spend a week with Paul in Wales.

2

Paul and Sheila trapped the criminals in the shaft.

The criminals were arrested by the police.

3

Sheila saw soldiers putting bags of money into a lorry.

4

Sheila and Charles found out that some criminals were going to steal the money from a train.

5

When they got to the cottage, Paul was not there.

Sheila and Charles found Paul’s exam paper.

6

While the criminals were out of the cottage, Sheila and Charles rescued Paul.

ANSWER KEY:

1, 3, 5, 6, 4, 2

Envelope 3

5 LANGUAGE ANALYSIS

1. Which are the main tenses the writer uses to tell the story?

a) past simple b) present simple c) past continuous

2. Read the two extracts from the story:

a) Paul was lying on the grass…His friends Sheila and Charles were sitting near him…. Paul and Charles were nineteen.

b) “It’s not my cottage,” replied Paul. ”It belongs to my uncle. He usually goes there for his holidays every summer.”

Complete the grammar explanations and match them to the correct extract (a) or (b).

• We can use the __________ ____________ and __________ _______________

tenses to set the scene for a story. They describe the background of the story and give us information about the characters. Example extract ( ).

• We use the _____________ _____________ tense to show the exact words a character says. Example extract ( ).

3. Look at the examples of conversations from the story. What is special about the underlined verbs?

“Where are you going this summer?” Sheila asked Paul.

“To Wales,” Paul replied. “I’m going to stay in a cottage in the country.”

“Let’s go and stay with Paul,” Sheila said to Charles.

“OK,” agreed Charles. “We can stay there for a week.”

“You’ve made a mistake,” he shouted. “I don’t like visitors here. Go away.”

Use the pictures on pages 8-9 and reporting verbs to help you write the conversation between Sheila and Charles. The first line has been done for you already.

“Here we are- Llanvoy” said Charles.

Envelope 4

6 ROLE-PLAY

Group A:

Work with a partner. You are both journalists working for Apple Daily. Write five questions to ask the witnesses.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Group B: You are the witnesses (Sheila, Charles and Paul). Prepare your version of what happened to tell the Apple Daily journalists. Write notes.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Make a pair with Student A and Student B and role-play the interview.

Possible follow-up activities:

Work together to write the newspaper story and headline.

Produce a recorded news report.

Do a dramatisation of the events in the story.

Envelope 5

7 Discuss the following questions / statements with your group

1. Why do you think people commit robberies and other crimes?

2. Do you think this story could have taken place in Hong Kong? Why / why not?

3. When did this story take place? a) nowadays b) 20 years ago c) 200 years ago How do you know?

4. Has your answer to the following question changed after reading the story? Is it safer to live in the country than the city? Why / why not?

5. What would you do if you were Paul and some robbers tied you up? How would you feel?

6. If you found out that some men were planning to rob a train, like Sheila, Charles and Paul did in the story, what would you do?

Write your thoughts and feelings in your reading journal about one of the questions you discussed.

Envelope 5

Activity 3 The Element of Setting

1 USING YOUR SENSES

•

Open Envelope 1.

• Take a yellow question card each and discuss each one with your group.

• Then match up with the green answer cards.

• Take a worksheet (1) each.

(a) Listen to the instructions on the cassette.

Compare your list with the other group members’. Do you have very different answers? Can you explain your choices?

• Take a worksheet (2) each.

(b) Listen to the instructions on the cassette again.

• Use your ideas from the previous activities to write a short description of this room (on page 4) using as many sensory descriptions as possible.

You have about 10 minutes for this part of the activity.

2 LANGUAGE WORK

•

Work in pairs to complete worksheets 3 and 4 in envelope 2.

You have about 10 minutes for this part of the activity.

3 WRITING PRACTICE

•

Using the template on page 8, expand your first draft to make the

beginning of a short story using as much descriptive language as possible to create an atmospheric setting.

You have about 10-15 minutes for this part of the activity.

Envelope 1

Worksheet 1- Senses Dictation

a) Write the words you hear in your preferred column

See Hear Feel Taste Smell

Discuss your choices with your partner. Can you explain why you put the words in those columns?

b) Listen to the cassette again and follow the instructions.

Worksheet 2- Using your senses

Share your ideas with the students in your group.

I could hear…

I could smell…

I could feel…

You now have five minutes to write a description of this room that uses ALL the senses available to you. Concentrate on using the impressions you gained while sitting with your eyes closed. Try to use phrases and verbs as well as adjectives and adverbs.

NB. THIS IS YOUR FIRST DRAFT.

Description of this room

Worksheet 3- Vocabulary work

a) Match the adjectives with an opposite

b) Which words are synonyms (have the same or similar meaning)?

c) Read the following short extract describing a place.

• What kind of place does it describe? i. a beautiful big bedroom ii. a tiny storeroom

iii. a fresh fruit and vegetable market

• What feeling does it give you?

