critical thinking questions for short stories

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

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100+ Critical Thinking Questions for Students To Ask About Anything

Critical thinkers question everything.

In an age of “fake news” claims and constant argument about pretty much any issue, critical thinking skills are key. Teach your students that it’s vital to ask questions about everything, but that it’s also important to ask the right sorts of questions. Students can use these critical thinking questions with fiction or nonfiction texts. They’re also useful when discussing important issues or trying to understand others’ motivations in general.

“Who” Critical Thinking Questions

Questions like these help students ponder who’s involved in a story and how the actions affect them. They’ll also consider who’s telling the tale and how reliable that narrator might be.

• Is the protagonist?
• Is the antagonist?
• Caused harm?
• Is harmed as a result?
• Was the most important character?

• Is responsible?
• Is most directly affected?
• Should have won?
• Will benefit?
• Would be affected by this?

• Makes the decisions?

“What” Critical Thinking Questions

Ask questions that explore issues more deeply, including those that might not be directly answered in the text.

• Background information do I know or need to know?
• Is the main message?
• Are the defining characteristics?

• Questions or concerns do I have?
• Don’t I understand?
• Evidence supports the author’s conclusion?
• Would it be like if … ?
• Could happen if … ?
• Other outcomes might have happened?
• Questions would you have asked?
• Would you ask the author about … ?
• Was the point of … ?
• Should have happened instead?
• Is that character’s motive?
• Else could have changed the whole story?

• Can you conclude?
• Would your position have been in that situation?
• Would happen if … ?
• Makes your position stronger?
• Was the turning point?
• Is the point of the question?
• Did it mean when … ?
• Is the other side of this argument?
• Was the purpose of … ?
• Does ______ mean?
• Is the problem you are trying to solve?
• Does the evidence say?
• Assumptions are you making?
• Is a better alternative?
• Are the strengths of the argument?

• Are the weaknesses of the argument?
• Is the difference between _______ and _______?

“Where” Critical Thinking Questions

Think about where the story is set and how it affects the actions. Plus, consider where and how you can learn more.

• Would this issue be a major problem?
• Are areas for improvement?
• Did the story change?
• Would you most often find this problem?

• Are there similar situations?
• Would you go to get answers to this problem?
• Can this be improved?
• Can you get more information?
• Will this idea take us?

“When” Critical Thinking Questions

Think about timing and the effect it has on the characters or people involved.

• Is this acceptable?
• Is this unacceptable?

• Does this become a problem?
• Is the best time to take action?
• Will we be able to tell if it worked?
• Is it time to reassess?
• Should we ask for help?
• Is the best time to start?
• Is it time to stop?
• Would this benefit society?

• Has this happened before?

“Why” Critical Thinking Questions

Asking “why” might be one of the most important parts of critical thinking. Exploring and understanding motivation helps develop empathy and make sense of difficult situations.

• Is _________ happening?
• Have we allowed this to happen?
• Should people care about this issue?

• Is this a problem?
• Did the character say … ?
• Did the character do … ?
• Is this relevant?
• Did the author write this?
• Did the author decide to … ?
• Is this important?

• Did that happen?
• Is it necessary?
• Do you think I (he, she, they) asked that question?
• Is that answer the best one?
• Do we need this today?

“How” Critical Thinking Questions

Use these questions to consider how things happen and whether change is possible.

• Do we know this is true?
• Does the language used affect the story?
• Would you solve … ?
• Is this different from other situations?

• Is this similar to … ?
• Would you use … ?
• Does the location affect the story?
• Could the story have ended differently?
• Does this work?
• Could this be harmful?
• Does this connect with what I already know?
• Else could this have been handled?
• Should they have responded?

• Would you feel about … ?
• Does this change the outcome?
• Did you make that decision?
• Does this benefit you/others?
• Does this hurt you/others?
• Could this problem be avoided?

More Critical Thinking Questions

Here are more questions to help probe further and deepen understanding.

• Can you give me an example?

• Do you agree with … ?
• Can you compare this with … ?
• Can you defend the actions of … ?
• Could this be interpreted differently?
• Is the narrator reliable?
• Does it seem too good to be true?

• Is ______ a fact or an opinion?

What are your favorite critical thinking questions? Come exchange ideas on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, check out 10 tips for teaching kids to be awesome critical thinkers ., you might also like.

5 Critical Thinking Skills Every Kid Needs To Learn (And How To Teach Them)

Teach them to thoughtfully question the world around them. Continue Reading

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Updated Aug 21, 2023

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10 Inspirational Stories to Develop Empathy, Critical Thinking, and Heightened Perspective

There’s a reason why we start hearing stories from the time we’re toddlers. The world’s obstacles and inevitable setbacks are portrayed in countless literary works, whether they are children’s books, short stories, memoirs, or biographies. Inspirational stories provide motivation and encouragement while offering a perspective that helps people contextualize their own adversities. 

In fact, research in neuroscience suggests that reading fictional works helps people develop critical thinking, empathy, and theory of mind. 

The best short stories, in fiction and nonfiction genres, inspire people to pursue their dreams and overcome obstacles. They can remind people that they are not alone in their struggles and that others have persevered through similar challenges. Motivational stories can also help foster a sense of community and connection, creating a ripple effect of positivity that encourages people to support one another in their personal growth and development.

Reading and sharing short inspirational stories can be a powerful motivating tool that helps create a more positive and supportive world. In this article, you’ll learn about some of the most impactful short stories and memoirs that are often used to teach lessons and drive motivation. 

Top 10 Must-Read Inspirational Stories 

1. the parable of “the elephant rope” .

“The elephant was conditioned to believe he could never break away. He believed the rope could still hold him, so he never tried to break free.”

