Grade 9 Short Story Project

Read any story that we have yet to read In Inside Storiesand pick one activity from each group below. The total value must be 50 marks, but if you have more, you can earn some bonus marks.

You’re assignment needs to be compiled and handed in in an organized way. Create a title page for the assignment.

Vocabulary

  1. Make a dictionary containing 10 or more difficult words from the story. (10 marks)
  2. Think of ten words that are essential to the understanding of the story. Explain why you picked the words you did and how you would define them in terms of the story. (10 marks)
  3. Find 10 interesting words from the story and look up a synonym and antonym for each. (10 marks)

Character

  1. Write a letter from one character to another character. (10 marks)
  2. Write a letter to the main character of the story. (10 marks)
  3. Write a description of one of the main characters. Draw or cut out a picture to accompany the description. (10 marks)
  4. Write a diary entry as the main character would write it to explain the events of the story. (10 marks)
  5. Write a resume for a main character in the story. You may need to infer some information from the story. (10 marks)
  6. After reading brief descriptions of the astrology or sun signs, figure out which sign you think the two main characters from your story were born under. Write an explanation of why you think they fit the sign, drawing on their actions, attitudes, and thoughts from the story. (10 marks)
  7. Imagine what the two main characters from your story were like in high school. Cut out a picture of a person from a magazine to represent each of them. Mount one picture per page and under each picture place the following information which you will create: nickname of character; activities, clubs, sports they were in and what years; class mock award-- "class clown"; quotation that shows something about the person and what is important to him or her; favorites such as colors and food; a story that has had a great impact on him or her; voted "most likely to" what?; plans after high school. (15 marks)

Plot

  1. Exaggerate either characteristics or events and write a tabloid-style news story related to your story. (15 marks)
  2. Draw a comic-story page complete with bubble-style conversations showing an incident in your story. (15 marks)
  3. Use a journalistic style and write a news story about something that happened to one of the characters. (10 marks)
  4. Write a new ending for the story, or add an extra chapter. This is especially good if you hated the ending. Remember, you have to use a similar style and the ending has to make sense with the rest of the story. (15 marks)
  5. Write a scene that could have happened in the story you read but didn't. After you have written the scene, explain how it would have changed the outcome of the story. (15 marks)
  6. Make a time line of the major events in the story you read. Be sure the divisions on the time line reflect the time period in the plot. Use drawings or magazine cutouts to illustrate events along the time line. (10 marks)
  7. Rewrite a story as a play. You may abridge and condense or you may choose 1-2 important scenes to rewrite. More marks if you can convince a group to help you perform (acting or reader's theatre). Those helping will receive marks as well. (20 marks)

Theme

  1. Find a song or a poem that relates to the theme of your story. Explain the similarities. (10 marks)
  2. Cut out magazine pictures to make a collage or a poster illustrating the idea of the story. (10 marks)
  3. Write a poem about your story (minimum 15 lines). (15 marks)
  4. Look through magazines for words and pictures that describe your story. Use these to create a collage on a bookmark. Make the bookmark available for others to use as they read the same story. (10 marks)

General

  1. Make an advertisement for the story. (10 marks)
  2. Prepare a list of 10 questions for use in determining if other people have read the story carefully. (10 marks)
  3. Design and make the front page of a newspaper from the material in the story. (20 marks)
  4. Design a movie poster for the story you read. Cast the major character in the story with real actors and actresses. Include a scene or dialogue from the story in the layout of the poster. Remember, it should be PERSUASIVE; you want people to come see the movie. (20 marks)
  5. Write an opinion column like those that appear on the editorial page of the newspaper. Choose a theme or topic from the story you just read and write the column from the point of view of one of the characters. (15 marks)