Featuring Fandom: Fan Fiction for 11
th
Grade ELA Students
Tiffany Kannengieszer
Introduction
Whether it is a grocery list, a daily anecdote, or a bedtime tale, stories even in their
simplest form are literally all around us. While we live in our own stories, we sometimes
forget to power of exploring stories, their history, and their impact on our human
experience. Why do stories exist? How does a good conflict have the ability to suck us in
and entrance us? Why do some stories stick with use while others leave us the minute
after we hear them?
Students in the 11
th
grade have spent most of their academic career reading stories,
often against their will. Very rarely do they get to develop their own voice. In the
eleventh grade, students have spent years reading and analyzing a variety of texts, but at
this time in their life they will be transition into a world where they have complete
control over their own stories. As their language arts teacher, it would be a disservice to
them if I did not help them explore and develop their own voice.
In the classroom, they get the opportunity to look at American literature with both
classic and modern pieces. The first piece of fiction students read for the year is Of Mice
and Men, which includes motifs of loneliness, the American Dream, and social
responsibility. The novel that follows is We Were Here, which includes two characters
based off of Lennie and George from Of Mice and Men. As this can be defined as fan
fiction, students will discuss why we read and why similar stories continue to show up in
society. Through this lens, students will begin to explore the purpose and meaning behind
the literature. They will begin to craft their own pieces of fan fiction continuing the
stories of any of the characters in We Were Here. They will focus on deeper analysis of
various aspects of creative writing: syntax, character development, suspense, dialogue,
and theme. They will take a critical look at other pieces of fan fiction as they begin to
craft their own versions of fan fiction based on characters in the novel. These stories will
be published, added to personal portfolios, and the students will have the opportunity to
vote for the best piece. The best piece from each class will be submitted to author Matt de
la Pena for review.
Background
There are three 11th grade English teachers in the building. This year I am teaching two
sections of College Prep English III and three sections of Team Approach to Mastery
English III, which will include both special education students and regular education
students accompanied by a special education teacher. Each class will be made up of up to
34 students. These classes will meet for 90 minutes every other day. These students not
only have diverse backgrounds, but they will also come to the class with diverse abilities.
In order to ensure all the needs of my students are met, specifically the students who
have specific learning needs, there are multiple diagnostic tests given at the beginning of
the year. Both a writing pretest and the Scholastic Reading Intervention test are given to
the students. I then use the scores to group students and to differentiate instruction and
tasks to cater to students unique needs. In the past, students have displayed reading levels
ranging from 4th grade reading level to at or above grade level. All of my classes also use
a blended model for instruction. I have a class set of Chromebooks that students use to
access Schoology and all of the Google Apps for Education. This often aides in
differentiation and provides more opportunities for students to be successful. It also
enables me to track students and their mastery of the Common Core standards throughout
the year.
American literature is the focus of the 11th grade English curriculum. Students are
exposed to all of the 11th and 12th grade Common Core English Language Arts standards
- reading, writing, speaking and listening - on different levels. They read a variety of
nonfiction articles and fiction pieces, including a novel and novella, and watch numerous
speeches. This unit will be taught at the end of the year after students have had ample
time to explore arguments and specifically author’s purpose. It will follow the novel We
Were Here, which will be used as a model for narrative writing. Students will work
throughout the unit on individual, small group, and whole class activities as they explore
author’s craft and creative writing. They will then work individually for the culminating
project to showcase their understanding and mastery of the standards focused on within
this unit.
Rationale
After teaching the same curriculum for two years, I noticed the majority of students
identified a difficulty with the writing process. Even those that I would find consumed in
the pages of a 300 page novel often expressed frustration when it came to writing essays.
Their disdain for the formulaic, analytical essay was apparent, but I realized that these
students in their 13-year educational career had rarely, if ever, been given the opportunity
to partake in creative writing. Because of the high stakes of testing and lack of time,
creative writing is something that is often cut from curriculums. For years, instead of
developing their own voice, they have been forced to only analyze the voice of others,
putting their responses into a formula to receive their answer.
After reading a novel that each year has the most reluctant readers engaged, this unit
will give students the opportunity to intertwine their own stories within those characters
that they most relate to. As the students look at each character, each conflict, they will be
thinking about how they could extend the story beyond the pages of the book. Mini-
lessons will also be incorporated to focus on syntax, dialogue, theme, and suspense. They
will get to develop their voice and through this unit, the distaste and apprehension that
usually accompanies writing will dissolve.