Summary: “The Elephant Rope” is a short motivational story about a young man who observes elephants at a circus and is amazed at how they are held in place by a simple rope tied to a stake in the ground, despite their massive size and strength. It was clear that the elephants could break away from their bonds but chose not to because they were conditioned to believe it wasn’t possible. 

Theme: “The Elephant Rope” is a story about limiting beliefs. The young man learns that the elephants were conditioned from a young age to believe that they could not break free from the rope. As a result, the elephants never tried to gain freedom again, even when they were fully grown and capable of doing so. 

Moral of the story: Limiting beliefs can hold us back from reaching our full potential. We may have been conditioned by our past experiences or beliefs to believe that we cannot achieve something, but in reality, we may be more capable than we think. By breaking free from our limiting beliefs and challenging ourselves, we can achieve great things.

2. “ The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry

“And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days, let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest.” 

Summary: “The Gift of the Magi” is a short story written in 1905 by O. Henry. It’s about a young couple, Jim and Della, who are struggling to make ends meet during the Christmas season. Despite their financial difficulties, they each want to buy a special gift for the other. They end up making sacrifices to do so, each giving up something they treasure to please the other. 

Theme: “The Gift of the Magi” displays the true meaning of gift-giving, which is about the thought and love behind the gift rather than its material value. The couple’s gifts to each other are ultimately meaningless in terms of their practical use, but their representation of love and sacrifice proves to be invaluable for both Jim and Della. 

Moral of the story: The story highlights the benevolent spirit of gift-giving and reminds readers that the value of a gift is not in how much money was spent on it but in the thought and love behind it.

3. “The Man Who Planted Trees” by Jean Giono 

“For a human character to reveal truly exceptional qualities, one must have the good fortune to be able to observe its performance over many years.”

Summary: “The Man Who Planted Trees” is a short story by Jean Giono, first published in 1953. The story is a fictional account of a man named Elzéard Bouffier, who lives in a remote valley in the French Alps and spends his life planting trees. Over the course of several decades, Bouffier single-handedly transforms the barren and desolate landscape into a lush and thriving forest, which has a profound impact on the surrounding environment and community.

Theme: “The Man Who Planted Trees” highlights the power of individual action and the importance of environmental stewardship. The story emphasizes the transformative power of nature and highlights the impact that even one person can have on the world.

Moral of the story: The story shows that small actions can have a big impact on the world. It serves as a reminder of the importance of preserving and protecting the natural world, and of the power of individual action. It also encourages readers to take responsibility for the environment and to work toward a more sustainable and harmonious relationship with the natural world.

4. “The Three Questions” by Leo Tolstoy

“Remember then: there is only one time that is important—Now! It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power.”

Summary: “The Three Questions” is a short story by Russian author Leo Tolstoy that was published in 1903. The story follows a king seeking answers to three questions: What is the best time to do things? Who is the most important person? What is the right thing to do? He offers a reward for the answers to these questions and consults with various advisors and wise men, but none can give him satisfactory responses. Eventually, he learns the answers to his questions through his own experiences and actions.

Theme: “The Three Questions” portrays the importance of living in the present moment and taking personal action. The story emphasizes the futility of worrying about the past or the future and highlights the importance of engaging fully in all of life’s moments.

Moral of the story: The story teaches that the answers to life’s big questions can only be found through action and experience rather than through intellectual inquiry alone. Tolstoy shows that the best way to live is with compassion and kindness toward others. It also encourages readers to cultivate a sense of mindfulness, rather than being preoccupied with the past or the future.

5. “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

“She was one of those pretty and charming women whose infatuation with luxury is their one form of heroism.” 

Summary: “The Necklace” is a short story by Guy de Maupassant, first published in 1884. It follows the life of a woman named Mathilde Loisel, who is unhappy with her modest lifestyle and longs for wealth and luxury. One day, her husband secures an invitation to a fancy ball, and Mathilde borrows a diamond necklace from a wealthy friend to wear to the event. However, after the ball, she discovers that she has lost the necklace and spends years working to pay off the debt incurred by replacing it, only to learn that the original necklace was fake.

Theme: The theme of “The Necklace” is the danger of materialism and the pursuit of social status. Mathilde’s obsession with wealth and status blinds her to the comforts she has in her current life and leads her to make poor decisions that ultimately ruin her chances of happiness. 

Moral of the story: The story is a cautionary tale that teaches readers that material possessions and social status are not the keys to happiness. Mathilde’s relentless pursuit of luxury leads her to a life of poverty and misery, and her true happiness is found only when she accepts her circumstances and learns to appreciate the blessings in her life. 

6. “To Build a Fire” by Jack London

“The trouble with him was that he was without imagination. He was quick and alert in the things of life, but only in the things, and not in the significances. Fifty degrees below zero meant eighty-odd degrees of frost. Such fact impressed him as being cold and uncomfortable, and that was all.”

Summary: “To Build a Fire” is a short story by Jack London, first published in 1908. The story follows an unnamed man traveling through the Yukon wilderness on foot with his dog. Despite warnings from an experienced old-timer, the man sets out alone in frigid temperatures and attempts to build a fire to keep warm. However, when he encounters several setbacks, he ultimately succumbs to the cold while his dog manages to survive.

Theme: “To Build a Fire” portrays the power and indifference of nature. It highlights the brutal conditions of the Yukon wilderness and the harsh reality that even the most prepared and experienced individuals can be no match for the forces of nature. While it’s not inspirational in the traditional sense, it offers an important lesson about human fragility and our role in the world. 

Moral of the story: London’s story highlights the importance of respecting and understanding the power of nature while limiting overconfidence. This is a cautionary tale against arrogance and hubris, and it emphasizes the importance of caution and humility when facing the unpredictable and unforgiving forces of nature.

7. “The Parable of the Good Samaritan” From the Bible 

“But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.”

