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Inside the Mind and Beyond the Grave: King's Short Stories

We have moved into our short story unit and I love a good short story.   One of my favourite ways to teach is through short stories.  They maybe brief, but they're packed with lessons, ideas, and creativity that makes them perfect for students.  Short stories are manageable for students and can be read in a single class or two.  This allows us dive into discussions and activities without getting caught up in the length.  They are also less intimidating than a  novel, which helps students who might otherwise feel overwhelmed by a whole novel.   Short stories are rich with literary elements like, theme, symbolism, foreshadowing and character development.  They give us plenty to analyze, question and debate and they can help students develop their critical thinking skills.  In Stephen King 110, short stories are especially important.  King has written multiple short stories and novellas that resonate with readers.  The object...
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On Writing: Toolbox Activity

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  To tackle the content in On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft ; students worked on a group activity. Each group was given a different tool to focus on.  The tools are:  Vocabulary and Style Description Dialogue Character Pacing Revision Reading and Writing Discipline  Students had to read the sections that pertain to their tool and create a poster to visually explain their tool to the class.  Groups also needed to incorporate parts from The Fifth Step to show examples of their tool at work.  Below is an example of the Character Tool poster that one group created.                                                               Shared with student permission 
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The Fifth Step Questions

After Reading The Fifth Step, student selected one question to answer from a list of questions.  The questions were designed to encourage them to connected with the Tool Box from On Writing, their own experiences and personal reactions to the story.    Here are the list of questions they could chose from:  Personal Response and Connection Category:  1) What emotions does the story leave you with; fear, sadness, mistrust, empathy? why? Theme and Ideas Category:  2) The story plays with the idea of confession and redemption.  Do you thin the stranger was ever truly interested in recover or was he manipulating Harold? Character and Perspective Category:  3) The stranger frames his confession within AA's recovery steps, how does this affect the way Harold, and the reader perceive him at first? Style and Impact Category:  4) How does the setting of Central Park contribute to the tension and unease of the story? 5) King is known for his ability to ...
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The First Week Review

The first week of Stephen King 110 has wrapped up, marking a week of learning in this brand new course.  Our focus in the first week was to introduce students to Stephen King, not only as a writer, but also as a person.  We took the time to check out this video:  The (Stephen) King of Horror feat. Lindsay Ellis   We explored his writing toolbox from On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, with each group taking on a different tool and bringing it to life through a creative poster presentation.  To apply their understand, students also read King's short story; The Fifth Step and used the toolbox to craft responses to a set of guiding questions, deepening their engagement with both the text and King's craft.  Students loved the twist at the end of The Fifth Step.  The look of shock on their faces was fun to witness.   You can read the story here:  The Fifth Step by Stephen King   You can also find the story in his book: You Like It Darker,...
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Welcome to the New Adventure

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Join me on a journey this semester as I teach an exciting new course I created, now being offered as a local option at my high school: Stephen King 110.   Here is a little bit about the course:  Course Description: In this course, we will dive into the stories of Stephen King , one of the most influential writers of our time.  King’s works (thematic diversity) allow us to explore themes of fear, friendship, resilience, identity, destiny, and the supernatural , all while sharpening our reading, writing, and creative skills.   As a New England author, King’s settings and characters often feel familiar to us in the Maritimes, making his stories both relatable and thought-provoking. Through his novels, short stories, and film adaptations, you will practice analysis, storytelling, and creative expression, while also reflecting on how literature connects to real-world issues.  
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