Using this book in Class

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William8675309

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2018
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This may be a stretch. I'm using Night Shift in a GED class I'm teaching as an example of Short Story format. It's an all levels class so there could be some Post HS students in class as well. Now I just need to cobble together some lesson plans and writing assignments to keep them busy 4 days a week for 8 weeks (32 classes). I plan do do some reading aloud obviously, vocabulary as it comes up in various stories and writing on the computer, review sentence structure, grammar etc. Trying to think of some writing topics right now. Any teachers out there have any ideas to round out lesson plans/scope and sequence for something like this? Not sure its been done very often so I'm making it up as I go. Grade level will be 6-12 or thereabout. I'd like it to be fun as well as educational and of course popular so that I can do something like it again. Peace
 

Nomik

Carry on
Jun 19, 2016
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Derry, NH
This may be a stretch. I'm using Night Shift in a GED class I'm teaching as an example of Short Story format. It's an all levels class so there could be some Post HS students in class as well. Now I just need to cobble together some lesson plans and writing assignments to keep them busy 4 days a week for 8 weeks (32 classes). I plan do do some reading aloud obviously, vocabulary as it comes up in various stories and writing on the computer, review sentence structure, grammar etc. Trying to think of some writing topics right now. Any teachers out there have any ideas to round out lesson plans/scope and sequence for something like this? Not sure its been done very often so I'm making it up as I go. Grade level will be 6-12 or thereabout. I'd like it to be fun as well as educational and of course popular so that I can do something like it again. Peace
If they’re over 18 I don’t think you have a problem with it and it’s not a stretch. I also teach adults but they are refugees and speak mostly Swahili, Portuguese, Spanish so I don’t think I could do a Stephen King book with them, but I’d love to!
 

skimom2

Just moseyin' through...
Oct 9, 2013
15,683
92,168
USA
This may be a stretch. I'm using Night Shift in a GED class I'm teaching as an example of Short Story format. It's an all levels class so there could be some Post HS students in class as well. Now I just need to cobble together some lesson plans and writing assignments to keep them busy 4 days a week for 8 weeks (32 classes). I plan do do some reading aloud obviously, vocabulary as it comes up in various stories and writing on the computer, review sentence structure, grammar etc. Trying to think of some writing topics right now. Any teachers out there have any ideas to round out lesson plans/scope and sequence for something like this? Not sure its been done very often so I'm making it up as I go. Grade level will be 6-12 or thereabout. I'd like it to be fun as well as educational and of course popular so that I can do something like it again. Peace
It might be most useful if you pick one aspect of each story to focus on at first: characterization, plotting, setting, dialogue (my favorite with Mr. King--he really is one of the best out there), etc. Different stories are stronger in each of these aspects. As you progress, you can start looking at multiple aspects in a single story and how they act together. It's a good time/way to start them thinking about style, as well. it is the particular combinations each author typically uses that creates their style. :) Your students are very lucky to have you!
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
It might be most useful if you pick one aspect of each story to focus on at first: characterization, plotting, setting, dialogue (my favorite with Mr. King--he really is one of the best out there), etc. Different stories are stronger in each of these aspects. As you progress, you can start looking at multiple aspects in a single story and how they act together. It's a good time/way to start them thinking about style, as well. it is the particular combinations each author typically uses that creates their style. :) Your students are very lucky to have you!
...HI HONEY!!!!!!.....
 

Rrty

Well-Known Member
Jun 4, 2007
1,394
4,588
I assume you're all set and don't need any further suggestions, but I'll just point out one interesting thing (interesting to me, anyway). I'm sure you know the story Gray Matter (obviously you know of it, but I mean you are probably very familiar with it). Perhaps, in some way, you could isolate the paragraph within that tale about the spider for a lesson. That paragraph, I've always said, is a great example of micro-fiction. Since the Internet has made flash fiction such a popular genre, your students will perhaps find it instructive and fun. That little tale shows King's incredible skill. Maybe the students could write a similar paragraph-sized story as an exercise...
 

William8675309

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2018
106
476
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Class has been going on since September 9 and I think my students find the stories more funny than shocking or scary. They thought Jerusalem's lot was boring,
Graveyard shift was ok, Night surf was lame, I am the doorway was ok. On to the Mangler today. Looking over the stories again, I think I should have chosen another collection. I'm anticipating less than enthusiastic reactions from some others coming up. Would another collection have been a better choice for a short story class that would have had more "wow" factor?
 

Rrty

Well-Known Member
Jun 4, 2007
1,394
4,588
Thanks for following up on this. It is very interesting.

What we are seeing here, I think, is somewhat unavoidable...as time goes on, many readers who do not find King on their own and are instead assigned the works will come up against the antiquated prose (we've got to put ourselves in the minds of younger people) and experience the literary/intellectual version of an immune reaction to it.

Don't give up. A story like "Quitters, Inc." may work better for them. "Gray Matter" is being adapted for the Creepshow series, so that fact might be something which can be used as a sales tactic (this is the streaming era, after all). The "Ladder" tale, to be honest, I myself never liked...it never fit the overall tone of the book. "The Woman in the Room" is too much about real death; I think they may be too young to appreciate that (of course, just my opinion; and, further of course, perhaps a student or two has already lost a parent, which hopefully is not the case). "Night Surf" is sort of an odd sketch...I enjoyed it, but I am coming at it from a different point of view.

One might have figured that King would have a similar effect on students as Poe did...I'm sure not every kid likes Poe, but I remember enjoying his tales when I was younger (do kids still like it when you get to one of that author's tales, especially around Halloween?).

One other tale that may do better: "The Man Who Loved Flowers." I assume the idea behind that wouldn't be too violent, but please evaluate that (from your post I assume you are assigning the entire book, but in case not, I just include that disclaimer). And I reiterate my previous post about the "Gray Matter" micro-fiction exercise.

Continued wishes for best luck...