Objective
The goal for this unit is to ignite a passion for writing with my students. In doing so,
students will display their understanding of suspense, dialogue, characterization, and
theme beyond an analytical lens. They will demonstrate mastery by creating their own
pieces of fanfiction. To do this, students will use a novel read in the unit before. Some
students are left without the satisfaction of knowing what happens to all the characters.
Because of this, they will select one character to create either a flashback or a scene from
later in life. The relationship they have already built with this character will open up a
world of writing where students are given the power - the power to give characters the
relationship they wanted, to show a side of the character previously unknown, to create a
future for the character.
Concepts and Teaching Strategies
Narrative
As humans have evolved, so have their stories. Narratives are stories, descriptions of
events.
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Humans have used them since the beginning of time to communicate emotions,
build connections, and make meaning. Richler explores their evolution in his
documentary explaining the transition from lists to epics and short stories. Why are
humans engrossed in social media and video games? How do those narratives give life
meaning or purpose? Looking at the history gives insight on the place narratives have in
our lives.
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No matter the age, people describe themselves using narratives. Through stories,
people can show both who they are and why they matter. The question changes from
what do you say to how do you say it. Monisha Pasupathi states that all healthy adults, in
order to have relationships, must also be able to create and share stories. It is through
these stories that people are able to create connections.
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Employers today are identifying storytelling as one of the most valuable skills they
look for in potential employees. Businesses are, more than ever, using storytelling to
reach customers. Viral videos are the new form of advertising and the most influential
ones tell stories that stick with us so much that we forget it’s a ploy to get us to buy
something. People hate watching ads, but love a good story and business have caught on
to that. 78 percent say storytelling is the future of marketing.
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But if we don’t give our
students the tools to be successful in a world that expects and values storytelling, we’re
doing them a disservice. It’s important that students have the opportunity to develop these
skills before they’re tested on them. The class will read multiple examples of narratives
to explore their different forms. They will use PALS reading, reciprocal teaching, and
silent sustained reading.
Creative Writing
Creative writing, as mentioned before, is a genre of writing that is often neglected. As a
genre, it is defined as “a form of artistic expression” that “draws on the imagination to
convey meaning through use of imagery, narrative, and drama.”
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It is writing that gives a
generation the opportunity share their thoughts, feelings, and build a voice to comment
on what matters the most. Although its place in the classroom is often questioned, its
personal benefits are extensive.
The lack of clear beginnings, middles, and ends give creative writing the opportunity
to be of therapeutic use. Even in an academic setting, creative writing can offer this
personal therapy. This form of writing can be more reflective of real life than the
formulaic essay often used in the secondary classroom. Creative writing can give students
an outlet for anxieties, fears, concerns that even they didn’t know existed in the deep
caverns of their psyche.
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Through this creative writing, students can work on their issues
using the characters to employ problem solving of their own social issues. Doing so will
also better help them understand the world around them.
Because they are rarely given the opportunity to write creatively and think outside the
box, students are sometimes apprehensive. Giving them a base to start through characters
they already know and love will give them confidence. It will begin to open their
imagination to the possibilities of creative writing and creative thinking. The teacher will
give students multiple opportunities to write different lengths of creative writing pieces.
Empathy
Many teenagers find it difficult to empathize not only with the characters they see in
movies or on mainstream TV, as their lives are often drastically different than sunshine,
rainbows, mansions, and Maseratis, but also anyone whose life is even slightly different
than theirs. This is also an issue many teenagers in general deal with. The inability to see
the other side, another’s emotions, or understand actions beyond themselves is one that
may be related to the underdeveloped prefrontal cortex at that moment in life. It is
important that students are given the opportunity to understand empathy and how
narratives can be used to build empathy by exposing them to characters of different
backgrounds, with different experiences. Empathy, as defined by Suzanne Keen, is “a
vicarious, spontaneous sharing of affect.” It’s often provoked by seeing someone’s
emotional state, hearing about someone’s situation and emotions, or by reading whether it
is literature or non-fiction.
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Advances in neurological sciences have given researchers the ability to look at what
relationship fiction has on empathy. What causes what? Is a student a good reader
because they are more empathetic or does a student’s affinity to read make him more
likely to become more empathic? Researchers did find an increase in empathy in those
where able to identify with characters. Although which one causes which is difficult to
determine. Explicitly exploring character identification and narrative situation will aid in
student’s deeper understanding and empathy of characters.
