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Do your students find short stories boring? Can’t find short pieces of literature to have great discussions in class?
Well, today’s post is about exactly that. With just a few days before the holiday break, short stories can be the perfect short lesson plans you need, if you choose the right ones. Short stories with cliffhangers or interesting endings are the ones that students love to analyze.
Love to analyze? Yes, you read the words correctly! I’ve used these stories in my classes and tutoring sessions (even with intermediate+ ESL students!). We had a lot of fun with these. They are old classics, but great!
As part of January’s printables pack, I’ll be adding a worksheet on how to teach story writing. January’s theme is writing, so there will be lots of writing resources ready for you in the printables library. You have access, right?
5 Short Stories With Cliffhangers & Interesting Endings
1. The Necklace (Guy de Maupassant)
Mauspassant’s “The Necklace” is a story I’ve used time and time again in English and ESL classes. It tells the tale of middle class woman who is envious of high society and her friends that move in high social circles. While she’s still middle class, she feels like a pauper next to her husband, who is an ordinary clerk. Then, an invitation to a high society ball changes her life forever…
2. The Million Pound Note (Mark Twain)
I read this one recently, but Mark Twain has always been one of my favourite American authors. I had his giant book of his Complete Short Stories on my bedside table as a kid. In “The Million Pound Note“, Twain tells the story of two rich men who give a poor, honest man a million pound note. It’s enormous in value, but cannot be cashed. It will change his life, though…
3. Button, Button (Richard Matheson)
“Button, Button” is such a great story that it inspired the Hollywood movie, The Box, starring Cameron Diaz. A woman is faced with a choice – hit the button, and someone you don’t know, somewhere, will die. You will, however, receive one million dollars. This story watches people’s reactions as they keep the box in the homes, deciding whether or not to press it. Check out the movie here, too. If you’re in the UK or Europe, click here instead.
4. The Most Dangerous Game (Richard Connell Doyle)
Richard Connell’s classic “The Most Dangerous Game” is an interesting twist on the sport of hunting. A renowned game hunter sets up “the biggest hunt ever” on his private island and invites the protagonist to play. While I can’t say too much for fear of giving away the plot, I do say you should read it.
5. The Cask of Amontillado (Edgar Allan Poe)
I first encountered this classic from Edgar Allan Poe in my first year university English class many years ago. It has remained one of my favourite stories. Set in during the festival of Carnival in Italy, this gothic horror story is bound to have your students ready to discuss the characters’ personalities. Revenge. Justice. Honour. So many themes appear in this dark story about an ancient family feud. However, I will caution that it’s quite an advanced level, so if you work with ESL students, save this one for your upper intermediate or advanced learners.
Hever Castle (childhood home of Anne Boelyn), April 2011
Why Short Stories?
Well, it’s simple really. Here’s a list of a few good reasons to use short stories in your classroom or tutoring sessions:
- They’re Short! – Students can engage with a text without committing to hours and hours of reading. Great for ESL students, too!
- Strong Character Development – Given the short space, short story authors must develop compelling and believable characters -quickly and effectively!
- Human Nature – Short stories usually seem to focus on a particular aspect of human nature. It’s great for class discussion!
- Compelling Settings – Often, the backdrop for a short story is an interesting, historical point in time or a unique location
- Surprise Endings – Your students will love to analyze how short stories end.
Basically, short stories are one of my favourite genres to use in teaching. I love listening to students’ reactions and character analysis after reading only a few pages of literature.
Have you used short stories in your class? I’d love to hear about your favourites. Leave your favourite short story title in the comments or tell me about the short story that has worked best for your class.
Remember to sign up for the printables library at the end of this post if you haven’t already. Your lesson plan on teaching short story writing will be added soon!
Happy Teaching!
P.S. For my fellow photographers and fans, I took both the images in this post at Hever Castle, UK in April 2011. Hever Castle was Anne Boleyn’s childhood home.
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The Possibility of Evil by Shirley Jackson
View CommentThanks Jennifer! I’ll check it out 🙂
View CommentA co teacher and I use, On the Sidewalk Bleeding by Evan Hunter, to cross reference story elements of The Outsiders. Thanks for sharing these titles. I plan to try them this year.
View CommentThanks for sharing, Tracie! Let me know what you think of them 🙂 I haven’t read On The Sidewalk Bleeding, but I will definitely check it out this year.
View CommentStrongly object to hunting being described as a sport. Let’s call a spade a spade, shall we? Football, tennis, baseball, cricket…these are sports. Hunting is a perversion.
View CommentHi and thanks for your comment! I’m a vegetarian and also strongly object to hunting. It’s described as a “sport” in the short story itself, if I recall correctly. It’s definitely not a sport I would ever participate in, either.
View CommentI love reading crime stories such as ‚The Leg of Lamb‘ by Roald Dahl or ,Philomal Cottage’ by Agatha Christie in class.
View CommentThey are thrilling and students really love them.
Those are great ideas! I’ve used The Leg of Lamb, but only ever used novels by Agatha Christie. I’ll look into her short stories 🙂
View CommentI’m surprised that you don’t have “The Lady or the Tiger?” by Frank Stockton on your list. That would be a great story to read with HS ELs.
View CommentThanks for the suggestion, Anne! I appreciate it 🙂
View CommentThe Landlady
View CommentThe Umbrella Man
Cat in the rain
The story of ah hour
Great suggestions, thank you! This Fall, I think I’ll create an updated version of this page, as so many people have given great suggestions!!
View CommentAre these stories free from copyright entanglements?
View CommentGood question! I found them online, so I’m not sure. I’ve also seen them in several short stories readers I got from the library (in the past)- but if you have more information on copyright, please let me know!
View Commentcan you find a story for school
View CommentHi! What kind of story are you looking for? What age/grade?
View CommentAll Summer in a Day and There Will Come Soft Rains by Bradbury
View CommentCharles
The Landlady
The Lottery
Great additions – I love those stories. Thanks for the list 🙂
View CommentI have been skimming over all the comments to see if anyone would suggest the Lottery!! I was surprised it didn’t make the top 5! Good choices, none the less.
View CommentI have been skimming over all the comments to see if anyone would suggest the Lottery!! I was surprised it didn’t make the top 5! Good choices, none the less.
View CommentYes, that’s a great one! (I may have to write a new post with Top 10 or more…everyone has been suggesting so many great stories!)
View CommentHello, constantly i used to check web site posts here in the early
View Commenthours in the morning, since i enjoy to find out more and more.