Summary: “The Parable of the Good Samaritan” is a story told by Jesus in the Bible, found in Luke 10: 25–37. It tells the story of a traveler who is beaten, robbed, and left for dead on the side of the road. A priest and a Levite, who were both considered to be religious leaders, passed by the man without helping. Then a Samaritan, who was an outsider and often looked down upon, stopped to help the man, tending to his wounds and providing for his needs. The Samaritan put the traveler on his donkey and brought him to an innkeeper, who he paid to look after him. 

Theme: “The Parable of the Good Samaritan” is meant to teach people about the call to love and serve others, regardless of differences in background or status. It emphasizes the importance of acting with compassion, kindness, and generosity toward those in need.

Moral of the story: The parable shows readers that everyone is our neighbor, and we are called to love and serve others without discrimination or prejudice, even to those who are considered an enemy. 

8. The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner

“The future was uncertain, absolutely, and there were many hurdles, twists, and turns to come, but as long as I kept moving forward, one foot in front of the other, the voices of fear and shame, the messages from those who wanted me to believe that I wasn’t good enough, would be stilled.”

Summary: The Pursuit of Happyness is a memoir by Chris Gardner that was published in 2006. It’s an inspiring story that details Gardner’s journey from homelessness to success as a stockbroker. The memoir describes the challenges he faced as a single father trying to provide for his son while struggling with poverty, homelessness, and no college degree.

Theme: Gardner’s rags-to-riches story portrays a life of resilience and perseverance. Despite facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles, he refused to give up on his dreams and continued to work hard toward achieving them. He showed incredible resilience in the face of adversity and remained determined to create a better life for himself and his son.

Moral of the story: This story shows that with hard work, determination, and a positive attitude, anyone can achieve their dreams, no matter how difficult or impossible they may seem. It encourages readers to pursue their passions, never give up, and believe in themselves, even when others may doubt them.

9 . The Story of Colonel Sanders

“I made a resolve then that I was going to amount to something if I could. And no hours, nor amount of labor, nor amount of money would deter me from giving the best that there was in me. And I have done that ever since, and I win by it. I know.”

Summary: The true-life account of Harland Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), is an inspiring and motivational story of success despite many rejections. Sanders was born in Indiana in 1890 and worked a variety of odd jobs to support his siblings after his father’s death. At 40 years old, he began cooking and selling fried chicken out of a gas station in Corbin, Kentucky, in the 1930s. He developed his own blend of 11 herbs and spices, and after that, his business grew steadily over the next few decades, leading to the creation of the KFC franchise.

Theme: The story of Colonel Sanders portrays perseverance and determination, even in the face of numerous setbacks and obstacles. Sanders refused to give up on his dream of creating a successful fried chicken business, and he continued to work tirelessly to achieve his goals.

Moral of the story: Sanders’ achievements teach us that success often comes from hard work, perseverance, and a refusal to give up in the face of adversity. Even when things seem bleak or impossible, it’s important to keep pushing forward and striving to achieve your goals. With dedication and determination, anyone can achieve their dreams, just as Colonel Sanders did with his fried chicken empire.

10. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight 

“The cowards never started and the weak died along the way. That leaves us, ladies and gentlemen. Us.”

Summary: Shoe Dog is a memoir written by Phil Knight, the co-founder of Nike, Inc. Published in 2016, this story is an inspirational depiction of Nike, from its humble beginnings as a small startup company to a global giant in the athletic shoe industry. Just out of business school, Phil Knight borrowed fifty dollars from his father and launched what would become one of the world’s most iconic and profitable brands. 

Theme: The motivational story of Phil Knight highlights themes of perseverance and determination. Knight and his team faced numerous challenges throughout the company’s journey, including financial difficulties, legal battles, and intense competition. However, they persevered and never gave up, ultimately achieving great success.

Moral of the story: Shoe Dog shows that success comes from a combination of passion, hard work, and perseverance. Knight’s story is an inspiring reminder that no matter how difficult the road may seem, if you believe in your vision and are willing to put in the effort, you can achieve great things.

What Makes for an Inspirational Story?

An inspirational story is one that motivates, encourages, and uplifts the reader. It’s used to teach a lesson and break barriers of false perception. 

Some key elements that can make a story inspirational include:

• Overcoming Adversity: An impactful story often features protagonists who face significant challenges or adversity. They may struggle, fail, and experience setbacks, but ultimately find a way to overcome their challenges and achieve their goals.
• Positive Messages: A motivational story often conveys a positive message of hope, perseverance, and resilience. The story should leave the reader feeling empowered and motivated to take action in their own lives, which is made possible when a relatable character or figure makes their own personal realization. 
• Realistic: While an inspirational story may be fictional, it should be grounded in reality. The characters, situations, and challenges should be believable and relatable so that readers can see themselves within the story. 
• Emotional Impact: An effective story should elicit an emotional response from readers. Whether it’s laughter, sadness, fear, or joy, the story should have a powerful emotional impact that allows its message to shine through. 
• Empathy: An inspirational story should create empathy between the reader and the characters. The reader should care about the characters and their struggles and feel invested in their journey.
• Universal Themes: When authors use universal themes that resonate with readers, such as love, courage, sacrifice, and self-discovery, they allow for inspirational real-life connections. 
• Transformation: An inspiring story often features a protagonist or central figure who undergoes a transformation. They may start out feeling defeated or hopeless, but through their journey, they discover inner strength and achieve personal growth.
• Memorable: Impactful stories should be memorable and leave a lasting impression on the reader. They should stick with the reader long after they finish reading it and inspire them to take action or make positive changes in their own lives.

Telling or reading empowering stories that are grounded in reality and convey positive messages is an impactful way to boost motivation, whether it’s at home, in the workplace, or for your own self-growth. 

