Unit Standards, Goals, and Objectives:

What is to follow is a comprehensive list of the goals and objectives of this unit and the
Colorado academic standards which they correspond to. As this unit is intended to function
largely as an assessment of student ability and understanding, a portion of the goals and
objectives listed will be used to gauge existing knowledge rather than develop new
understandings though it is the intention that this will occur to some degree as well. This is a
comprehensive list and is not intended to be viewed as necessarily representative of the actual
sequencing of the unit. Precise alignment of goals and objectives to specific standards will be
presented in the daily lesson plans for the unit.

Objectives:
The overarching objective of this unit is to, through the careful and close reading of
informational and fiction texts, gain and be able to demonstrate a thorough introductory
understanding of the key characteristics of the short story form: limited characters (in number
and development), limited setting, in medias res, singular and well-contained plot, and no
unnecessary language or details (the theory of omission). Students will demonstrate their
understanding at this stage by completing a series of tasks (including discussion, written
responses to reading questions and exit-ticket inquiry questions, as well as a formal analysis
paper) where they will analyze several notable works of short fiction and explain how the
authors exhibit the key characteristics of modern short stories in their writing. Students will also
demonstrate and continue to develop skills in supplying quality textual evidence to support their
claims. In conjunction with this, students will be assessed for and gain experience in their ability
to: engage in meaningful academic discussions, formulate logical and well-constructed
arguments, identify and explain various literary elements, apply the conventions of Standard
English, cooperate effectively as a group, and synthesize and transfer information and
knowledge.
By the close of the unit, students should have and be able to demonstrate a working
knowledge of the short story form. In the following unit they will expand their analysis of short
stories beyond the foundational qualities of form and structure to more abstract and complex

concepts of literary elements, exploring how they work together to contribute to the overall
experience and meaning of the texts they will be reading.

Goals:
Teacher

Assess students existing ability levels in reading comprehension, writing, and literary
analysis.
Establish the tone, direction, and pace of the course with the students.
Gain a cursory understanding of the individual students in the class so as to refine and focus
their individual learning.
Establish an atmosphere of trust and begin building productive relationships with students by
demonstrating an investment in their success.

Students

Establish base of familiarity with and understanding of the modern short story form.
Be able to demonstrate (through discussion and in writing) an understanding of the form and
structure of the modern short story.
Define and describe how the modern short story form differs from that of standard prose such
as novels and novellas.
Produce a professional academic paper analyzing a work of modern short fiction.
Be able to supply strong textual evidence supporting the analysis of several major works of
short fiction.
Be able to identify major authors of short stories and their contributions to the form.
Be able to comment on the connection between selected works of short fiction and the time
and place in history they came out of.
Collaborate effectively in the analysis of a work of short fiction.
Participate civilly and productively in in-class discussion contributing to the understanding of
the class as a whole.
Independently read and gauge a self-selected work of short fiction for appropriateness for
independent study and analysis.
Demonstrate self-advocacy and an investment in your own education.

Standards:
The following is the list of standards this unit is intended to address. It must be noted
however, that due to the variation in student ability levels within the class, to include existing
background knowledge as well as academic ability and inherent motivation, it must be taken into

account that some of the standards may, in the course of instruction, be only briefly touched upon
or set aside to prioritize the sequence of instruction and ensure that foundational skills are
established and proven so that they may be built upon and developed in the subsequent units.
For this reason, some of the standards listed represent those for which I will be assessing student
ability, and should not be considered part of instruction and therefore standards in which the
students should not necessarily prove to be proficient in at the conclusion of the unit. Precisely
which standards fall into this category will have to be determined over the course of the unit.
1.1.c - Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal
English when indicated or appropriate. (CCSS: SL.11-12.6)
1.1.e - Choose specific words and word order for intended effect and meaning.
1.1.f - Select appropriate technical or specialized language.
1.2.a - Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear
goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed. (CCSS: SL.11-12.1b)
1.2.b - Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and
evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or
challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives. (CCSS:
SL.11-12.1c)
2.1.a - Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g.,
the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution)
contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact. (CCSS: RL.1112.5)
2.1.b - Describe and contrast characteristics of specific literary movements and perspectives.
2.1.c - Evaluate the influence of historical context on the form, style, and point of view of a
written work.
2.1.e - Evaluate how literary components impact meaning (such as tone, symbolism, irony,
extended metaphor, satire, hyperbole).
2.1.g - By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and
poems, at the high end of the grades 11-CCR text complexity band independently and
proficiently. (CCSS: RL.11-12.10).
2.2.a - Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is
particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness or
beauty of the text. (CCSS: RI.11-12.6)

2.2.b - Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or
formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve
a problem. (CCSS: RI.11-12.7)
2.2.c - Use reading and note-taking strategies (outlining, mapping systems, skimming, scanning,
key word search) to organize information and make connections within and across informational
texts
2.2.d - Use semantic cues, signal words, and transitions to identify text structures (such as
critique, proposition/support, inductive/deductive) and to summarize central ideas and supporting
details.
2.2.e - Obtain and use information from text and text features (index, bold or italicized text,
subheadings, graphics) to answer questions, perform specific tasks, or identify and solve
problems.
3.1.a - Use a range of elaboration techniques (such as questioning, comparing, connecting,
interpreting, analyzing, or describing) to establish and express point of view and theme.
3.2.a - Articulate a position through a sophisticated claim or thesis statement and advance it
using evidence, examples, and counterarguments.
3.2.b - Select appropriate and relevant information (excluding extraneous details) to set context.
3.2.f - Support judgments with substantial evidence and purposeful elaboration.
3.2.g - Draw a conclusion by synthesizing information.
3.3.a - Follow the conventions of standard English to write varied, strong, correct, complete
sentences.
4.2.a - Synthesize information to support a logical argument.