The Shapes of Stories

Todd Cecutti
Grades 11-12 Language Arts/English

Common Core Standards:

Key ideas and details:
RL.11-12.3 Analyze the impact of the authors choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a
story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and
developed).
Craft and structure:
RL.11-12.5 Analyze how an authors choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the
choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its
overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
Text types and purposes:
W.11-12.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique,
well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
Production and distribution of writing:
W.11-12.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared
writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments and information.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge:
W.11-12.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Lesson Summary:
This lesson is designed to exercise students comprehension and recognition of the elements and patterns of
fiction through the reading of a short story and composition of their own short story. Students will read Kate
Chopins The Story of An Hour with Freytags Pyramid in mind. Then, students will be introduced to Kurt
Vonneguts Shapes of Stories and his Basics of Creative Writing, familiarizing them with the structures of
fiction and character development, as well as the basics of creative writing. Using The Shapes of Stories as a
guide, the class will compile their own lists of movies and literature that match Vonneguts shapes and engage
in discussion about these lists. For the next segment of the lesson, students will be given a partner with whom
to write their own short story in Google Docs mirroring a Vonnegut story shape using a Picasa Featured Photo
as inspiration. As post-assessment, students will present their short stories to the class, identifying Freytags
Pyramid elements and story shape along the way.

Estimated Duration:
Five 50-minute class periods.
Commentary:
To hook students, I will ask them to write the name of their favorite piece of literature (short story, novel,
play, etc.) on the whiteboard or smartboard as they enter the classroom. I will then present a Google Slide
presentation of Freytags Pyramid (briefly, as students in grades 11-12 should already be familiar), a short
biography of Kurt Vonnegut (with some of his most popular quotes, which are funny and engaging), and his
Basics of Creative Writing. Class will discuss how their favorite literature matches up to Vonneguts
Basics. I anticipate that keeping a controlled classroom may be a challenge when presenting a lesson with
lots of discussion involved. It will be important to keep students on track and taking turns. The next day,
students will be introduced to Vonneguts Shapes of Stories Theory and get into groups to make lists of
popular book and movies for each shape (a fun hook activity). These lists will be shared with the class,
which will be a fun and interesting exercise. Again, keeping a controlled classroom is a challenge when in open
discussion. The next day of class, students will be partnered up with laptops writing their short stories. It will
be my job to keep students focused and to make sure that they will be finished (or close) by the end of class.
Instructional Procedures:
Day 1:
First 5 minutes: Students will write the title of their favorite piece of literature on the board as they enter the
classroom.
10 minutes: Google Slide presentation of Freytags Pyramid, Kurt Vonnegut information, and Kurt Vonneguts
Basics of Creative Writing. This introduces students to creative thinking in story structure.
5 minutes: Choose a few examples from the titles students wrote on the board and talk about how they meet
Freytags Pyramid and Basics of Creative Writing.
10 minutes: Distribute and read aloud Kate Chopins The Story of An Hour.
5 minutes: Use Google Docs and projector/smartboard to highlight Freytag elements in The Story of An
Hour.
10 minutes: Discuss whether or not The Story of An Hour meets Vonneguts expectations according to his
Basics of Creative Writing. Ask students: Did every sentence in The Story of An Hour advance to story or
reveal character? or How close to the end did this story start?
5 minutes: Introduce homework, which is for students to think of or find a short story that meets the
benchmarks set by Basics of Creative Writing. These short stories can be childrens books, classic short
stories, modern short stories, fables, etc.
Day 2:
First 15 minutes: Go around class and discuss the short stories students chose to meet standards in Vonneguts

