Charles by Shirley Jackson

Short Story

We are exploring the short story genre.   Short stories are different from novels because they are shorter, have one plot line, and have limited characters.  Often, there is a surprising twist at the end that often surprises the reader.  We will annotate or gloss the text, which means we take notes in the margins of the text to identify literary elements and important details used in discussions   Identifying, discussing, and analyzing literary elements is an important part of our sixth grade goal, especially when learning how to write critically about literature.

About the Author

 Shirley Jackson

(December, 14, 1916 - August, 9 1965)

An obituary is an article in a newspaper that gives an overview of a person's life after they have passed away.  The New York Times published a beautiful obituary that captures the spirit of the talented writer. See the related link below to read the August 10, 1965 obituary about Shirley Jackson and answer the question.

Activities

Participate in the class blog for "Charles".  The following activities require that you make connections between different types of text.  You will read an obituary, a nonfiction article, and a poem.  Follow the links below and complete the activities for each passage. 

New York Times: Shirley Jackson Obituary
New York Times on the Web Learning Network wrote a beautiful obituary that captures the Shirley Jackson's wonderful contributions to the literary world. Read the newspaper article. "Charles" is one of her humourous stories. What other type of writing is Shirley Jackson is famous for?
"Confession" by Bruce Lansky
Read Bruce Lansky's poem, "Confession". Discuss with a friend how the characters in the poem are alike and different from the Charles character in Shirley Jackson's short story. Create a venn diagram of the similarities and differences.
"Just Don't Pucker Up"
Read the article, "Just Don't Pucker Up" from the Time for Kids online magazine. Write a short answer response to the questions at the end of the article. Use details from the story to support your opinion.

Teacher Websites © 2010 SchoolWorld