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It can also transfer into the
real world as students begin to see characters and the similarities of the people who are
around them.
Fanfiction
Fanfiction, or fanfic, as we know it today can most frequently be traced to the wildly
popular Star Trek that emerged in the 1970s. Defined by J.E. Reich as “amateur narrative
based on already existent novels, movies, television shows, and even IRL celebrities and
public personas,” fanfic has an even longer history that extends before the 1970s. Reich
claims that Shakespeare and even Homer partook in a much more basic version of fanfic
with stories inspired by oral traditions and those of Plutarch.
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Fanfic even extends to
popular fairytales and children’s stories. Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith put out a fanfic
version of the story of the three little pigs. They took a tale as old as time and a fairly
under-developed character and gave him a voice. What if there was a logical explanation
behind everything the wolf did? What if the Big Bad Wolf wasn’t as big and as bad as he
was made out to be by the disgruntled little piggies? These plays on characterization,
point-of-view, and trustworthy narration add life to a century-old story and in conjunction
teach a new lesson about fairness and judgment.
Although the recent explosion of fanfic is not one that can be easily explained, its
presence is one that can be easily noted and understood. After reading a good book,
readers are often left with questions. Great stories are not left with cookie-cutter endings
and all loose ends tied up. What will happen to that character in the next five years? How
will these two characters ever live with the turmoil that he left behind? What caused that
character to be so crass and soulless? The authors sometimes answer these questions
themselves through interviews or if one is lucky, a sequel. But for many readers, these
questions unanswered are haunting. Fanfiction gives the reader the opportunity to extend
the stories and continue the journeys of the characters who have become much more than
that.
What causes a book or specific character to be chosen as an inspiration for fanfiction?
A survey conducted by Tara Collins revealed that the majority of fanfic writers chose to
use minor, secondary characters as the focus of their stories. Maybe this is because of the
already fully-fleshed out histories of the main protagonist. Maybe, according to Collins,
this is because of the sanctity and respect for the author’s interpretation of the main
character.
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Students will read two different examples of fanfiction before creating their
own.
Freytag’s Pyramid
Freytag’s Pyramid is one of the most commonly taught plot structures in education.
Students see a triangle and connect it to Freytag. This structure, adapted from German
novelist Gustav Fretyag, connects more clearly to drama and its three acts, but is still
often used to identify and analyze short stories and novels alike.
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First, according to Freytag’s pyramid, is the exposition. This is where the author sets
up the setting, the characters, and even beginning parts of conflict. This exposition then
leads into the rising action. It is here that the tension and suspense build. The protagonist
in the story begins interacting with the conflict. The complication finally leads into the
climax or crisis. It is where the protagonist must face his conflict. After the height of the
story, events happen because of the climax and fall into the falling action. The problem
must be solved and this happens in the resolution. Matching the exposition is the
dénouement where the author often answers questions and ties in theme.
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Even though it is the most frequently recognized plot structures, it’s not one that
modern writers are fond of. Students will be able to connect to it as it mirrors the plot
structure of the novella Of Mice and Men. The Freytag’s pyramid’s reliance on the very
regimented parts that exist in a drama don’t always lend themselves to short stories or
novels that are messy, complicated, and often more thought-provoking.
The Fichtean Curve
The Fichtean Curve is much simpler than the aforementioned pyramid, but is not as often
included in curriculums. It focuses on one character, the protagonist, and one specific
goal. The protagonist has three or more obstacles that increase in intensity attempting to
achieve his goal. He ultimately meets his most difficult encounter, the climax, and then
proceeds to the resolution after achieving or failing to achieve his goal.
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This plot structure gives students the opportunity to play with stories in a way they
haven’t experienced before, but one that exists in modern fiction today. Its less linear
approach makes it more writer and reader friendly.
In Media Res
In Media Res literally translates to “into the middle of things.” Much like when reading
the novel We Were Here, the reader is placed in the middle of the action. The story
begins in the middle of crisis with the parts of exposition sprinkled throughout the story.
It, like the other story plots, has an upward trajectory with increasing intensity. The
suspense builds with crises and flashbacks. It is through these and dialogue that the
characters and conflicts are revealed. This all builds to the traditional climax where the
protagonist must face the conflict head on. After this, the falling action ensues often with
more flashbacks. This then leads to a traditional resolution.