Underline any examples of descriptions for setting associated with lack of space. One has already been done for you. Try to select phrases as well as individual words and remember they do not only have to be adjectives.

Highlight any words or phrases associated with the senses. Are all five senses used in this description?

d) Here are some basic sentences:

1. Ho walked along the quiet road.

1. messy a. old-fashioned

2. clean b. spacious

3. tiny c. uncomfortable

4. cramped d. complicated 5. spotless e. basic

6. cosy f. tidy

7. modern g. filthy 8. luxurious h. dirty

9. simple i. dark

10. bright j. huge

As Dick squeezed through the doorway, the huge pile of newspapers that had been holding the door ajar fell onto his foot. “Ouch!” he cried. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could see boxes stacked up to the ceiling and books jostling for space on the broken shelves. How would he ever find what he was looking for in this messy place? He carefully stepped over the discarded drinks bottles and empty food

cartons, taking care not to place his feet on any of the rubbish that was almost ankle- deep in parts of the cramped room. The smell of rotting vegetables crept into his nostrils and he looked for a window to open. There were none. The only light came from an old-fashioned oil lamp hanging just centimetres above his head. Dick pushed his way into the narrow space between two bookshelves, banging his elbow on a sharp piece of wood as he tried to reach an overflowing box of papers.

2. MeiLing opened the big door.

3. His breakfast tasted bad.

4. Coco closed the door.

5. Jin had a test at school.

6. The teacher was tall.

7. The boy got onto the crowded bus.

8. Clara didn’t like the rain.

Now match each one with a more interesting description from below (these use verbs, adverbs and phrases to give us a sense of atmosphere or setting).

i. She had to use all her strength to push against the door which creaked loudly as she slowly entered the room.

ii. He towered over everybody else and we had to stretch our heads back to look at him.

iii. Nervously, he sat at his desk in the exam hall. The nightmare was just beginning…

iv. She slammed the heavy door angrily as he left the room.

v. He squeezed on just as the doors hissed shut and stood with his nose pressed against somebody’s stomach.

vi. He could hear the birds singing and the trees blowing in the wind as he strolled along.

There was no-one else around. It felt as if he was the last person in the world.

vii. She frowned and wrapped her coat tightly around her as she splashed down the street, wishing she was home in her warm dry living room with a cup of tea.

viii. He closed his eyes and forced the food into his dry mouth. He chewed it and tried to swallow, but he couldn’t do it.

Tell your partner what kind of atmosphere or setting the descriptions make you think of.

Worksheet 4- Writing practice

Here is another short extract. What is the setting? What sort of atmosphere is it?

Use the word bank below to re-write the extract above, giving it a different atmosphere. You can add other words and phrases if you want to. Write at least 100 words please.

pouring with rain rainclouds dark heavy stormy

thundering crashing splashing angrily noisy

cold and wet soaked through grey shivering run

The sun shone fiercely onto the golden sand, burning my feet as I ran down to the water. I plunged into the sparkling water, eager for the refreshing coolness. There was not a cloud in the sky and even the birds were sleepy in the trees. The waves lapped gently onto the beach with a relaxing sound and I floated on my back gazing up at the clear sky above. I could feel the warmth of the sun on my skin as I closed my eyes.

Worksheet 5

Now use your earlier first draft description of a room (page 5) to create a setting for a story. The first line of the story has been given below (you may want to change the adjective in brackets):

The (frightened) students

hurried into the room. They…

Instructions tapescript:

a) You will hear a list of words. As you hear each word, write it in the column you think it is associated with. For example, if the word is ‘Cookie’, I might write it in the ‘see’ column because I can picture a cookie in my mind, but other people might write it in the ‘taste’

column because they imagine the taste in their mouth. And someone else may write it in the

‘smell’ column because they can smell the cookies baking. There are no right or wrong answers- everyone will have something different.

Words for dictation:

dog; orange; school; dictionary; ice-cream; newspaper; trees; yourself; telephone; baby;

onion; rain; computer; friend; rose; Hong Kong; train; fish; church; moon; maths; grass;

coffee; silk; home.

b) Close your eyes and focus on the classroom. Sit in silence for a minute. What can you hear? Sit with your eyes closed for a minute listening to what is going on around you.

[Allow one minute silent listening]

Open your eyes. For the next few minutes, in the table below write down all the words, images and phrases that occurred to you about the room as you had your eyes closed.

Close your eyes again. What can you smell around you? Sit for a moment, noticing the smells of the room.

[Allow 20-30 seconds silent smelling]

Open your eyes. Now write down what you could smell.

Close your eyes for a final time and focus on the room. Sit in silence for a minute. What does the area around you feel like? Think about the feeling of the chair under you, your feet on the floor? What is the temperature? Can you feel anything touching your skin? What?