To continue reading timeless literary works with powerful characters and themes, check out these top Ernest Hemingway books . 

Leaders Media has established sourcing guidelines and relies on relevant, and credible sources for the data, facts, and expert insights and analysis we reference. You can learn more about our mission, ethics, and how we cite sources in our editorial policy .

• Seifert, C. (2020, May 28).  The Case for Reading Fiction . Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/03/the-case-for-reading-fiction
• Khan, M. (n.d.).  The Elephant Rope (Belief) Story: don’t limit yourself to a belief that You Can’t! https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/elephant-rope-belief-story-dont-limit-yourself-you-cant-mobarza-khan/
• A Summary and Analysis of O. Henry’s ‘The Gift of the Magi.’  (2023, March 18). Interesting Literature. https://interestingliterature.com/2021/12/o-henry-gift-of-the-magi-summary-analysis/
• Green, C., Green, C., & Green, C. (2020b, April 21).  The Man Who Planted Trees Before His Time . Chelsea Green Publishing. https://www.chelseagreen.com/2020/the-man-who-planted-trees-before-his-time/
• The Three Questions . (2023, February 11). Plough. https://www.plough.com/en/topics/culture/short-stories/the-three-questions
• The Necklace: Summary, Themes, and a Short Story Analysis | Blog StudyCorgi.com . (2023, March 17). StudyCorgi.com. https://studycorgi.com/blog/the-necklace-summary-themes-and-a-short-story-analysis/
• Summary Of To Build A Fire By Jack London – 1085 Words | Bartleby . (n.d.). https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Summary-Of-To-Build-A-Fire-By-PK6XJ6939A6
• The Parable of the Good Samaritan – Morality  – GCSE Religious Studies Revision – WJEC – BBC Bitesize . (n.d.). BBC Bitesize. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zwxm97h/revision/6
• Cheng, A. (2020, November 13).  The Pursuit of Happyness Book Summary, by Chris Gardner – Allen Cheng . Allen Cheng. https://www.allencheng.com/the-pursuit-of-happyness-book-summary-chris-gardner/
• Culver, A. (2019, August 1).  The inspiring life story of KFC’s Colonel Sanders . Snagajob. https://www.snagajob.com/blog/post/the-inspiring-life-story-of-kfcs-colonel-sanders
• Shoe Dog Summary: 10 Best Lessons from Phil Knight . (n.d.). Growth.me. https://growth.me/books/shoe-dog/
• Baker, D. (2022, August 9).  How to Make Your Writing Inspirational – Supercharge Your Marketing . Super Copy Editors. https://supercopyeditors.com/blog/writing/make-writing-inspirational/

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Finding Faith Everywhere.

God is Truth, Goodness, and Beauty itself.

Wherever they are found, God is also present.

Finding Faith Everywhere

Teach critical thinking with stories.

Confidently teach your students to seek and love the truth wherever it is found.  

​​People skilled in critical thinking are:

Problem solvers

Truth seekers

​Critical thinking is using reason to pursue the truth by:

Making distinctions between what is true, and what is not true

Considering the possible consequences of an action or an idea

Discovering the principles at the foundations of an idea

Developing your natural process of reasoning

​Critical thinking skills train your mind to:

Observe a situation or object

Analyze what you've observed

Arrive at a logical conclusion

  HOW DO YOU LEARN TO DO THAT WITH STORIES?  

I'll walk you through how to teach critical thinking skills to your students by using stories in my lesson plans.

​ Critical thinking skills train your mind to:

Teaching Critical Thinking with Stories is a series of printable exercises that give you:

Planned Series of Exercises

All students can begin with the first set of exercises. When they're ready for more challenges, you can add additional levels, or incorporate the challenges in the levels

Additional Challenges to Exercises

The exercises also have additional levels to challenge students to go deeper into the story and develop their capacity for more complex thoughts. That allows you to use the same exercise for an entire class, while making adjustments for individual students who need more of an intellectual challenge

Human Development

I include explanations on what abilities your students will develop as they work through the different exercises, and what foundations they’re laying so that students can learn how to think more clearly and engage in more thoughtful discussions.

These lesson plans can be used with any work of fiction.

These exercises are grouped into 3 levels:

Level 1 (Observation): Memory, Logic, and Sequencing

The exercises help your students to develop their imagination and memory, while learning cause and effect through sequencing exercises. They also take our natural ability to use reason, and develop it. The first few exercises in these lesson plans can be used for children as young as 3, but the rest of the exercises are intended for children who are at least 5. The extra levels to some of the exercises can challenge students even through middle school.

Level 2 (Reasoning to a Conclusion): Transformation in Stories

You’ll be helping your students learn to think about change, and how changes and conflict that a character experiences lead to that character’s transformation by the end of the story. The exercises guide them through what they should be paying attention to, and how the author prepares the reader for the character's transformation. The first exercises can be used for younger children who are able to read and write. The rest of these exercises are best used beginning with Grade 5/age 10 and continue through high school. Some of the extra challenges should only be attempted by very advanced students.

Level 3 (Abstract Thought): Symbols and Allusions in Stories

You’ll be teaching your students how to identify and understand symbols and metaphors in stories. They will also learn how authors are often referring to other sources when using symbols, and how those references affect the story they're reading. These exercises require the ability to think abstractly, so they’re best used for high school and above. Students in middle school are usually not ready to engage in abstract thought, so my recommendation for using these is for grades 9 through adult. Just as with the Level 2 exercises, some of the extra levels should only be attempted by very advanced students.

Each Lesson Plan Includes:

Background information on what skills the student will develop with the exercises

Additional levels for exercises to challenge your student

A list of recommended stories and authors

A series of exercises that progressively challenge your student

The exercises in Teaching Critical Thinking with Stories allow teachers and parents—who know their kids better than anyone—to decide what their students and children are ready for, and to discern what challenges each individual student or child needs, at every level.

