When I’m teaching short stories I notice it’s a lot easier for students to find text evidence and key details in a short story than in a novel—it’s just more manageable and less overwhelming for them. This makes them perfect for building confidence before tackling longer texts.
Whether you’re looking to beef up your short story game or you just want to give them a try, here are a few short stories that have worked well in my 8th grade classroom.
“The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs
Be careful what you wish for. The White family comes into possession of a mummified monkey’s paw that is said to grant three wishes. Even though they have been warned about the paw’s dangerous powers, Mr. White makes a wish for money, which sets off a disturbing chain of events.
If you’re looking to start the year off with an attention getting story, this is a great choice. And if you’ve used any of my 7th grade units with mood you’ll see how skills become more challenging across grade levels with this unit.
Skill Focus
- Elements of Plot Review
- Citing Text Evidence
- Mood and Mood Shifts
- Types of Foreshadowing
Download this FREE unit today.
“Flowers for Algernon”” by Daniel Keyes
Charlie Gordon, a 37-year-old man with intellectual disabilities, undergoes an experimental procedure to make him smarter. Was it right to experiment on someone like Charlie? Did Charlie even understand what he agreed to? What does it really mean to be intelligent?
Skill Focus
- Plot Pyramid
- Text Evidence
- Theme
- Development of Theme (w/Character’s Actions)
- Analyzing Motivation
- Integrating Fiction & Nonfiction
- Pair with my nonfiction article, The Disturbing History of Human Experimentation
- Comparing Short Story to Movie (Flowers for Algernon, year 2000 movie edition)
*BONUS*
I’ve included my original 8th grade nonfiction article, The Disturbing History of Human Experimentation, which is hands down my favorite part of the unit. Super high interest, lots of ethical issues for students to consider.
Get this complete short story unit here.
“The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe
Ready to introduce your middle schoolers to a literary classic? An unreliable narrator tries to convince the reader that he is perfectly sane, all while describing a meticulously planned murder that suggests he is anything but sane.
Skill Focus
This text is a high reading level, so I’ve included a comprehension guide and different versions of a few activities that help break things into manageable steps.
- Text Evidence
- Tone
- Plot Pyramid
- Analyzing Motivation
- Literary Elements
- Arguments + Guided Argumentative Essay
- Comparing Short Story to Short Film
This “Tell-Tale Heart” short story unit has everything you need, including multiple pre-writing activities that lead up to writing a short, one paragraph argumentative essay.
“The Diary of Anne Frank” play by Goodrich and Hackett
Jewish teenager Anne Frank kept a diary of the two years she and 7 other Jews lived in a secret room called the annex during World War II. This play is based on her diary where she wrote about her family’s desperate attempt to survive Nazi persecution during the Holocaust.
I begin this unit with the 11-minute video The Development of the “Final Solution” from Yad Vashem, The International School for Holocaust Studies. Students answer some detailed questions while watching. I created this activity to make sure students understood the horrors that the occupants of the annex are hiding from.
Skill Focus
- Elements of Drama
- Dramatic Irony
- Text Evidence
- Analyzing Dialogue
- Analyzing Conflict
- Analyzing Events
Everything you need to teach this incredible historical account is in
my Anne Frank Short Story of the Month unit here.
“The Treasure of Lemon Brown” by Walter Dean Myers
What makes something a treasure? Does it have to be worth a lot of money? Could it be a gift from someone, maybe a souvenir or a ticket stub? 14-year old Greg Ridley discovers the answer with the help of some bad math grades, being punished from playing basketball, a homeless man, and a harmonica.
Skill Focus
- Character Traits
- Characterization
- Dynamic Characters
- Development of Theme
- Symbolism
“Paul Revere’s Ride” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Vivid imagery and a sense of danger brings to life the story of one of the most iconic heroes of the American Revolution in this narrative poem.
Skill Focus
- Poetry Elements
- Sound, Rhyme, Structure, and Imagery in Poetry;
- Mood Analysis by Stanza
Confidently teach narrative poetry with my “Paul Revere’s Ride” unit here.
Maui: A Polynesian Mythology Unit
Demi-god, trickster, folk hero. You’re welcome. Pairing these myths with Disney’s Moana shows how these timeless stories continue to influence our culture.
Skill Focus
- Mythology
- Folklore
- Character Archetypes
- Hero’s Journey
This is a great unit for anyone teaching multiple grade levels. Pairing it with the Disney movie Moana shows just how much these stories continue to influence our culture.
Take a look at my two-week Maui unit here.
“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce
Jump right into gripping the intense moment of the main character’s execution during the Civil War. When he escapes from being hanged, we follow his desperate run for freedom. But just when you think you know what’s happening, the story takes some unexpected twists that keep you guessing until the very end.
Skill Focus
- Point of View – Shifting Point of View
- Story Devices: Foreshadowing, Flashback, Suspense, and Cliffhanger
- Figurative Language
- Story/Movie Comparison
Get these activities and more in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” unit here.
“The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant
This story is about a woman who wants more than anything to live like the rich and famous. She makes a terrible mistake involving a diamond necklace and her life is never the same again.
Skill Focus
- Irony
- Citing Text Evidence ACE-Style Questions
- Theme-Quotes-Justification
- Symbolism
- Genres of Fiction
- Paired Texts + Analyses – Poem/Song Lyrics and Nonfiction Article
The paired text activities are perfect for teaching the same themes across genres. Find that and many more activities in “The Necklace” short story resource here.
This list of short stories has something for everyone. Find them all together in the complete 8th Grade Short Story bundle here and make planning a whole lot easier!