What does it feel like? What about the feelings and emotions inside your mind?

[Allow 20-30 seconds for them to touch things around them]

Open your eyes. Write down all the words, images and phrases that occurred to you about the things you felt when you had your eyes closed.

Activity 4 The Element of Dialogue in Short Stories

(The Space Invaders by Geoffrey Matthews, Macmillan Readers, 2005)

1 Warmer

• Work in pairs. Choose who is A and who is B. (If you are a group of three, add C). Take a piece of scrap paper.

• Student A: Write a question or greeting on the paper and pass it to Student B.

• Student B: Answer your partner’s question or greeting in writing, add something else, then pass it back.

• Student A: Answer your partner’s question or greeting in writing, add something else, then pass it back.

• Continue for about two minutes.

Keep this paper for later

2 Language Focus – awareness raising

• As a group, use the space provided below and brainstorm synonyms for ‘said’.

Brainstorm

How many synonyms can you think of for ‘said’?

Answered

asked

shouted

loudly

with a laugh looking worried

• Now pass your paper to another pair. Tell the other pair your names and who was A and who was B.

• Each pair can make the dialogue more ‘dramatic’ by adding reporting verbs and descriptions to their friends’ dialogues.

For example:

A: Hey. What are you doing after school?

B: Playing football with my friends.

“Hey. What are you doing after school?” whispered Janice.

“Playing football with my friends” replied Eason looking worried.

Then hand back the dialogue for the speakers to read. (This can be done with language input targeted at the proficiency of your students)

3 Expressing meaning

a) What do you notice about the dialogue extract from a story below? (Hint: look at the reporting verbs)

“Did you see that?” said May.

“Yes, what on earth was it?” said Michael.

“I think it was a UFO” said May.

“Are you sure?” said Michael.

“No but I don’t want to stay here to find out” said May.

“You’re right. Let’s get out of here!” said Michael.

To make a dialogue more interesting, writers often use verbs and adverbs to show how somebody is feeling or behaving. Match the verbs below with an action or feeling (some may have more than one possible answer). One answer has been done for you. These example sentences might also help you.

Examples:

• “Please, please, please can I have an ice-cream Mummy?” begged little Billy.

• “How many more people can squeeze into this lift?” wondered Candy.

• “I’ve got so much homework to finish this weekend” sighed the student.

• “I got an A in my chemistry exam!” laughed Wing.

• “Did you hear what happened to those naughty students?” whispered Calvin.

• “Sit down and get on with your work immediately!” shouted the headmaster.

• “Help! There’s a big spider under my chair” screamed Andy.

• “Have you got a ticket, Sir?” enquired the bus driver.

• “Can you open the door for me please?” asked the old lady.

• “Nobody loves me” cried the ugly duckling.

Verb This person…

a. shouted 7 1. feels happy

b. whispered 2. wants to get an answer

c. screamed 3. is sharing a secret

d. begged 4. is feeling tired and fed-up

e. enquired 5. is not sure about something

f. laughed 6. needs some help

g. sighed 7. is angry

h. wondered 8. may be frightened

i. cried 9. really wants something

j. asked 10. feels sad

b) The dialogue between May and Michael above could be called a ‘ping pong’ dialogue² as it goes back and forth between the two characters like a ping pong ball and there is no

description or scene-setting to add to the atmosphere. This kind of dialogue is quite tiring for the reader.

Add the descriptions and details from the next page to suitable places in the dialogue. Write the numbers in the boxes to show where you would add a description or detail.

“Did you see that?” yelled May

“Yes, what on earth was it?” asked Michael

“I think it was a UFO” replied May

“Are you sure?” said Michael

“No but I don’t want to stay here to find out” said May

staring with wide eyes at the night sky. The park was usually brightly lit and full of people but

tonight it was strangely silent. 1

looking at her in surprise. May had some crazy ideas

but he thought she could be right this time. 2

as she grabbed hold of Michael’s arm tightly. 3

glancing nervously over his shoulder as they ran. 4

in a shaky voice. 5

and she began to run pulling him towards the steps. 6

Dialogue can tell your reader more about the characters. Read the extracts on

pages 10 - 11; 21 - 22 and 45 - 47

‘The Space Invaders’

What can you say about the characters? Write the words and phrases which helped you to decide. Some examples have been done for you and here are some helpful hints:

Hint 1: Look at the reporting verbs for each character.

Hint 2: What do other people say about the character?

Hint 3: Look at any descriptions of how the character speaks or behaves.

Name: Character description:

Miranda She isn’t friendly. These words show this: “She said each word sharply and coldly” (page 10).

Garth He is bossy. I guessed this from the words “Omega, I order you…” and shouted Garth (page 21).

Omega He is a kind of machine. The words that tell us this are: “Mistakes are made by humans. I do not make mistakes” (page 10) and “Omega was now part of the controls of the spaceship” (page 21)