The George Washington University
Educ. 263- Instructional Design
Instructor: Dr. Ryan Watkins
Spring 2009
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Instructional Systems Design (ISD)
An Application of ISD: Short Story Unit
By Nada Salem Abisamra

Short Story: "The Lady, or the Tiger?"
Author: Frank Stockton

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[Although this unit was originally aimed at grade 6 English Language Learners (ELLs), it can be taught to any ELLs (children or adults) at an intermediate or high intermediate level of English Language Proficiency. It can also be adapted to advanced students.]
 Instructional Goal || Terminal Objective || Documents Provided || Instructor's Package || Student Guide || ISD
A- Instructional Goal:
After the English Language Learners (ELLs) have completed the lesson based on the short story written by Frank Stockton titled "The Lady, or the Tiger?" they will be able to identify the narrative elements in the story then write a similar short story indicating the narrative elements in their own story. (Estimated time needed: minimum 8 hours)

B- Terminal Objective:
After the English Language Learners (ELLs) have read the short story written by Frank Stockton titled "The Lady, or the Tiger?", analyzed it, and identified its narrative elements, they will be able to write a similar short story of their own indicating the narrative elements in their own story. Their short stories will be evaluated based on the “Short Story Evaluation Rubric” and will be considered "Proficient.”

C- Documents Provided (Based on ISD)

  1. Instructional Analysis
  2. Learner & Context Analyses
  3. Performance Objectives
  4. Assessment:
  5. Instructional Strategy for the Whole Unit
  6. Content: Narrative Elements Explained
  7. Activities:
  8. Formative Evaluation & Revision Plan
D- Related Document
  1. Unit Plan for grade 9 (Brevet) students
 Instructional Goal || Terminal Objective || Documents Provided || Instructor's Package || Student Guide || ISD
Instructor's Package
How to Teach the Short Story Unit?
Levels: Intermediate & High Intermediate
Subject: ESL/ELL
I- Instructional Goal || II- Unit Overview  || III- Materials to Examine
IV- Instructional Strategy: Section 1, Section 2, Section 3, Section 4, Section 5, Section 6, Sections 7 & 8
I- Instructional Goal

After the grade 6 English Language Learners (ELLs) have completed the lesson based on the short story written by Frank Stockton titled "The Lady, or the Tiger?" they will be able to identify the narrative elements in the story then write a similar short story indicating the narrative elements in their own story. (Estimated time needed: minimum 8 hours)

II- Unit Overview

1. Read the Short Story: "The Lady, or the Tiger?" and analyze it

1.1 Use the title to predict
1.2 Analyze the words and phrases in context (+ key)
1.3 Discuss open-ended guiding questions
1.4 Analyze main characters
1.5 Draw up the timeline of events (+ key)
2. Describe & Identify Narrative Elements in the Short Story: "The Lady, or the Tiger?" (key)
Pretest & KWL Chart
2.1. & 2.2 Describe & Identify Point of View
2.3. & 2.4 Describe& Identify Character Roles
2.5. & 2.6. Describe & Identify Setting
2.7. & 2.8. Describe & Identify Tone & Mood
2.9. & 2.10. Describe & Identify Plot
2.11. & 2.12 Describe & Identify Theme
Posttest & KWL Chart
3. Write first draft of own story
3.1 Fill out a “Short Story Components Fill-in Form” for own story (tentatively)
3.2 Write the Sequence of Action / Timeline of Events for own story
3.3 Write the first draft of own story
4. Indicate narrative elements in own story
4.1 Highlight words/sentences that indicate the narrative elements
4.2 Write in the margin what kind of narrative elements the highlighted words indicate
4.3 Fill out another “Short Story Components Fill-in Form” for own story then compare this form with the previous one
5. Evaluate peer/own work
5.1 Complete “Short Story Evaluation Rubric” for a peer
5.2 Complete “Short Story Evaluation Rubric” for own story
6. Write second draft
6.1 Review peer and self evaluations of own story, modify story based on evaluations (write the second draft)
7. Is the 2nd draft satisfactory?  [It is if your evaluation of the student's second draft falls at least under "Intermediate"]

8. Prepare final copy of story

I- Instructional Goal || II- Unit Overview  || III- Materials to Examine
IV- Instructional Strategy: Section 1, Section 2, Section 3, Section 4, Section 5, Section 6, Sections 7 & 8
 
