I love teaching with short stories. They are just the right length for a single class period—it’s easier to finish them and still have time for discussion. And my kids don’t get lost in the plot like they sometimes do with a novel.
Here are 11 short stories that are a great fit for 7th grade.
“Seventh Grade” by Gary Soto
Victor tries to impress his crush Teresa by faking his way through French class. It backfires spectacularly. His misadventures on the first day of school show that sometimes the best way to get noticed is to just be yourself.
Skill Focus
Since this is a high interest story with an easy readability level for 7th graders, I like to add in more analyzing with this one. And we’ll focus on skills that we use throughout the year like elements of plot, context clues, and text evidence.
- Analyze a short video, then we’ll annotate the story to analyze character’s actions based on the short video
- Annotate to analyze elements of plot
- Analyze dialogue
You can try this free resource for “Seventh Grade” by Gary Soto here.
“Rikki Tikki Tavi” by Rudyard Kipling
“Rikki-tikki was very frightened as he saw the size of the big cobra. Nag coiled himself up, raised his head, and looked into the bathroom in the dark, and Rikki could see his eyes glitter.”
A British family living in India rescues a mongoose from a terrible flood and nurses him back to health. A tale of bravery and loyalty as the mongoose battles two very dangerous cobra snakes, Nag and Nagaina, to keep his new human family safe.
Skill Focus
- Four types of conflict
- Character’s motivation for their actions
- Sound devices including onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance, consonance
My “Rikki Tikki Tavi” short story resource can help you teach these skills and more.
“The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” by Rod Sterling
A teleplay written as an episode for The Twilight Zone – this is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE selection for 7th grade.
Picture an ordinary neighborhood on a summer afternoon. Kids are playing outside. Somebody’s dad is
barbecuing. A huge shadow passes overhead, then a roar and a flash of light. The power goes off. Nothing works, not even lawnmowers or cars will start. It’s not an ordinary summer afternoon anymore.
Skill Focus
- Mood and Tone – works well with the audio verson.
- Theme
- Analyzing Conflict
- Compare and contrast the teleplay with the 2003 television episode.
- Pair with a nonfiction article about the War of the Worlds radio show panic, then listen to the War of the Worlds broadcast.
- Pair the War of the Worlds activities with an 8-minute video for a very different perspective about the so-called radio show panic
“A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley” a play by Israel Horowitz
Ebenezer Scrooge is a bitter old man who only cares about money. On Christmas Eve, he gets the wake-up call of a lifetime when three ghosts drag him on a wild journey through his past, present, and possible future. Scrooge is forced to face his past, but is it too late to change his future?
Skill Focus
- Elements of a drama
- Analyzing man vs. supernatural conflict
- Tracing the development of theme
- Providing an objective summary
I have these activities and more in my “A Christmas Carol” resource here.
“The Smallest Dragonboy” by Anne McCaffrey
Keevan’s heart is pounding as the dragon eggs begin to crack. Becoming a Dragonrider is one of the highest honors on the planet Pern. Riders must dedicate their entire lives to their dragons and to protecting Pern. Dragons choose their riders the moment they hatch – would this be Keevan’s moment, or would he be overlooked, his dreams slipping away as the dragons found their riders?
Skill Focus
- Indirect and Direct Characterization
- Supporting Character Traits with Text Evidence
- Types of Characters
“Song of the Trees” by Mildred Taylor
Cassie Logan is a young black girl growing up in rural Mississippi during the 1930s. Cassie loves the forest that surrounds her home – the trees “sing” to her, its where she feels at home. But Mr. Anderson is pressuring Cassie’s family to sell the trees for lumber.
Skill Focus
I love, love, love, using anything written by Mildred D. Taylor for mentor texts because her writing is incredible.
- Imagery
- Personification
- Text Evidence
- Development of Theme Analysis
“The Highwayman” Narrative Poem by Alfred Noyes
A mysterious hero, the thrill of adventure, betrayal, sacrifice, true love. It’s a rollercoaster of suspense and emotions that builds to a devastating climax. I know your students will love this narrative poem.
Skill Focus
- Poetry Analysis: Sound Devices, Rhymes, Rhythm
- Plot Analysis
- Plot Summary
I have tons of poetry skill practice activities and much more, including a complete question and answer flow that you can follow as a script for the close read and annotations.
Take a look at “The Highwayman” unit here.
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
A small town has a lottery every year where one citizen is randomly chosen. The town believes that the lottery will bring about a good harvest. But there’s something not quite right about this lottery.
Skill Focus
- text evidence
- implied meanings
- irony
- allegory
- symbolism
Get these activities and more in “The Lottery” unit here.
“Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed” by Ray Bradbury, also published under the title “The Naming of Names”
Harry Bittering’s rocket has been destroyed, and his family is stranded on Mars. Other colonists are there, but Harry wants to return to Earth. Strange changes begin to happen to Harry and the other colonists. Years later, when new rockets from Earth finally arrive, there is no sign of the original colonists.
Skill Focus
- Text Evidence
- Figurative Language (Vocabulary)
- Audio Techniques
- Circular Plot Structure
- Author’s Craft
- Imagery
- Point of View
- Analyze Historical Context
Get this full two week unit in my “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed” resource.
“The Landlady” by Roald Dahl
“The Landlady” is one of my favorite stories EVER! We’ve had some amazing student-led discussions around the ending! Perfect story for active student discussions!
Billy is traveling through England. He reserves a room at a cozy bed & breakfast run by a sweet old lady. As the story continues, Billy starts to notice strange details that leads us to a rather disturbing conclusion.
Skill Focus
- interactive reading, student led discussion
- supporting arguments w/text evidence using assertion, reason, evidence & explanation
- argumentative essay
- analyze word choice, mood, and tone
- analyze audio techniques with The Landlady Radio Play
- compare and contrast text to film
I give you all the tools you need for your students to write an argumentative essay, analyze audio techniques, and more in my short story resource “The Landlady.” I’ve included an argumentative annotation guide, note taking form, and essay outline form and rubric.
“After Twenty Years” by O. Henry
Two best friend, Jimmy and Bob, make a pact to meet at the exact same spot in exactly twenty years, no matter where life takes them. When they do reunite, Jimmy is now a police officer, and he recognizes Bob as a wanted criminal. The story takes an unexpected turn that makes us think deeply about friendship, duty, and doing what’s right.
Skill Focus
- foreshadowing
- annotating and analyzing characterization
- point of view analysis for both characters
- comparing short story to short film + essay assignment with prompt, outline and rubric
You can find all the characterization activities and a complete guide for writing an essay that requires evidence to argue whether the movie or the story was better in my “After Twenty Years” unit here.
This collection of short stories has something for every classroom. Want everything in one place? Grab the complete 7th Grade Short Story Bundle here and make planning a whole lot easier!
