Writing and Thinking Script Fall 2011 Margaret Atwoods Happy Endings 90 minute session 1.

) Do a read around of the entire piece 15 minutes

2.) Have students read it again silently to themselves underlining key phrases or sections they find important to setting the tone for the piece 15 minutes

3.) Each student does a FFW using the cue: Which version of the story do you prefer, and why? 10 minutes

4.) Each student reads aloud their FFW 20 minutes

5.) Begin a 20 minute round table discussion about the point of Atwoods story focusing on three themes:

a.) The malleability of fiction stories can be about anything and are built out of rather mundane foundations (possibly include discussion about no matter how fantastic the plot fiction tends to return to base themes that are important to human beings, love, the value of life, regret, aging, etc.) b.) Atwoods inevitable conclusion all people die but is Atwood talking about characters or readers? c.) Why does fiction matter, after all, we are all going to die, right?

6.) Time permitting (maybe 10 minutes) have each student write their own John and Mary paragraph influenced by Atwoods style.