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Students who immerse themselves in pop culture will be the most familiar with this.
Not only does it mirror the novel they are creating fanfiction about, but it also shows up
in popular movies and televisions shows like How To Get Away With Murder. This type
of story should probably be reserved for students who want a challenge and feel more
confident in their writing abilities, as it is not easy feat to skillfully use flashbacks
without giving away too much or too little.
Characterization
Characterization, which differs from simply identifying characters, “invests an identified
character with an attribute or set of attributes which add descriptive material of a
particular sort to the argument node.”
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While each character in a piece of fiction does not
include the same amount of characterization or any at all, it is important for students to be
able to not only identify who characters are, but how they are created and how this allows
them to interact with different aspects of stories.
Garvey lays out 13 different elements of characterization:
1. There are two types of characters: those involved in the narrative speech-act
and those not involved
2. Narrator or audience could appear in the text surface structure.
3. The narrator may or may not participate in the story’s plot.
4. Narrators may not have the same understanding of the inner lives of all the
characters.
5. Characters are invested with attributes.
6. Characters may have differing degrees of different characteristics.
7. Characters and their attributes can change throughout a story.
8. Characters have varying degrees of importance in a narrative.
9. Characters are often pitted against one another, especially if gifted with
opposing attributes.
10. Characters can be grouped based off of attributes (i.e. good vs. bad).
11. There may be conflicts with each other or with forces that are external.
12. A character may have allegorical significance.
13. There are both direct and indirect identifications of attributes.
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Students and their interaction with the different elements of characterization will give
them the opportunity to delve deeper into the characters that they previously interacted
with. This will help them understand the characters and further mold their pieces of
fanfiction.
Suspense
Suspense in simplest terms is “a state or feeling of excited or anxious uncertainty about
what may happen.”
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Students understand suspense as it relates to scary movies, but are
not usually able to identify the relationship of narrative pacing and the suspense it
creates. Students even in telling their own narratives spend too much time elaborating on
details that are irrelevant or giving away too much too soon.
Because the ability to hook readers through suspense, this is one method students
should work to incorporate in their pieces. New York Times writer Lee Child suggests it
is much simpler than expected. As a writer, one should merely employ a question at the
beginning of the story, but then wait and delay the answer to said question. Tactics like
this have been used in advertising for ages. Leaving the audience guessing keeps them
engaged until the end because human nature needs answers to questions.
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Especially in
the age of instant gratification and Google, one is used to having any question answered
in milliseconds, but what happens when a question can’t be answered immediately? The
audience becomes hooked. This method is used by novelists, playwrights, and script
writers alike. Simply having students develop a question that will intrigue the audience
will give them an easy way to utilize a complicated engagement tool.
Another method students can employ is the varying of sentence structures. The use of
short declarative sentences within a story can create a sense of urgency; thus, building
suspense.
Dialogue
Students know dialogue in a very basic sense. They can separate the speech of characters
from the rest of the text by identifying the quotation marks and the tags that accompany
it, but there is so much to be learned in relation to analyzing the impact dialogue can
have. Dialogue gives readers insight into characters feelings: who they trust, how they’re
feeling, what they want. Looking at the text that surrounds the dialogue can also shine
light on how the dialogue is being said, potentially changing the meaning of the words
that fall between the quotation marks.
When writing dialogue, students have difficulty identifying what should be included
in a conversation. They take their own conversations and think they need to be captured
in their entirety, providing every “hello” and “okay.” Focusing on dialogue that will help
move the plot forward will improve their stories and their character development. There
is also a need to look at the skill that is grounding dialogue. Dialogue and its impact can
be heavily influenced by the words around the speech. The use of imagery and
descriptive language can show a characters emotions and connections to the spoken
language.
Theme
Theme is taught nearly every year. Students, even in elementary school, are asked to find
the “main idea or underlying meaning”
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in stories. Being able to pull out the meaning
from a text is a weakness for many students. They can answer basic comprehension
questions, but when they are asked how and why, they are at a loss for words. It requires
empathy, critical thinking, and deeper analysis. But if students are able to work through
strategies to develop a theme of their own through creative writing, it may aid with their
future understanding of stories.
Finding the theme is directly connected to characters. Understanding where the
characters come from and why they are the way they are is an important starting point.
