Writing an Engaging Short Story: Creating Characters

Creative Writing/ Round Characters

BRIEF SUMMARY OF LESSON

Lesson modified from Project share lesson website.

Students will write a short story with round characters, clear plot, and conflict.

Lesson Plan Information

English 1

TEKS: EI.14

Common Core Standard: W.9-10.3

4-5 45 Minute class periods

Objective: Students will write a short story with round characters, clear plot, and conflict
Writing an Engaging Short Story: Creating Characters
Creative Writing/ Round Characters

Step-by-step lesson activities (Must be descriptive enough to be carried out)

Lesson 1: Characters
Engage:
1. Begin by showing PowerPoint presentation Writing a Short Story: Creating Characters
2. Tell students that they will be writing a short story. Explain that characters are the most
important part of a story.
3. Play This Side Up video. Have students take notes on everything they can learn about
the character.
Explore:
4. Discuss the students findings.
5. Discuss flat and round characters. Explain that more details mean more clues for the
reader to use to figure out who the characters are.
Explain:
6. Have students work in pairs to create a list of questions to help them create round
characters.
Elaborate:
7. Distribute handout fakebook.
8. Explain that students will create a fakebook profile for their new character. They can
include pictures, wall posts from friends, status updates from the character, and the
characters personal information.
Evaluate:
9. Have students share their characters. Whose characters are the roundest? Why?

Lesson 2: Plot
Engage:
1. Present the quotation from Damon Knight in the PowerPoint presentation Writing a Short
Story: Plot. Ask students for examples of predictable plots. Explain that plots are
predictable because they all follow a pattern.
Explore/Explain:
2. Discuss the plot pyramid.
3. Discuss how Three Little Pigs fits into the plot pyramid.
Elaborate:
4. Distribute handout Horse Story Matching. All the boxes should be cut out and placed in
an envelope or paper clip before giving them to students.
5. Students match the story events to their proper place in the plot pyramid: exposition, rising
action, climax, falling action, and denouement.
Evaluate:
6. Compare students responses and discuss any discrepancies.
7. Have students brainstorm ideas for plots for their stories. Remind them to use the
characters they have already created.
Lesson 3: Conflict
Engage:
1. Begin by showing PowerPoint presentation Writing a Short Story: Conflict.
2. Discuss common ideas about conflict.
Explore/Explain:
Writing an Engaging Short Story: Creating Characters
Creative Writing/ Round Characters

3. Explain that conflict in literature does not have to mean a fight.

4. Discuss types of conflict and examples of each type.
Elaborate:
5. Have students work in pairs to come up with examples of each type of conflict from books
or movies that they are familiar with.
Evaluate:
6. Distribute handout Retrievable Reformation.
7. Read with students and allow students to discuss in small groups the conflict(s) in the story.
8. Allow groups to share their findings and discuss their varied answers.
9. Ask students to decide what type of conflict will be in the story they are working on.
Lesson 4: Composing your draft
1. Instruct students to review their characters profile and their notes about plot and conflict.
2. Distribute handout Plot Graphic Organizer.
3. Instruct students to create an outline of their story using the graphic organizer.
4. Guide students to write their draft using the outline.

MATERIALS & RESOURCES

[List of Materials]
Projector

[Resources]

fakebook handout; Plot Graphic Organizer, handout Horse Story Matching, presentation
Write a Short Story_Characters, presentation Write a Short Story_Plot, presentation
Write a Short Story_Conflict, handout Retrieved Reformation

Lesson Assessment (how will the audience show the person leading the lesson that they "get
it")
Writing an Engaging Short Story: Creating Characters
Creative Writing/ Round Characters

[Assessment]
Students will write a short story with round characters, clear plot, and conflict.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR IMPLEMENTATION