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Multicultural Short Stories
Course Objective
To develop skills in close reading and literary analysis, while at the same time developing an understanding of cultural identity and its role in fiction
Curricular Components
Reading Fictional Short Stories Aloud, Lectures and Readings on Identity Theory, Socratic Discussion and Independent Essay Production
Class Routine
- 10min Review
- 15min Lecture / Reading on Theory
- 5min Vocabulary Study
- 45min Reading & Discussion of Short Stories
- 15min Writing Exercises
Subject-Specific Knowledge
The course is designed to provide students with subject-specific knowledge associated with cultural anthropology and sociology
Skills Development
Critical Reading, Analytical Thinking, Writing Skills for Literary Analysis
About The Course
Identity is a common topic throughout literary genres, and has gained prominence on school reading lists over the years. Additionally, the theme provides excellent opportunities for developing skills in literary analysis. With this in mind, the course uses Flying Lessons & Other Stories as a foundational text with which to explore the concept. Prior to working with individual short stories, students will be provided with background readings, lecture and discussion prompts associated with underlying theories of identity and multiculturalism. How we understand ourselves and how we understand others through literature is one of the most important components to understanding fictional texts.
About The Instructor
Ms. Chelsey Dietrich
Ms. Chelsey Dietrich is a certified teacher with nearly fifteen years of education-industry experience in the US and China. She has taught small groups and tutored individuals in subjects ranging from elementary school English, middle school humanities, IBDP core subjects and test preparation (MAP, SSAT, SAT). Mrs. Dietrich holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Minnesota and a MA.Ed. in Education from Columbia University. She is a USA certified teacher in the subject of English.
Lesson Components & Structure
This course is designed to introduce students to various academic concepts that can be used to illustrate high quality literary analysis. The course will include lectures, readings on identity-related theories, work with short stories, group discussion and independent writing.
While the academic focus of the course will evolve as the week progresses, transitioning from a heavy focus on theory to a focus on specific short stories, lessons will follow a relatively consistent pattern. They will begin with a short ten minute review of the previous lesson, meant to solidify understanding and exhibit mastery. This will be followed with a roughly fifteen minute reading focussed on a theoretical concept associated with identity or multiculturalism. Students will then spend five minutes working with vocabulary relevant to the lesson’s foundational text. This will be followed by approximately forty-five minutes of reading and discussion. Class will normally end with fifteen minutes devoted to writing (an exit ticket), designed to contribute to the final deliverable. Homework will normally take the form of both reading (or re-reading) the foundational text and completing a short writing assignment.
Course Outline
Multicultural Short Stories is designed with literary analysis in mind. As such, the course begins with a focus on underlying theories of identity and multiculturalism that can then be applied to understanding, discussing and writing about short stories. Next, students will read a number of short stories written by diverse authors. They will learn about the author’s personal context prior to reading the text, and read each story through multiple lenses focussed on the author, theories of identity and the meaning of multiculturalism. Throughout the course, students will be taught critically important skills that can be applied to literary analysis as it relates to a diverse set of theories and ideas. Additionally, students will practice putting their ideas into writing by producing their own written literary analysis and creative works. The course will follow the sequence shown below.
Lesson 1: What is Literary Analysis? How do we talk about works of fiction?
Lesson 2: Theories of Identity & Multiculturalism
Lesson 3: Writing a Literary Analysis & Story 1 Preview
Lesson 4: Story1: Flying Lessons by Soman Chainani
Lesson 5: Story2: Sometimes a Dream Needs a Push by Walter Dean Myers
Lesson 6: Story3: Choctaw Big Foot Midnight in the Mountains by Tim Tingle
Lesson 7: Story4: The Difficult Path by Grace Lin
Lesson 8: Story5: Sol Painting, Inc. by Meg Medina
Lesson 9: Lessons in Writing
Lesson 10: Sharing, Review & Questions
Course Materials
Students will be provided with a PDF version of the foundational text (Flying Lessons & Other Stories) and supplemental documents associated with identity, multiculturalism and writing a literary analysis. Ideally, they should be printed and used for notetaking. Students will also receive edited versions of their written work. By the end of the course, students will be able to collate all documents as a record of their improved knowledge and skills. This will serve as their process portfolio.
Deliverables
The final deliverable for this course is a thoughtfully written and carefully edited 5-paragraph essay analyzing the concept of multiculturalism in relation to a short story of their choosing. Families should expect roughly 30-60 minutes of homework after each lesson.
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