Day 3 Activity: Stories for All Time

Day 19 Activity: Stories For All Time Thursday, March 18, 2010 Role of Setting in Stories

Assignment: First draft-Escapism Story

30 Minutes. Getting Ready to Learn about Setting-Research- 1. Research factual information about your celestial “place.” We are looking for descriptive detail. ( size, shape, color, movement, geographic terrain, climate, weather, gravity, life forms, temperature, etc.) A color picture would help for your project later. Highlight any details you find to build and extensive WORD document loaded with maps, charts, facts, figures, pics, etc. SAVE to your own files.

o Mercury Sergio o Venus Austin o The Moon Rudy o Mars Joe o Jupiter Brittany o Saturn Shelby o Uranus Donald o Neptune Hannah, Lacey o Pluto Trent o Sun- Caitlyn o

60 Minutes Introducing the Role of Setting

2. Introducing Purposes of Setting; Power Point Presentation Take good notes. You will need this info for your assignment. 3. Read aloud: “All in a Summer Day.” Highlight details of setting as you read 4. Answer the following Discussion Questions a. What are the climatic conditions the author imagines to exist on the planet Venus? What area of Earth’s surface does the planet Venus most closely resemble?

b. Although this story takes place on an alien world, the characters behave much the way human beings behave on Earth. How do the children treat Margot? In what ways is she different from them? c. Why do you suppose Margot makes no effort to join the children in their games or to respond to their taunts? d. How are the children affected by their first experience of the sun?

e. Do you think that the children have a better understanding of Margot at the end of the story? Explain your answer. f. What universal problem/truth is Ray Bradbury exploring in his not so “universal” setting?

Assignment for Monday: Developing setting in creative writing. (12 pts) Answer the following questions thoroughly!

1. Humans have landed on your (research) planet. What kind of equipment would they have to wear in order to move, breathe, and survive the climate of your planet? Explain the use or need of each.

2. What type of conflicts might one or all of them have to overcome on this planet, based on your research? Give 2-3 examples and explain why.

3. What universal human behavior might you use as the basic theme of your story, even though the setting is a distant planet?

4. Who might your characters be? What type of personality traits might you establish for each? 5.Which of the roles of setting might you use for your story? How might you incorporate each of these uses of setting?  Creating the major conflict (antagonist)  Creating an obstacle in the rising action  Merely background for the story

6. List all the details from your research you might include in your story?