Indentifying story elements; using clues from a story to identify its culture (the time and country in which it was written).

“Smee” combines a fun and interesting activity – reading a ghost story at Halloween – with sound curricular underpinnings. Here the story is used both to support a vocabulary exercise and to initiate a lesson on story elements and drawing inferences.

English/Language Arts Teachers

45 minutes

1

• Burrage, A.M. “Smee.” The Oxford Book of English Ghost Stories.
• Candles, jack-o-lanterns, dim lights, and spooky music to enhance the mood of the story.
• Whiteboard for recording the essential question, comprehension questions, and important points made during the discussion.

Direct Instruction:

·         ELA teacher prepares the students by going over the vocabulary before the lesson.

·         TL prepares whiteboard with essential question (“Why do you need to be able to identify story elements?”) and comprehension questions (below) as well as title and author of the story to be read.

o   “Identify the story’s characters, setting, and mood.”

o   “How does Burrage use the story elements to write an effective ghost story?”

o   “Using clues from the story, when and where was it written?”

·         Students enter to darkened room, eerie music, lit candles and jack-o-lanterns.

·         TL goes over the essential question and comprehension questions so that students know what is expected of them.

·         TL reads “Smee”.

 

Modeling and Guided Practice:

·         TL leads students in a discussion of the comprehension questions.

·         TL leads students in a discussion of the essential question.

 

Independent Practice:

·         As written, none, although this could be the introduction to an ELA unit on storytelling, stories with mood, or stories from different cultures.

 

Sharing and Reflecting:

·         Students share their reactions to the story as well as their insights into its country and time of origin through the class discussions.