Then, by analyzing the plot and the resolution, a reader can see the trials the characters
have encountered. It is most important to see how the character transitions. What are the
character’s changes? What have they learned? What did it take in order for them to learn
this? These questions and their answers can shine light on the lesson we, as the readers,
should learn to.
Tom Hallman, Jr. discusses having a clear focus on theme before writing even begins.
What is the story about? Why does it matter? The importance of starting with a purpose
and sticking to that improves writing.
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As a writer one must fully think out where the
characters are going, what lesson is to be learned. The outcome is a better, more
meaningful story.
Classroom Activities
Lesson One: Learning about FanFiction
Lesson Essential Question: Why do authors create FanFiction?
This lesson will introduce students to what FanFiction is. They will read and explore
fairytales retold using the concept of FanFiction. Students will use graphic organizers to
compare and contrast aspects of the original stories with the retold versions. After reading
the stories, students will discuss what makes FanFiction and what leads writers to create
these stories.
Warm Up: Students will respond to the following prompt: As children, we often hear the
story of the three little pigs. With as much detail as you can remember, tell the story in
your own words.
Pre-reading: As a class, we will watch the YouTube video “Fairy Tales – The 3 Little
Pigs Story.
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” Students will turn and summarize the story with their shoulder partner.
Reading 1: Each group will be handed a copy of The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
by Jon Scieszka. As they are reading they will complete the “Three Little Pigs Compare
and Contrast” graphic organizer (Appendix A). Students will compare the original story
presented in the video to the one they read.
Whole Class: After students have identified differences between the two stories, the
teacher will provide students with the definition of fanfiction. The teacher will ask the
students to identify how The True Story of the Three Little Pigs classifies as a piece of
fanfiction.
Reading 2: Individuals will read the article “Fanspeak: The Brief Origins of Fanfiction”
by J.E. Reich. As they read, they will highlight evidence that will help them answer the
lesson essential question.
Exit Ticket: Students will respond to the lesson essential question using their notes from
the graphic organizer and the article to speculate why the changes were made from the
original story of the three little pigs.
The Three Little Pigs Compare and Contrast Graphic Organizer
Directions: Using the graphic organizer below, list the important parts of each story to compare and
contrast both stories. In the middle section, identify parts of the story that are consistent
between the two.
Lesson Two: The Structure of Short Stories
Lesson Essential Question: How does structure impact the engagement of the audience?
Warm Up: Students will respond to the following writing prompt: Which character from
We Were Here would you choose to extend the story of?
Whole Class: The class will review the “Fanfiction Project” assignment sheet. The
teacher will explain that this will be the end goal, but the next couple of classes will be
the stepping stones to get there. The class will look at drawings of two different short
story plot structures: the Fichtean Curve and Freytag’s Pyramid. Students will add these
definitions to their “Story Structures” graphic organizer.
Partner Work: Each pair will be handed two short stories: “Lamb to the Slaughter” by
Roald Dahl and “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. Neither story is an example of
fanfiction, but they will be examples of plot structure. As students read, they will
summarize the plot points in the “Story Structures” graphic organizer. After completing
the graphic organizer, students will spend 10 minutes discussing with their partner the
plot points of their stories. Both will discuss which plot structure was used and
Exit Ticket: Students will respond to two questions. First, they will answer the lesson
essential question using their graphic organizer and partner discussions. Then, they will
identify which type of story structure they would like to use for their own piece of
fanfiction.
Fanfiction Writing Assignment
Fanfiction is defined as “amateur narrative based on already existent novels, movies,
television shows, and even IRL celebrities and public personas.” For this writing, you
will have the opportunity to show off your creative writing skills and imagination. Your
task is to take one of Matt De la Pena’s characters and extend his or her story beyond the
pages of his book. You can choose to set this short story as a flashback, in the present, or
in the future. See the rubric below for how your final copy will be graded.
Narrative 11-
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Description
4 Beyond
3 Proficient
2 Progressing
Exposition:
Sets up a story
by introducing
the
event/conflict,
characters, and
setting.
The text creatively
engages the
reader by setting
out a well-
developed conflict,
situation, or
observation and
its significance.
The text
establishes one or
multiple points of
view and
introduces a
narrator and/or
complex
characters.
The text orients the
reader by setting
out a conflict,
situation, or
observation and its
significance. It
establishes one or
multiple point(s)
of view and
introduces a
narrator and/or
developed
characters.