III- Materials to Examine Carefully Prior to Starting Instruction:
I- Instructional Goal || II- Unit Overview  || III- Materials to Examine
IV- Instructional Strategy: Section 1, Section 2, Section 3, Section 4, Section 5, Section 6, Sections 7 & 8
IV- Instructional Strategy
The main strategy will be Gagne’s reorganized 5 events of instruction that falls under cognitivism and includes Keller’s ARCS model of motivation. From Hirumi’s (1996) “Eight Events for Student-Centered Learning,”, we will also borrow "constructing knowledge" (number 4), which falls under constructivism.
Here is what the final strategy consists of:

A- Preinstructional activities

a. Motivating learners
  • Attention: Gaining/sustaining attention
  • Relevance: Making sure learners perceive instruction as relevant
  • Confidence: Making sure they are confident that they can master the objectives > create the appropriate level of expectation for success
  • Satisfaction: Making sure they derive satisfaction from the learning experience (extrinsic rewards or intrinsic feelings of accomplishment?)
    • b. Informing them of objective(s)
    c. Informing them of prerequisite skills
    B- Content presentation and examples + Constructing knowledge
    C- Learner participation (Practice & Feedback)
    D- Assessment (Pretest & Posttest)
    E- Follow-through activities (Memory skills & Transfer of learning)

    We need to state here that the aforementioned strategy will not be followed exactly the way it is 100% of the time. It will be tailored to the needs of each lesson.

    The instructional events included in this strategy will effectively contribute to learner success since those learners will:
    • Perceive instruction as relevant
    • Be confident that they can master the objectives
    • Construct knowledge
    • Be actively involved in their learning
    • Practice
    • Provide feedback
    • Receive feedback

    I- Instructional Goal || II- Unit Overview  || III- Materials to Examine
    IV- Instructional Strategy: Section 1, Section 2, Section 3, Section 4, Section 5, Section 6, Sections 7 & 8
    Section 1, Objective: Read the Short Story: "The Lady, or the Tiger?" and analyze it
    1.1 Use the title to predict
    1.2 Analyze the words and phrases in context
    1.3 Discuss open-ended guiding questions
    1.4 Analyze main characters
    1.5 Draw up the timeline of events
    A- Preinstructional activities: (Motivating learners, Informing them of objective(s), Informing them of prerequisite skills)

    Start with the following:"Who has read an interesting story recently? ... What was it about? Why did it captivate you? Do you think you can write a captivating short story yourself?...
    We are going to explore an interesting story in this class. It is titled 'The Lady, or the Tiger?'" Write the title on the board. "What does this title tell us? What information does it give us? Distribute the handout (Use the title to predict) and ask them to work in pairs and try to fill it out in 5 minutes. Then, discuss their answers with them.

    B & C- Content presentation and examples/Constructing knowledge & Learner participation (Practice & Feedback)

    Ask the students to skim through the short story in 20 minutes, making sure they number the lines of the story before they start reading. Then give them the second handout (analyze the words and phrases in context) and ask them to work in pairs in order to do the exercises. Time allotted: 20 minutes. After they finish, give them the key and ask them to exchange their answers with another pair and correct each other's in 5 minutes.

    Afterwards, assign groups of three and ask them to discuss the open-ended guiding questions in 10 minutes. Then, ask them to volunteer answers.

    After that, work with them on analyzing the main characters (8 minutes).

    D- Assessment (Pretest & Posttest)

    No need for pre and post tests here.

    E- Follow-through activities (Memory skills & Transfer of learning)

    Homework assignment: Ask them to draw up the timeline of events

    I- Instructional Goal || II- Unit Overview  || III- Materials to Examine
    IV- Instructional Strategy: Section 1, Section 2, Section 3, Section 4, Section 5, Section 6, Sections 7 & 8
    Section 2, Objective: Describe & Identify Narrative Elements
    Pretest & KWL Chart
    2.1. & 2.2 Describe & Identify Point of View
    2.3. & 2.4 Describe & Identify Character Roles
    2.5. & 2.6. Describe & Identify Setting
    2.7. & 2.8. Describe & Identify Tone & Mood
    2.9. & 2.10. Describe & Identify Plot
    2.11. & 2.12 Describe & Identify Theme
    Posttest & KWL Chart
    Strategy & Instructions:

    Introduction: First, correct the assignment (key) then choose some students randomly and ask them to use in new sentences some of the new words learned the previous session. Afterwards, link this session with the previous one and move to the narrative elements:

    “Now that we have already used the title to predict, analyzed words and phrases in context, discussed guiding questions, analyzed the main characters, and drawn up the timeline of the events in “The Lady, or the Tiger?”, we are ready to start learning about the narrative elements."

