FICTION

Classroom Context

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This short folk stories unit was designed for a beginner-low intermediate level Reading & Writing class at an intensive English program (IEP) at a large Midwestern public university. The students have 13 weeks of instruction which primarily focuses on academic reading and writing skills. This unit took place during the mid-point of the semester over 4 (2-hour) class periods. 

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The students in this class have diverse L1 and national backgrounds which provided an opportunity for students to share elements of their respective rich cultural heritages. All of the students in this class completed secondary education in their L1, and a majority of the students had also completed post-secondary education in their L1 as well. 

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Unit Goals

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1. Students are able to identify and discuss/write about key elements of a fiction story (e.g. characters, plot, setting, theme, etc.)

2. Students are able to summarize and share a folk story from their own culture, as well as discuss elements of other cultures from information in folk story texts.

3. Students are able to use reading strategies such as making predictions, scanning for keywords, finding main ideas and supporting details, and making connections with short fiction texts.

4. Students are able to identify and use vocabulary introduced in short story texts in their class discussions and writing.