The text provides a
setting with a vague
conflict, situation, or
observation with an
unclear point of
view. It introduces
a narrator and/or
underdeveloped
characters.
Narrative
Techniques
and
Development:
The story is
developed using
dialogue, pacing,
description,
reflection, and
multiple plot
lines.
The text
demonstrates
deliberate and
effective use of
narrative
techniques such
as engaging
dialogue, pacing,
vivid description,
reflection, and
multiple plot lines
to develop
experiences,
events, and/or
characters.
The text uses
narrative
techniques such as
dialogue, pacing,
description,
reflection, and
multiple plot lines
that illustrate and
develop
experiences, events
and/or characters.
The text uses some
narrative
techniques such as
dialogue or
description that
merely retells
events and
or/experiences.
Organization
and Cohesion:
The text follows
a logical
sequence of
events.
The text creates a
purposeful and
logical
progression of
experiences or
events using a
variety of
techniques – such
as chronology,
The text creates a
logical
progression of
experiences or
events using a
variety of
techniques – such
as chronology,
flashback,
The text creates a
sequence or
progression of
experiences or
events.
flashback,
foreshadowing,
suspense, etc. – to
create a coherent
whole and build
toward a
particular tone
and outcome.
foreshadowing,
suspense, etc. – to
create a coherent
whole and build
toward a particular
tone and outcome.
(i.e. sense of
mystery or growth)
Style and
Conventions:
The text uses
sensory
language and
details to create
a vivid picture of
the events,
setting, and
characters.
The text uses
precise words
and phrases,
showing details
and rich sensory
language and
mood to convey a
realistic picture
of the experiences,
events, setting,
and/or characters.
The text uses
precise words and
phrases, telling
details and sensory
language to
convey a vivid
picture of the
experiences,
events, setting,
and/or characters.
The text uses words
and phrases and
telling details to
convey experiences,
events, settings,
and/or characters.
Conclusion:
The text
provides a
conclusion that
follows from the
course of the
narrative. The
conclusion
provides a
reflection on or
resolution of the
events.
The text moves to
a conclusion that
logically follows
from and
thoughtfully
reflects on what is
experienced,
observed, or
resolved over the
course of the
narrative.
The text provides a
conclusion that
follows from and
reflects on what is
experienced,
observed, or
resoled over the
course of the
narrative.
The text provides a
conclusion that
follows from what is
experienced,
observed, or
resolved over the
course of the
narrative.
Story Structures
The Fichtean Curve
Definition
Drawing Example
Freytag’s Pyramid
Definition
Drawing Example
Circle the short story you read:
“Lamb to the Slaughter” “Harrison Bergeron”
In the box below, plot the important parts of the story to help you identify which
structure was used.
Lesson Three: Pre-Writing
Lesson Essential Question: What pre-writing activities can be used to best plan a piece of
fanfiction?
Warm Up: Students will respond to the PollEverywhere question: What pre-writing
strategies have you used before? The responses will be displayed on the SmartBoard in
the form of a word cloud.
Whole Class: The teacher will review three types of pre-writing strategies used with
fiction writing: word association brainstorming, imaging, and free-writing. Each activity
will be defined on the “Pre-Writing” graphic organizer.
Individual Activity: For 10 minutes, students will write under the section word
association. Under that section is a word bank with the following words: growth,
understanding, beach, family, basketball, independence. These are all words that could
spark ideas for their fanfiction stories. After the 10 minutes is over, students will move on
to the next section. Three images will be placed on the board: one representing
friendship; one, family; and one, freedom. Students will have another 10 minutes to write
anything they can using those images for inspiration. For the final 10 minutes, students
will practice free-writing. They will write anything and everything about the character of
their choice from We Were Here. They will write this under the section free-writing in
their graphic organizer.
For the remainder of class, students will try to continue pre-writing and organizing their
stories by selecting one way to show how their story will be structured. They will submit
the “Pre-Writing” graphic organizer, which will be assessed based off of participation.
Exit Ticket: Students will reflect on the pre-writing strategies used to answer the exit
tickets. In addition, they will set two goals for where they want to be writing by the end
of the next lesson and by the end of the week.
Pre-Writing Graphic Organizer
Word Association
Imaging
Free-Writing
Lesson Four: Draft One
Lesson Essential Question: How can pre-writing be used to create a first draft of a short
story?