Basics of Creative Writing and Freytags Pyramid. If class or teacher is unfamiliar with a particular selection,
ask for a brief summary and why it is an effective short story. This activity is good for pre-assessment, as the
teacher will be able to see who has a grasp on lesson so far and who does not.
10 minutes: Show video of Kurt Vonneguts Shapes of Stories Theory lecture
(https://youtu.be/KBIogLNFkV8). It is a funny lecture that will keep students engaged. Slide show to clarify
the shapes of stories in Google Slides, including the extra shape that Vonnegutt included in his book A Man
Without a Country (http://bookloversprogram.in/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/vonnegutshapesofstories.jpg).
Keep on smartboard/projector for students to reference.
20 minutes: Class discussion and inquiry about shapes of stories. Questions for teacher to ask What is your
favorite story shape? Easiest story shape to write? Most difficult story shape to write? Do you think that
story shapes apply to real life?
Last 5 minutes: Ask students to find a partner for a project that we will be working on for the next two days in
class. Do not reveal the nature of the project. Prepare a basket in which there are drawn or printed story shapes
(based on how many students are in the class, adjust to distribute shapes evenly). As the students exit the room,
each partner group blindly picks a story shape from the basket. Tell them to consider the shape and write down
several books, movies, stories that match it.
Day 3:
First 10 minutes: Students, with their partners from the day before, are assigned to a laptop. They access a
class Google Doc in which there are headings for each story shape. Students compile lists of movies, books,
stories, etc. for the shape that they were assigned. Students can watch the list grow in real time and discuss
amongst themselves about whether a particular story is one shape or another. The teacher should bounce
around the class making sure that students stay on track and had done some amount of thinking at home.
10 minutes: Display lists on smartboard/projector. Discuss the lists with the class. This will be a fun
discussion as students see some of their favorite movies and stories on the lists and react.
10 minutes: Students with partners with whom they shared a laptop. Introduce class to the short story writing
assignment. The story is to be at least 1.5 pages, double-spaced. It should address setting, character(s),
Freytags pyramid (Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement), and match the story
shape that they were assigned previously. Students use the laptop to access the Picasa Featured Photos page
and select one to inspire their story.
20 minutes: Time for students to work on their stories with their partners. Advise students to draw a Freytags
Pyramid as well as their story shape and make an outline of the story they will write. Advise them to work on
the stories at home if they may not finish the assignment after tomorrows class.
Day 4:
First 5 minutes: Teacher explains that today is the last class day to work on the stories. Any stories that are
unfinished will be homework. Reiterate the goals for the story (setting, character, conflict, story shape,
Freytags Pyramid) and ask them to stay on task. Announce that the stories will be presented tomorrow to the
class and that each group will be responsible for pointing our their story shape and story elements according to
Freytags Pyramid.
45 minutes: Students work with their partners to complete their stories. The teacher should be checking in on
each groups progress as a lesson pre-assessment and to monitor their use of time.

Day 5:
50 minutes: Each group presents their story by first reading it aloud, then using a smartboard or projector to
display it on screen and mark story elements like exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and
denouement, as well as making clear that their story follows the story shape that they were assigned. The
teacher should treat this as the post-assessment and grade students based on their story meeting requirements
and the students ability to dissect their storys elements.

Pre-Assessment:
I believe that the best method of pre-assessment in this lesson would be on day 2 in the first 15 minutes when
students are asked to share the stories they chose to examine for meeting the literary standards that we
discussed the day before. As long as a student is able to discuss Freytags Pyramid in relation to their story then
they have at least a basic understanding of what the lesson is teaching.
Another opportunity for pre-assessment is on day 4 during the 45-minute block when students are writing their
stories with partners. The teacher should visit each group at least once to measure comprehension of the
assignment.
Scoring Guidelines:
Teacher will use his/her judgment to determine whether students are prepared to move on to the next
step of the assignment based on their comprehension and utilization of the basics of story writing and
story elements. Formative assessment should be used during the independent work times for the groups.
Post-Assessment:
The stories that the groups create and diagram will be the final assessment for this lesson. The students
diagramming their own writing will assure that they understand the concepts of story elements and shape.
Scoring Guidelines:
Teacher must assess that the student group has matched or exceeded the required length of the
assignment, met requirements for story elements, and grasps the concept of story shapes. Points will be
taken off for stories that do not meet length requirements and for missing story elements. Grammar
should also be considered.

Differentiated Instructional Support

For gifted or accelerated students, a teacher should expect sophisticated responses to prompts such as Think of
a story that meets Vonneguts Basics of Creative Writing or Think of movies and books that meet a specific
story shape. These students could also be paired with students who struggle with the concepts of the lesson or

with elements of composition (grammar, structure, creativity, etc.).

For students who are struggling with this lesson, special one-on-one attention can be administered by the
teacher to give the student specific examples of story elements that the student can easily relate to. A struggling
student can also be partnered with an accelerated student who would be able to help them with the concepts and
composition skills necessary to complete this lesson.
Extension
This is an infographic that goes into more detail about Vonneguts Shapes of Stories Theory, though Creation
story, Old Testament, and New Testament are not part of the Vonnegut canon and as a class we do not
address Which Way Is Up? It may clear up confusion about the differences between stories: LINK

Homework Options and Home Connections

Day 1: Students are to think of at least one example of a short story that meets the benchmarks set by Vonnegut
in his Basics of Creative Writing.
Day 2: Students are to think of examples of movies, books, etc. that match the story shape that they were
assigned.
Day 3: (Optional) Work on the story that the partner groups started in class if they want to get ahead.
Day 4: Any group whose story is not finished by the end of class MUST complete it for homework. Partners
are encouraged to collaborate using Google Doc.

Interdisciplinary Connections
Social science: Students are having discussions as a class and collaborating in small groups in order to
complete the lesson. Collaboration includes listening to others, sharing work, communicating ones feelings,
etc.
Art: Creative writing is an art. Whether a student is writing to a prompt like in this lesson or creating a story
out of their own ideas, creative writing is exercising the imagination.
Materials and Resources:
For teachers

Smartboard/projector, Google account, laptop to display class collaborations and

stories, access to internet, paper & printer for handouts

For students

Laptops (provided by school), internet access,

smartboard/projector, pen/pencil, paper

Key Vocabulary
Freytags Pyramid, Vonneguts Shapes of Stories Theory, Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action,
denouement