    1- Preinstructional activities

    a. Motivating learners > Pretest as a result of which they will realize that they need instruction
    “We need to see, first, what you already know about the Narrative Elements. For this purpose, you will need to answer the questions in the handout titled, “Short Story: Narrative Elements- Pre-Test” (page 1). You will have 10 minutes for this activity. Do not forget to write your names at the top of the first page.”

    “After you have answered the questions on page 1, you will need to fill out columns 2 and 3 of the KWL chart: what you know and what you would like/need to know about each narrative element. You will have another 10 minutes for this activity.”

    i. Gaining/sustaining attention [refer to KWL Chart- They fill out the “What I Know” section]

    ii. Making sure learners perceive instruction as relevant [refer to KWL Chart- They fill out the “What I Want to Know” section]

    “Now, before I collect the two handouts, let us discuss what you think you know and what you feel you need to learn about the narrative elements (NEs). First, do you think you know everything about the NEs? (they are expected to answer negatively). Which are the narrative elements that you know nothing or very little about? Do not forget that you will need to pinpoint them later on in the short story we are studying, then you will need to incorporate them in your own short story. You will find out, after this lesson, that they are very easy to learn about. I expect you all to master them at the end, after we have reviewed them again and again.”

    DISCUSSION

    iii. Making sure they are confident that they can master the objectives > create the appropriate level of expectation for success

    b. Try to derive objective(s) together (guide them to reach the main objectives of instruction) then share ours with them- But be open to make changes if need be).

    2- Content presentation, Examples, and Learner participation (+ Constructing knowledge)
    Divide the class into 3 groups. Each group will be assigned two narrative elements. They will have to become experts in the narrative elements they are assigned. Give the learners 20 minutes to browse the Internet in order to find the best way to explain them to the class. You can write on the board the URL of the website dedicated for this lesson (https://www.nadasisland.com/literature/). Fifteen minutes later, you can distribute the handouts about the Narrative Elements and ask them to compare their notes with them. Then they start their presentations. After each group presents (time allotted for each group: 10 minutes), the learners will, in 5 or 10 minutes (depending on the section), fill out the relevant section of the Short Story Components Fill-in Form, then they will correct each other’s copies (5 minutes for each narrative element) based on the aforementioned rubric (for peer feedback).

    At the end of this section, the learners will have
    o Constructed their knowledge, and actively learned and presented content
    o Practiced
    o Provided and received peer feedback

    3- Assessment: posttest > At the end, give the learners a posttest (the “Short Story: Narrative Elements- Post-Test”). Time allotted: 10 minutes
    After they finish, give them their pre-test and ask them to compare it with their post-test. Based on their comparison, they will have to fill out the last column of the KWL chart: “What I have learned.” (Time allotted: 10 minutes)

    4- Motivating learners: Making sure they derive satisfaction from the learning experience (extrinsic rewards or intrinsic feelings of accomplishment?)
    After the learners have filled out the “What I have learned” column of the KWL chat, discuss their accomplishments with them and guide them so that they derive satisfaction from what they have learned.

    5. Follow-up:
    Homework Assignment: Ask the learners to review all the narrative elements and related activities at home.

    I- Instructional Goal || II- Unit Overview  || III- Materials to Examine
    IV- Instructional Strategy: Section 1, Section 2, Section 3, Section 4, Section 5, Section 6, Sections 7 & 8
    Section 3, Objective: Write first draft of own story
    3.1 Fill out a “Short Story Components Fill-in Form” for own story (tentatively)
    3.2 Write the Sequence of Action / Timeline of Events for own story
    3.3 Write the first draft of own story
    A- Preinstructional activities:

    At the beginning of the session: Ask the learners to fill out the whole “Short Story Components Fill-in Form” in 30 minutes. Give them, at the beginning of the quiz, the rubric their peers will use to evaluate their work.