These exercises can be used with any story, so they can be used over and over again.

These exercises help your students:

Form the mind by directing it towards the truth

Engage with ideas in greater depth

Make distinctions between truth and error

Develop abstract thinking

Engage with stories in greater depth

Encourage discussion of ideas

That leads to a higher quality discussion for:

Literature circles for younger students

Book club discussions for adult learners 

Readers of any age will get more out of every story and bring their own insights to any discussion.

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 How to Get Started: 

1. download the file.

Once you purchase the file, you will receive a link to download the PDF.

2. READ THE STORY

The story is the foundation. Pick any story and read it, or start with one from the included list of suggested stories and authors.

3. PRINT THE EXERCISES

The pages are color-coded so you can go right to the exercises and print them out, or choose to read more about the “why” behind each of the exercises in the packet.

Memory, Sequencing, and Logic

Developing the imagination

Strengthening memory

Understanding how stories work  

Regular Price: $19.97  

Discovering How Characters Change in a Story

How characters are transformed

Where changes happen

Develop memory, logic, analytical skills

Discovering Common Elements Across Stories

Understanding symbols

Literary allusions

Developing abstract thought  

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PICTURE PROMPTS

144 Picture Prompts to Inspire Student Writing

A school year’s worth of short, accessible image-driven posts that invite a variety of kinds of writing.

By The Learning Network

We’ve been publishing our Picture Prompts series four days a week since 2016. These short, accessible, image-driven prompts invite students to create short stories, poems and memoirs; share experiences from their lives; analyze illustrations, graphs and charts; and weigh in on hot-button issues.

Here, we’ve rounded up all the Picture Prompts we published for the 2019-20 school year and organized them by the type of writing they ask students to do. You can find even more in our roundups for the 2016-17 , 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years. That’s over 600 prompts in all. And many are still open for comment by students 13 and up.

To learn how you can use Picture Prompts to build literacy skills, promote critical thinking, spark discussion and foster creativity in your classroom — physical or virtual — watch our on-demand webinar, “ A Picture Prompt Is Worth a Thousand Words .” For dozens more ideas, see our lesson plan, “ How to Teach With Our Picture Prompts (and Other Times Images) .”

If you use this feature with your students, or if you have other ideas for how to use photos, illustrations and graphics to encourage writing, let us know in the comments.

What story does this image inspire for you?

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Share experiences from your own life.

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Short Stories with Questions Worksheets

Kyle’s New Beginning

Ellie’s Thoughtful Gesture

George And Bingo

First Day Of School

The New Neighbor

The Lost Teddy Bear

The Twin Swap

Under The Old Tree

Playing Ball With Smokey

Pizza For Polly

Spelling Woes

The Playtime Solution

Sleeping On The Job

Morning Quality Time

Rocket Launch Adventure

All about these 15 worksheets.

These short stories with questions worksheets were designed to help students improve their reading comprehension skills by using short fictional stories and accompanying questions. These worksheets are commonly used in language arts classes and reading programs to improve students’ understanding of the text, develop critical thinking abilities, and encourage thoughtful responses to the content.

The structure of short stories with questions worksheets include the following components:

Short Story – Each worksheet features a short fictional story, typically one to three pages in length. The story may vary in genre, such as adventure, mystery, science fiction, fantasy, or realistic fiction. The stories are chosen to be engaging and age-appropriate for the target audience, which can range from early elementary to high school students.

Comprehension Questions – Following the short story, a series of questions are presented. These questions assess various aspects of the reading, including literal comprehension, inference, interpretation, critical thinking, and analysis. The questions may be multiple-choice, short-answer, or open-ended, depending on the worksheet’s purpose and grade level.

Vocabulary and Language Activities – Some worksheets include vocabulary words from the story, encouraging students to identify, define, or use them in sentences. These activities help improve language skills and reinforce new words encountered in the story.

How Do These Reading Worksheets Help Students?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking Improvement – These worksheets encourage active reading and help students develop strategies for understanding and analyzing texts effectively. The questions on the worksheets prompt students to think critically, make connections, infer meaning, and draw conclusions based on evidence from the text. Short stories with questions worksheets can be adapted to various age groups and reading levels, making them suitable for diverse classrooms.

Enhancing Reading Fluency – By encountering new words in context and engaging in vocabulary activities, students can expand their language skills and improve their vocabulary. Frequent exposure to short stories helps students build reading fluency and gain confidence in their reading abilities.

Encouraging Reflection and Analysis – Writing prompts and open-ended questions encourage students to reflect on the story’s themes, characters, and events, fostering deeper engagement with the material.

Incorporating these strategies into their reading routine can significantly enhance a student’s ability to comprehend what they read in short stories and other types of texts. Reading comprehension is a skill that improves with practice and active engagement, and with consistent effort, students can become more proficient readers and critical thinkers.

How To Be Successful With Reading Comprehension Worksheets

Improving reading comprehension in short stories is a crucial skill that enhances a student’s overall literacy and understanding of various texts. Here are some effective strategies that students can use to enhance their ability to comprehend what they read in short stories:

Active Reading – Encourage students to actively engage with the text while reading. This includes underlining or highlighting key points, jotting down notes in the margins, or using sticky notes to mark important sections. These practices help students stay focused, identify significant details, and retain information.

Pre-Reading Strategies – Before diving into the story, students should preview the text by skimming the title, headings, and subheadings. This provides a sense of what to expect in the story and helps activate prior knowledge related to the subject matter.

Set a Purpose for Reading – Students should establish a clear purpose for reading the short story. Whether it’s to understand the main idea, identify the central theme, or analyze the characters, having a specific goal in mind helps maintain focus and comprehension.