Warm Up: Students will reflect on their past experiences writing. They will identify what
areas are their strengths with creative writing and what areas they want to improve on.
Whole Class: Teacher should ask one student to use pre-writing materials. The teacher
will demonstrate for students how to use pre-writing information by writing the
beginning of a short story based off the graphic organizer.
Individual Activity: Using Google Docs, students will write their first draft of their
narrative piece. Although the students will be graded with a rubric, their first draft will
only be graded on two items: length and character development. First drafts should be at
least a page in length and focus on one particular character from We Were Here. Writers
will have to stick to what is actually possible based off of the research done on characters
throughout the novel. The teacher will work to provide meaningful feedback and return
drafts the following class.
Lesson Five: Revising for Dialogue
Lesson Essential Question: How does dialogue enhance the development of characters,
set the mood, and move the plot forward?
Warm Up: This piece of dialogue from the novel We Were Here will be on display for
students. They will answer the following question: What does this conversation revel
about the characters?
Whole Class: The teacher will review the definition of dialogue and list the three main
ways it can improve a story. Each group will be assigned a different reason for using
dialogue. They will then use both short stories from the previous lessons to analyze. They
will highlight dialogue and identify the strongest example of their assigned reason.
Individual Activity: Students will then be tasked with revising the dialogue in their
stories. They will spend the remainder of class doing it.
Exit Ticket: Students will select one excerpt of dialogue from their own story. They will
identify how this either develops the characters, sets the mood, or moves the plot
forward.
Lesson Six: Peer Editing
Lesson Essential Question: How does peer editing aid in the revision process?
Whole Class: The teacher will go over the expectations for peer editing. Students will
discuss what makes constructive feedback and will provide examples of strong vs. weak
feedback.
Individual Activity: Students will post their drafts in a discussion in Schoology, the
learning management system. They will then select one other post in the discussion to
peer review. As they review they will complete the “Peer Feedback” document to
specifically look for use of dialogue and character development.
Exit Ticket: Students will identify out of 10 how they would rate their peer’s story. They
will explain why they gave their peer that specific score. Students will also submit a link
to the teacher for another round of feedback.
Peer Feedback
Directions: Select one of the links in the Schoology discussion to peer edit. Use this
document to guide your feedback.
1. Who is the main character of the short story?
2. What is the main character’s goal?
3. Does the character achieve his goal? How do you know?
4. What lesson do you think the character learned?
5. What structure did the author use?
6. Highlight each time the author uses dialogue. Do the conversations move the
plot forward, develop the characters, or se the mood? If not, how could they
be improved?
Lesson Seven: Final Revisions
Warm Up: Students will review the rubric. They will identify based off of that rubric,
how they would currently score their own stories and why.
Individual Activity: Students will use feedback from both their peers and the teacher to
create final revisions of their stories. After final submissions, the teacher will select three
top stories for publication. All students will read the stories and vote on what they deem
is the best of the three stories. The final story will be submitted for review to author Matt
De la Pena.
Resources
Teacher Bibliography
Collins, Tara. “Filling the Gaps: What’s Happening in the World of FanFiction.” Library
Media Connection 24 (January 2006): 36-38. Accessed November 15, 2016.
ERIC. This piece highlights the trend of FanFiction. It will give educators a look
at what this new section of fiction is and why it is important.
“Penn (William) High School.” State of Delaware, 2016.
http://profiles.doe.k12.de.us/SchoolProfiles/School/Default.aspx?checkSchool=49
0&districtCode=34 State of Delaware demographic information for William Penn
High School.
Student Reading List
Dahl, Roald. “Lamb to the Slaughter.” Harper’s Magazine, 1953. This short story is
going to be used by students as an anchor short story for students to learn about
the various types of story structures.
De la Pena, Matt. We Were Here. New York: Random House, 2009. This novel is
expected to be read in it’s entirety before beginning this unit. It will be used as the
inspiration for the fanfiction pieces.
Reich, J.E. “Fanspeak: The Brief Origins of Fanfiction.” Tech Times. Accessed
December 12, 2016. http://www.techtimes.com/articles/70108/20150723/fan-
fiction-star-trek-harry-potter-history-of-fan-fiction-shakespeare-roman-
mythology-greek-mythology-sherlock-holmes.htm This article discusses the
origins of fanfiction and how it has impacted the world of literature. Students will
read this as an introduction to this type of fiction.
