With 27 short stories for high school students and this fun reading activity “progressive dinner”™, you’ll have what you need to engage high school readers! Students will read one or more short stories, take notes, and engage in small group discussions. If you’re looking for a structured way to practice critical close reading skills in a hands-on and interactive way, this is the activity for you!
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Choose whether you would like to use the digital menus or the QR code menus. There is also a standard menu without a text attached if you wish to have hard copies of texts available, use texts in a textbook, or have students bring a marked-up copy of one or more texts to the dinner party. To use the QR codes, students must have access to their phones and have a QR code reader app installed.
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Menu Options: QR code and digital menus include codes for 27 different short stories. There are a variety of texts for you to choose from, varying in length so that you can group as you choose and re-use this activity again.
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This activity works best when students are familiar with the text(s). If you wish to set-up multiple stations with only ONE text as the focus, use the isolated skill menus so that students focus on a different skill at each station (reader response, plot/characterization, inference, analyzing author’s style).
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If you wish to have students read more than one short story, I suggest having students pre-read the stories for homework. Alternatively, you may choose texts from the list with length in mind so that students are able to finish reading in 7 minutes (or swap out a timer for up to 10 minutes of individual reading time).
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Another option would be to use this activity as a way to sort students into reading groups or preview short stories for a unit. You could display the QR code menus around the room, share the digital menus, or play a game of “Scoot” to have students reading as many stories as possible, however far they get in 2-3 minutes. Give students a dinner plate with two sections and have them label one side “yes” and one side “no.” As they preview the stories, they should write down the titles on one side or the other, then put a star by their top 3 story choices (or respond to a Google Classroom Question. This way, you can sort students into groups for follow-up reading and discussion.
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Here’s what you’ll receive in this resource:
★Directions and Pacing Slideshow (7 Google Slides + PPT Version) so that you’re able to give students clear expectations for this activity and keep pace along the way. Feel free to customize directions and swap out timers for your own classroom use.
★Isolated Skill Dinner Menus (4 Pages) so that you have the option to differentiate student response for ONE short story.
★QR Code Menus & Digital Google Slide Menus (27 Pages + 27 Slides) so that you have a variety of story options and two digital formats available.
★Regular Short Story Menu + Writing Extension Menu (2 Pages) for use with hard-copy, printed stories.
★Customizable Dinner Menus (2 Slides) so that you’re able to think of your own ways to use this resource for personal classroom use and create menus to suit your tastes.
★Dinner Plate Handouts (5 Pages) so that you don’t have to purchase/use paper plates.
★ Product Links & Teacher Notes (10 Pages) so that you have instructions and tips for using this assignment with students at your fingertips.
★Texts are not included in this resource, but they are linked in the teacher notes and in the QR code and Google Slide menus. Teachers will need to provide the paper plates and set-up for the progressive dinner™.
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This resource is helpful for:
★ Teachers who want maximum engagement in a student-led classroom.
★ Teachers who are looking to save time with ready-made resources.
★ Teachers who love to innovate and try new things!
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Copyright © 2019-Present, Lindsay Ann Learning
⇒ Permission for use by one teacher in his or her own classroom.
⇒ Not for public display or digital sharing.
⇒ If you intend to share with others, please purchase an additional license.