    B- Content presentation

    None

    C- Learner participation

    Before they start writing their own stories, ask the learners to tentatively fill out a “Short Story Components Fill-in Form” for their own stories in 20 minutes. This will serve as a kind of "outline." When they are done, distribute the Timeline of Events handout and give the learners 10 minutes to fill it out for their own stories.

    D- Assessment

    Ask the learners to start writing their first drafts, based on the the two handouts (related to their stories) that they filled out earlier.

    E- Follow-through activities (Memory skills & Transfer of learning)

    Homework assignment: ask the learners to complete their stories at home.

    I- Instructional Goal || II- Unit Overview  || III- Materials to Examine
    IV- Instructional Strategy: Section 1, Section 2, Section 3, Section 4, Section 5, Section 6, Sections 7 & 8
    Section 4, Objective: Indicate narrative elements in own story
    4.1 Ask the learners to highlight words/sentences that indicate the narrative elements (10 minutes)
    4.2 Ask the learners to write in the margin what kind of narrative elements the highlighted words indicate (5 minutes)
    4.3 Ask the learners to fill out another “Short Story Components Fill-in Form” for own story then compare this form with the previous one (20 minutes)
    Section 5, Objective: Evaluate peer/own work
    5.1 Ask the learners to complete “Short Story Evaluation Rubric” for a peer (15 minutes)
    5.2 Ask the learners to complete “Short Story Evaluation Rubric” for own story (15 minutes)
    Section 6, Objective: Write second draft
    6.1 Ask the learners to review peer and self evaluations of own story (10 minutes), modify story based on evaluations (write the second draft) (40 minutes)
    Sections 7 & 8, Objective: If the 2nd. draft is satisfactory, prepare final copy of story
    EvaIuate the learners' second drafts. If those drafts fall at least under "Intermediate", ask the learners to prepare the final copy of the story (homework assignment). The learners whose drafts are not satisfactory will have to be placed in the same group(s), reevaluate each other's drafts, receive peer feedback again, and re-write their stories based on that feedback.
    I- Instructional Goal || II- Unit Overview  || III- Materials to Examine
    IV- Instructional Strategy: Section 1, Section 2, Section 3, Section 4, Section 5, Section 6, Sections 7 & 8

     Instructional Goal || Terminal Objective || Documents Provided || Instructor's Package || Student Guide || ISD

    Student Guide
    How to Study the Short Story Unit?
    Unit Overview

    1. Read the Short Story: "The Lady, or the Tiger?" and analyze it

    1.1 Use the title to predict
    1.2 Analyze the words and phrases in context
    1.3 Discuss open-ended guiding questions
    1.4 Analyze main characters
    1.5 Draw up the timeline of events
    2. Describe & Identify Narrative Elements
    Pretest & KWL Chart
    2.1. & 2.2 Describe & Identify Point of View
    2.3. & 2.4 Describe & Identify Character Roles
    2.5. & 2.6. Describe & Identify Setting
    2.7. & 2.8. Describe & Identify Tone & Mood
    2.9. & 2.10. Describe&Identify Plot
    2.11. & 2.12 Describe & Identify Theme
    Posttest & KWL Chart
    3. Write first draft of own story
    3.1 Fill out a “Short Story Components Fill-in Form” for own story (tentatively)
    3.2 Write the Sequence of Action / Timeline of Events for own story
    3.3 Write the first draft of own story
    4. Indicate narrative elements in own story
    4.1 Highlight words/sentences that indicate the narrative elements
    4.2 Write in the margin what kind of narrative elements the highlighted words indicate
    4.3 Fill out another “Short Story Components Fill-in Form” for own story then compare this form with the previous one
    5. Evaluate peer/own work
    5.1 Complete “Short Story Evaluation Rubric” for a peer
    5.2 Complete “Short Story Evaluation Rubric” for own story
    6. Write second draft
    6.1 Review peer and self evaluations of own story, modify story based on evaluations (write the second draft)
    7. Is the 2nd draft satisfactory? [It is if your teacher's evaluation of your second draft falls at least under "Intermediate"]

    8. Prepare final copy of story


     Instructional Goal || Terminal Objective || Documents Provided || Instructor's Package || Student Guide || ISD

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