Short Stories |
Sixth Grade begins the year by reading short stories. In discussing the stories, we review and enhance students' understanding of plot, setting, character, and theme. |
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"Dragon Dragon"
“Dragon Dragon” is a modern fairy tale, loaded with humor and unusual plot twists. It is written by John Gardner, who is most famous for his novel Grendel. Our focus is identifying and analyzing the elements of plot: problem, development, climax, and resolution.
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http://library.thinkquest.org/J002767/index.htm
Journey on a quest to become a knight and learn about what life was like during the time of castles and dragons, the setting for the story "Dragon, Dragon." Follow the spinning swords and read about chivalry, take an armor test, and fight your own dragon. If you complete your quest, you will be rewarded with a certificate of knighthood. |
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http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/komodo-dragon.html
This National Geographic site focuses on the giant lizards known as Komodo dragons. Read about these dangerous creatures, view photos, and watch dragon video. How do Komodo dragons compare to the mythical beast in "Dragon, Dragon"? |
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"King of Mazy May"
Jack London, famous for his novels Call of the Wild and White Fang, wrote “King of Mazy May,” an exciting adventure about a boy growing up in the Alaskan wilderness during the Yukon Gold Rush of the l890’s. Our focus is details of setting and character. |
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http://www.parks.sonoma.net/JLStory.html
Biographical information about author Jack London |
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http://library.state.ak.us/hist/goldrush/trail.html
View photos of the Klondike Gold rush |
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http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/gold/greetings.html
Companion site to PBS American Experience about the Klondike Gold Rush. Read Interesting quotes from those who ventured to the Yukon to seek their fortune |
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http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/sleddogs/game.html
Game to learn about dogsledding (check shockwave download) |
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"Dog of Pompeii"
"Dog of Pompeii" by Louis Untermeyer is a wonderful historical fiction story set in A.D. 79 when Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The author was inspired by a real archaeological find in Pompeii, and he cleverly includes the evidence in the ending of the story. |
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http://www.fieldmuseum.org/pompeii/about.asp
See an interactive hour by hour timeline and learn more about Pompeii as well as other cities affected by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. |
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http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/pompeii.htm
Read more of Pliny the Younger’s account of the erupton of Mount Vesuvius |
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http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/vesuvius/Vesuvius
This Nova site includes current scientific information about volcanoes. |
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"The Scribe"
"The Scribe", written by Kristin Hunter, explores how individuals can make differences in their community. It also shows how difficult it is for illiterate people to improve their lives. |
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http://www.touregypt.net/historicalessays/lifeinEgypt6.htm
This site will help you learn about the role of scribes in ancient Egypt. |
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http://www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/1856/Capital_Savings_Bank_opens
This site features one of the first banks organized for African-Americans. |
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"Eleven"
"Eleven is a wonderful descriptive memory of a very unusual birthday. The author, Sandra Cisneros, is famous for her collections of short stories, incluidng "The House on Mango Street." |
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http://www.lasmujeres.com/sandracisneros/cisnerosgoal.shtml
Read the author’s statement about her writing (written for adults). |
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http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/traditions.htm
On this site you can look up information about how birthdays are celebrated around the world |