Break the Story into Sections – Encourage students to break the short story into manageable sections or chunks. After reading each section, they can pause to summarize what they have learned and make connections to the overall narrative.

Identify Story Elements – Help students recognize the essential elements of a short story, such as characters, setting, plot, and theme. Understanding these components enhances comprehension and enables students to grasp the story’s overall structure.

Ask Questions – Encourage students to ask questions as they read. Questions can range from basic ones, such as “What happened next?” to more analytical ones, like “Why did the character make that decision?” Questioning helps students actively engage with the content and deepen their understanding. Encourage students to make predictions about the story’s outcome based on the information they have gathered. This strategy fosters active thinking and encourages students to look for evidence to support their predictions as they read.

Summarize – After reading the short story, have students write a concise summary of the plot or the main points of the narrative. Summarizing helps reinforce understanding and aids in memory retention.

Visualize – Encourage students to create mental images or visualizations of the events and characters in the story. Visualization enhances comprehension by making the content more vivid and relatable.

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Tell Me a Story

Storybooks that teach critical thinking.

Grades: PreK-1

Critical Thinking, Language Arts

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Description and Features

This fun, easy to use picture book is made up of two stories. Students tell each story by analyzing the pictures and responding to the guided questions on each page. The questions are engaging and produce a deeper analysis of the scene and the storyline by encouraging students to provide details, describe events, explain motives, make evidence-based predictions, and use cause and effect leading up to the scene. Each story develops important critical and creative thinking skills.

• Observation
• Identifying and evaluating evidence
• Comparing and contrasting shapes and objects
• Inference (evidence-based prediction)
• Cause and effect
• Identify and describing a sequence of events

These stories also develop pre-reading skills.  Pre-readers progress from “listening” to a story to “telling” a story, becoming more engaged in the reading process as they identify and shape the storyline.  Reading involves more than just decoding written text.  A large part of reading is gaining meaning from symbols—both letters and pictures.

Product Details

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10 Excellent Short Stories for High School Students

Nikki DeMarco

The inimitable Nikki DeMarco is as well-traveled as she is well-read. Being an enneagram 3, Aries, high school librarian, makes her love for efficiency is unmatched. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, and is passionate about helping teens connect to books. Nikki has an MFA in creative writing, is a TBR bibliologist, and writes for Harlequin, Audible, Kobo, and MacMillan. Since that leaves her so much time, she’s currently working on writing a romance novel, too. Find her on all socials @iamnikkidemarco ( Instagram , Twitter , Threads )

View All posts by Nikki DeMarco

As a high school English teacher, the quest to keep my curriculum relevant to my students is ongoing. I’m always on the lookout for new stories or authors that I can bring in the classroom to ensure that it’s something my students haven’t read or seen before. Of course, I’m constantly trying to change the activities to make them develop critical thinking skills. But if those activities are based around the same old tired (read: white) short stories for high school students, it often doesn’t matter how fun or innovative the activity is, the students are not interested because they can’t relate.

Why are new short stories for high school students important?

In education, we are constantly selling the idea of acquiring knowledge. Teens’ attention is being fought over by exponentially more distractions than they were even as recently as ten years ago. Instead of complaining about “kids these days” and taking the “when I was your age” stance, educators need to learn to adapt and offer students high interest stories that they can use to develop their own ideas.

I can already hear the arguments coming against this. Classics are classic for a reason. Students should be held to a high standard. I already have a year’s worth of lesson plans around The Great Gatsby and To Kill a Mockingbird and am over-worked, and now you want me to change?

I get it. I’m also fighting fatigue and burnout. So keep teaching some classics if you think they are excellent works of literature that you’d hate to have students miss out on, but trying pair each in a text set with a contemporary short story with similar themes. I’m not saying that adapting means less rigor or holding students to lower standards. Kids are smart and capable. Adding in texts from diverse perspectives will only enhance the breadth of work students are exposed to, making them draw connections from their own lives and perspectives outside their own, increasing critical thinking skills. Students today also have their finger on the pulse of the world in a way most educators can’t relate to from when they were the same age. We are doing them a disservice by not acknowledging that in how we teach. We also are being willfully ignorant if we only assign “the classics” and believe the students are reading them in their entirety. Come on, y’all. We were students once, too, and know a lot of these kids aren’t starting, much less finishing, the stories we assign.

One thing I’m doing to help my students buy into reading the whole story is to make sure I have stories with people who look like them. Also, I’m making sure they have stories full of people who don’t look like them. Teenagers don’t have much life experience yet, and that makes their world views narrow because the world they live in is small, many never having left the state where they were born. Exposing them to stories from different authors of different races, religions, and cultures helps them see beyond their school district. Yes, yes, they have the internet at their fingertips and could search for these things, but the algorithm learns them quickly and continues to feed them more of the like to keep views up and keep them engaged. As teachers, we need to learn to keep them engaged by doing just the opposite. 

Finding diverse short stories for high school is daunting. Just typing “contemporary short stories for high school” into Google brings back 143,000,000 results. Most of us are already working long beyond our contracted hours, and now I’m asking you to spend even more time reading stories that might not even be good or usable in class?

Don’t worry. I have some lists of short stories for high school students to get you started. The titles below are a jumping off point, not a comprehensive list. Note: Some of these stories have strong language.

Relationships

• Weight by Dhonielle Clayton
• Show Me Yours by Richard Van Camp
• Goat Mouth by Pamela Mordecai
• After ‘While by Cherie Dimaline
• Bliss by Sofia Mostaghimi
• Pact by Mark Oshiro

Coming-of-Age

• Origin of the Lullaby by Canisia Lubrin
• Tequila by Laura Gonzalez
• One True Love by Melinda Lo
• Valedictorian by N.K. Jemisin

Another tip I wanted to mention, but doesn’t fit neatly in the above themes, is that you can find collections of short stories online by different racial or cultural groups by switching up your default search terms. For example, Viewfinders: 10 Y.A. Novelist Spin Fiction from Vintage Photos from The New York Times came up when I searched “short stories for asian teens” but it took a little digging and clicking through to find. This collection features authors such as Malinda Lo, Soman Chainani, Marie Lu, Sabaa Tahir, and David Yoon.

