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Flipped Lesson: Story Shapes

Purpose/rationale: In this lesson, students in this ninth grade Language Arts class will review
Freytags Pyramid plot diagram, discuss different story shapes, and begin outlining a fictional
short story of their own. The intention of this lesson is to both provide students with a knowledge
base of various plot structures and ideas, and to enable students with a firm foundation for
storytelling and creative writing. This lesson comes after a brief unit on short stories, and begins
a unit on creative writing, which will focus specifically on writing short stories. The lesson will
be taught near the beginning of the school year, to reinforce previously learned concepts like
story-mapping and giving feedback, and to encourage and facilitate student growth in writing.
Creative writing functions to facilitate students enjoyment of an engagement in developing their
own writing skills, which are essential both in the workplace and in academia. As this is a flipped
lesson, the lecture component has been given as homework on the previous class day, and is
composed of two short videos on plot diagramming and story shapes. This is done so that
students can view the lecture material at their own pace at home, and come to class prepared and
ready to practice what they learned in a hands-on environment, with guided support.
Florida Standards:
LAFS.910.RH.2.5
Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key points or advance an explanation or analysis.
LAFS.910.WHST.2.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience.

Objectives:
SWBAT discuss the various shapes of stories and communicate preference regarding them.
SWBAT experiment with the planning of diverse story shapes and ideas.
SWBAT plan and anticipate the personal production of an original short story.
Materials:
Classroom computers, pencils, whiteboard, dry erase markers
Anticipatory set:
Students are to come into class quietly, pull out their Bell-ringer journals, and address the prompt
displayed on the board, which will read as follows: Identify one of the story shapes discussed in
the Kurt Vonnegut video. What is s story youve read or seen in a movie that fits this shape?
Which is your favorite type of story to read? You may use your notes to help with this. Write at
least one paragraph.

Teaching Strategy/Procedure/Activity:
Time

Student is doing

Teacher is doing

7 minutes

Entering the classroom


quietly, reading the prompt
displayed on the board, and
writing to address it.

Walking around making sure


students are on task,
answering questions,
providing help to those
without notes.

5 minutes

Listening quietly as other


share their answers to the bellringer, volunteering as desired.

Ask for volunteers who want


to share there answers, and
call on as many as time will
allow.

15 minutes

Student should listen to


instructions, ask any questions
needed for clarification.
Student should spend the
following time brainstorming
as instructed.

Ask students to pull out their


writing journals. Now, as we
have previously discussed, we
are beginning a unit on
creative writing. By the end of
this unit, each of you will have
created your own creative
short story. Today, we begin
that process. I would like for
you each to spend the next
fifteen minutes quietly
brainstorming as many story
ideas as you can think of,
keeping in mind the different
story shapes weve discussed
and learned about. I would
like for you to come up with at
least five story ideas, each at
least semi-developed, meaning
you have some idea of a
beginning, middle, and end.
The theme today is survival,
which is a genre that often
exemplifies strong plot
structure. So brainstorm some
different survival stories.
Answer any questions as
needed.

3 minutes

Divide into small groups as


instructed.

Ask for students attention,


and tell students that time is

up. Ask students reread what


they have written, and to circle
their favorite ideas. Then
divide students into small
groups of 3-4 students each,
based on who theyre sitting
closest to.
15 minutes

Students should each take a


turn sharing their favorite
ideas with their groups, and
providing feedback as
instructed to their group
members on their ideas.

Instruct students to each take a


turn sharing their favorite plot
ideas in their groups. Tell
group members to provide
helpful feedback, including
what each story shape each
plot idea might resemble, what
their favorite idea was and
why, and any constructive
criticisms or other helpful
comments. Instruct further,
Be sure to take notes on your
group members feedback on
your ideas. If your group
finishes early, spend the extra
time making a decision about
which story idea you would
like to develop further, and
beginning to brainstorm how
you could do so.

5 minutes

Students should finish the


group activity, pack up their
belongings, and turn in their
exit tickets.

Instruct any groups still


talking to finish up, and tell
students to pack up their
belongings, and to turn in their
bell-ringer answers as exit
tickets.

Summary/Closure:
Students are to turn in exit tickets to the teacher as they exit.
Assessment:

Formal assessment: None

Informal assessment: Exit tickets should ensure students watched the videos, monitored
group activities should reveal student understanding of the story shapes and storytelling,
and volunteer responses should demonstrate students grasp of the information presented.

Homework/follow-up assignment:
None.
Accommodations/adaptations:
Herbert Millner (M)- ADHD: Seat student front and center, allow extra time if needed. Student
will receive a printed copy of the instructions for each activity, and will be paired with at least
one experienced group member who will be reliable for keeping the group on task.
Paten Vander (F)- Speech impairment: Only call on student if student volunteers, assist with
pronunciation as needed, pair with kind and understanding group members.
Lya Gross (F)- Mild dyslexia: Provide a printout of the bell-ringer prompt printed in white text
on a black background, assist as needed.
Oliver Fore (M)- Mild autism: Allow extra time on assignments, provide a peer buddy to help
facilitate students group discussion, assist as needed.
ELL Students: Provide any additional support and answer questions as needed.
Low-SES Students: Open classroom at least ten minutes before school starts and during lunch for
students to come in and watch the assigned videos as needed.
Attachments/Appendices:
Power in Literature Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvFB6XVbSAY
Kurt Vonnegut Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP3c1h8v2ZQ
Plan B:
If student groups finish before the fifteen minutes are up, ask them to quietly return to their
individual story ideas and begin deciding which one they would like to further develop, and
begin fleshing it out.

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