Short Story Teacher Kit
Lesson templates, discussion prompts, and vocabulary activities that work with any short story. Perfect for high school ELL/ESL classrooms.
Lesson Plan Templates
30-Minute Quick Read
Perfect for a single class period. Warm-up, read-aloud, and one discussion question.
- 5 min warm-up
- 15 min reading
- 10 min discussion
45-Minute Deep Dive
Standard lesson with vocabulary work and evidence-based discussion.
- 5 min warm-up
- 5 min vocab preview
- 20 min reading
- 15 min discussion
90-Minute Workshop
Full workshop with pair work, writing task, and peer feedback.
- 10 min warm-up
- 25 min reading
- 20 min pair discussion
- 25 min writing
- 10 min share-out
Universal Discussion Prompts
These prompts work with any story. Replace [character] or [topic] with specifics from your chosen text.
Character Analysis
- What does [character] want? What are they afraid of?
- How does [character] change from beginning to end?
- Would you be friends with [character]? Why or why not?
Theme & Meaning
- What is the author trying to tell us about [topic]?
- Do you agree with the message of this story? Why?
- How is this theme relevant to your life today?
Literary Techniques
- Find one example of [irony/symbolism/foreshadowing] and explain it.
- Why did the author choose to start/end the story this way?
- How does the setting affect the mood of the story?
Personal Connection
- Have you ever felt like [character] in this story?
- What would you do differently if you were [character]?
- Does this story remind you of any experience from your own life?
Vocabulary Activities
Context Clue Hunt
Students identify 5 unknown words and guess meanings from context before checking.
Word Wall
Create a class word wall with key vocabulary, definitions, and example sentences.
Sentence Starters
Provide scaffolded sentence frames using target vocabulary for discussion.
Ready to use these resources with a real story?
Browse our curated list of 48 short stories with difficulty ratings, public domain links, and story-specific discussion questions.
Browse 48 Short Stories (B1–C1)