Scieszka, Jon. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. New York: Puffin Books, 1989.
This will be used in the introduction of fanfiction for the first unit. Students will
read, analyze, and compare to the original.
Vonnegut, Kurt. “Harrison Bergeron.” 1961. This short story is going to be used by
students as an anchor short story for students to learn about the various types of
story structures.
Classroom Materials
Chromebooks: students will use Chrome books to write their short stories. They
will also use them to revise and publish their stories at the end of the unit.
Smartboard: A Smartboard or projector will be necessary for the teacher to
present on specific mini-lessons and provide whole class instruction.
Notes
1
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/narrative
2
Richler, Noah. A Short History of Story. Episode 1
3
Julie Beck, “Life’s Stories,” The Atlantic, August 10, 2015 accessed November 10,
2016, http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/08/life-stories-narrative-
psychology-redemption-mental-health/400796/
4
Shane Snow, “Why Storytelling Will Be the Biggest Business Skill of the Next 5
Years,” Hubspot, February 24, 2014, accessed November 7, 2016,
https://blog.hubspot.com/opinion/why-storytelling-will-be-the-biggest-business-
skill-of-the-next-5-years
5
“Creative Writing.” Writing Studio: Duke University, accessed October 15, 2016,
https://twp.duke.edu/uploads/assets/creative%20writing.pdf
6
Gillie Bolton. The Therapeutic Potential of Creative Writing: Writing Myself
(Philadelphia: Jessica Kinglsey Publishing, 1999)
7
Suzanne Keen, “A Theory of Narrative Empathy,” Narrative 14, no. 3 (2006): 208
8
Suzanne Keen, “A Theory of Narrative Empathy,” Narrative 14, no. 3 (2006): 215-
216
9
J. J. Reich, “Fanspeak: The Brief Origins of FanFiction,” Tech Times, July 23, 2015,
accessed November 10, 2016,
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/70108/20150723/fan-fiction-star-trek-harry-
potter-history-of-fan-fiction-shakespeare-roman-mythology-greek-mythology-
sherlock-holmes.htm
10
Tara Collins, “Filling in the Gaps: What’s Happening in the World of FanFiction,”
Library Media Connection 24, no. 3 (2006): 36-38
11
https://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/documents/Freytag.pdf
12
“Analyzing a Story’s Plot: Freytag’s Pyramid,” Hartley Fiction and Drama Unit,
accessed November 12, 2016,
http://www.ohio.edu/people/hartleyg/ref/fiction/freytag.html
13
Ingrid Sundberg, “To Plot or Not To Plot,” Ingrid Sundberg (blog), May 25, 2011,
http://ingridsundberg.com/2011/05/26/to-plot-or-not-to-plot/
14
Kristen Kieffer, “3 Awesome Plot Structures for Building Bestsellers,” She’s Novel
(blog), https://www.shesnovel.com/blog/3-awesome-plot-structures-for-building-
bestsellers
15
James Garvin, “Characterization in Narrative,” Poetics 7, no. 1 (1978): 63-78
16
James Garvin, “Characterization in Narrative,” Poetics 7, no. 1 (1978): 63-78
17
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/suspense
18
Lee Child, “A Simple Way to Create Suspense,” The New York Times, December 8,
2012, accessed December 1, 2016,
https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/08/a-simple-way-to-create-
suspense/
19
“Theme,” Literary Devices, accessed December 1, 2016,
http://literarydevices.net/theme/
20
Tom Hallman, “Before Writing, Find the Story’s Theme,” Quill, April 9, 2014,
accessed December 1, 2016, http://www.spj.org/quill_issue.asp?ref=2102
Appendix A
Implementing District Standards
This unit will strive to accomplish several learning goals that align with the Common
Core standards for the 11
th
grade. They will be the anchors that will drive the instruction
throughout this unit. Specifically, this unit will focus on writing narratives to develop
either real or imagined events. They will work to engage the reader using different
methods. Students will use narrative techniques like dialogue and pacing. They may even
create multiple plot lines. Students will have the opportunity to work on sequencing the
events in their stories to build suspense or to work towards the resolution. Through using
precise words students will work on word choice and imagery. Finally, they will create a
conclusion that resolves the conflict within their story.
After writing their stories, students will develop and strengthen their writing by
planning and revising for their specific purpose and audience. They will finally use
technology to publish their writing.