Please, go back to your lesson plans and ask yourself these questions: Who’s missing? Who’s not represented? Do I have a student in my class who can’t see themselves in anything I’m teaching all year? Then find the story for that kid. That’s how we reach them, by showing them that we see them.

Here are some other resources from Book Riot that can help you on your resource search as well:

• YA Short Stories
• Find Free Short Stories
• Free Short Stories Online
• Short Story Examples in (Almost) Every Genre

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7 Engaging Short Stories for Teaching Life Lessons in Secondary ELA

Harness the power of teaching students life lessons in secondary ELA with engaging short stories. Get a head start in your planning with this list of 7 short stories and numerous teaching ideas for bringing life lessons into the classroom.

Whether you teach middle or high school students, you have an important role beyond teaching essential reading and writing skills. As secondary ELA teachers, we can enrich students with knowledge, ideas, and lessons that hold far more meaning than any material in the curriculum and transcend the walls of any classroom. We have a unique and powerful opportunity to expose students to stories that highlight new perspectives, foster empathy, and teach them invaluable life lessons.

By the end of this post, you will have what you need to engage students in short stories that stimulate critical thinking and promote social-emotional learning. Furthermore, these stories encourage moral and ethical development and increase students’ awareness of the world around them. By helping students unpack the life lessons in these stories, we prepare them for life beyond the classroom by empowering them to become responsible, empathetic, and reflective individuals.

Let’s get to it, shall we?

7 Engaging Short Stories for Teaching Life Lessons

1. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

Jackson’s short story is perfect for teaching the dangers of blind conformity and herd mentality. (Talk about an important lesson for teenagers!) The story takes place in a seemingly ordinary and pastoral small town where the townspeople gather for the annual tradition of the titular lottery. What seems like a quaint celebration quickly takes a dark turn. Students are always shocked when they realize the “lucky” winner faces a cruel death at the hands of their family, friends, and neighbors. Trust me, they’ll be highly engaged as they explore the dark side of societal norms and unquestioned traditions.

Teaching Idea: Encourage critical thinking by asking students to reflect on the power of social norms and tradition in their own lives. Have them list the traditions and social norms that play a role in their lives before digging deeper and discussing the consequences of blindly following norms without questioning their morality and relevance.

2.  “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula K. Le Guin

“The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula K. Le Guin is a thought-provoking story that will challenge students to explore complex moral and ethical questions about sacrificing the well-being of a few for the happiness of many. In the story, the city of Omelas is depicted as a utopian society where everyone is happy and content—or so it seems. Readers eventually discover this happiness relies on the torment and suffering of a single child who, if saved from their tortuous existence, would cause the perfect society to crumble. It’s even more twisted when readers realize the people of Omelas are aware of the child’s suffering and choose to accept it in exchange for their otherwise utopic existence.

Teaching Idea: Before reading, have students work together to define the ideal utopian society. They should consider everything from societal values and policies to societal structures and institutions. After they present their utopia, pose the question asking what they would be willing to give up to make that perfect world possible. Through questions and discussion, lead students to consider the ethical and moral responsibility of a society.

3. “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry

O. Henry crafts a moving tale of love, sacrifice, and selflessness. The story follows Jim and Della, a young couple facing financial hardship, searching for the perfect Christmas gifts to give one another. Jim and Della both end up sacrificing their most prized possessions to give the other a meaningful gift. The heartwarming irony is that, by giving up their possessions, the presents they receive are no longer useful; Della sells her beautiful hair to buy Jim a chain for his pocket watch, and Jim sells his prized watch to buy Della a set of combs for her hair. Ultimately, their selfless sacrifice means more than any gift they could have gotten each other.

Teaching Idea: Encourage students to participate in a self-reflective writing activity in which they think about the importance of selflessness in their lives. Have them write about sacrifices others have made for their benefit and times they have sacrificed something for someone they cared about.  Follow up with a discussion about the value of making sacrifices for those you love.

4. “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs

While “The Monkey’s Paw” is often associated with teaching the lesson of being careful what you wish for, it also serves as a cautionary tale of the consequences of impulsive actions. After the White family comes into possession of a magical monkey’s paw, they are eager to make three wishes—despite warnings of the paw’s dangerous (and deceiving) powers. They are determined to use their wishes to free them of their hardships and give them the life they’ve always wanted. Sure enough, they quickly learn that every wish comes with unintended and often tragic outcomes.

Teaching Idea: Encourage personal reflection by having students contemplate the consequences of their desires, actions, and decisions. Task them with writing about a time when they wanted something or acted without considering the potential outcomes and what they learned from the experience.

5. “Thank You, Ma’am” by Langston Hughes

“Thank You, Ma’am” is a widely accessible short story with a powerful life lesson about compassion, second chances, and believing the best in others. If that’s not a lesson anyone could benefit from, I don’t know what is! The story revolves around a teenage boy named Roger and a woman named Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. The two initially “meet” when Roger (unsuccessfully) attempts to steal Mrs. Jones’ purse. Instead of turning Roger in, Mrs. Jones takes in his disheveled appearance and responds with a little tough love and a lot of compassion. While initially confused by her response, Roger ultimately learns right from wrong and the value of honesty, respect, and gratitude.

Teaching idea: Have students (literally) illustrate the moral lesson that small acts of kindness and compassion can significantly impact others. Students can work in small groups to create their own comic strips or storyboards that detail a conflict in which compassion and empathy positively change the situation’s trajectory.

6. “Raymond’s Run” by Toni Cade Bambara

“Raymond’s Run” revolves around a young girl named Squeaky who spends her time doing two things: training for races and caring for (and protecting) her mentally disabled brother, Raymond. The story follows Squeaky’s interactions with others as she trains for the town’s upcoming May Day race. Despite coming off as overly competitive and abrasive, readers begin to realize it is more of a defense mechanism as Squeaky tries to remain true to herself while fighting off identities others try to project onto her. In the end, the story is about the power of treating others with respect, recognizing their strengths, and accepting them for who they are. After all, while Squeaky ultimately wins her town’s celebratory May Day race, the true victory is in her personal growth and her new views of those around her.

Teaching idea: Since there are a lot of assumptions made in this story, challenge students to think of a time when they projected an identity onto others or when others projected an identity onto them. Then, have them dig deeper by unpacking the impact of making such assumptions and exploring the power of respecting others for who they are rather than who we assume them to be.

7. “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Is the grass always greener on the other side? Fitzgerald would argue no. “Winter Dreams” follows the life of Dexter Green, who is first introduced as a young and ambitious golf caddy. He quickly becomes infatuated with Judy Jones, a wealthy young girl who represents everything he desires: success, wealth, and status. Over the years, Dexter chases his dreams (and Judy) only to eventually realize the objects of his desires are not all he cracked them up to be. Ultimately, the story encourages readers to reflect on the implications of societal expectations and superficial ideals on individual happiness.

Teaching idea: Before reading, have students write their own extended definitions of happiness and success. Then, hold a discussion where students compare their definitions. To make it more relevant and relatable, challenge students to consider how modern-day technology, namely social media, has muddled the meanings of happiness, success, and staying true to oneself.

How to Use Literature to Teach Life Lessons

Now that you have a list of short stories you can turn to when wanting to teach students important life lessons, you may be looking for some ways to get students engaged in the (life) lessons at hand. Here are a few ideas to get you started:  

• Select Relatable Texts: Choose texts featuring relatable characters or challenges to allow students to see themselves in the characters’ shoes, fostering empathy and a deeper understanding of the life lessons woven throughout the story.
• Facilitate Discussions: Guide students in exploring the moral, ethical, and social implications of the characters’ actions and decisions to encourage critical thinking, perspective-taking, and the development of personal values.
• Prompt Character Analysis: Ask students to analyze and evaluate the thoughts, motivations and actions of a story’s characters to provide insights into character development and inspire reflection of students’ experiences and personal growth.
• Assign Reflective Writing: Engage students in reflective writing assignments where they explore how the themes, conflicts, and characters connect to their own lives , encouraging students to internalize the life lessons.
• Connect to Current Events: Apply a story’s life lessons to current events to showcase how the morals of the story play out in the world around us to make the lessons more tangible and relatable.
• Encourage Real-World Application: Take time to help students unpack and explore how the lessons in literature can apply to them and society as a whole, encouraging them to identify opportunities to incorporate these lessons into their daily lives.

Bringing Life Lessons into Your Secondary Classroom

Incorporating short stories into secondary ELA is much more than teaching literary analysis skills. It’s about equipping students with the tools they need to navigate the complexities of life today and tomorrow. It’s about fostering empathy, critical thinking, self-awareness, and ethical decision-making, ultimately preparing students to become informed, compassionate, and responsible individuals.

So, let’s rise together to teach the future generation of kind, caring, moral, and empathetic citizens. That said, if you have any other short story titles or teaching tips for teaching life lessons in secondary ELA, share them in the comments below. For the ultimate list of short stories to teach your students, check out my posts about the best short stories for middle schoolers and the best super short stories your high schoolers will love .

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Critical Reading: Two Stories, Two Authors, Same Plot?

• Resources & Preparation
• Instructional Plan
• Related Resources

Many students often lack critical thinking skills to be able to analyze what they read. This lesson encourages students to read and respond critically to two different pieces of literature with the same title. Students make predictions about the stories and analyze the story elements (i.e., characters, plot, conflict, and resolution). They then compare and contrast the different stories, distinguish between fact and opinion, and draw conclusions supported by evidence from their readings.

Featured Resources

• Compare & Contrast Map : Students will choose one story element and use this interactive tool to compare the element in the two stories.
• Literary Elements Map : Students will use this interactive tool to reconstruct the story that they read.

From Theory to Practice

• In this chapter, the authors discuss the importance of involving students in the development of stories in such a way as to attract their attention and emotions. It is clearly beneficial to devise tasks, environments, and strategies that will foster involvement in all kinds of reading tasks.
• Students who are reading a required assignment are likely to be drawn into their reading by features of the text such as characters with which they can identify, words that arouse vivid imagery, and texts that say the unexpected.
• Talking with peers to negotiate an understanding of what was read is highly motivating. Not only are students likely to become involved in the active interaction often associated with peer-lead discussion groups, they may be more interested in what they are reading as they anticipate what will happen when they meet in groups to discuss what they have read.

Welker states that, "students often lack the critical thinking skills necessary to pass judgment on what they read." Critical Reading Instruction that Improves Comprehension Skills (CRITICS) helps students to develop into thinkers, not just readers.

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
• 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
• 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
• 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.

Materials and Technology

• Copies of Jeffrey Archer’s "The Luncheon" from A Quiver Full of Arrows (HarperTorch, 1993)
• Copies of W. Somerset Maugham’s "The Luncheon" from Collected Short Stories: Volume 1 (Penguin Classics, 1977)
• Overhead projector or chalkboard
• "The Luncheon" Comparison Table
• Student Self-Assessment Sheet
• "The Luncheon" Teacher Assessment Sheet

Preparation

Secure copies of the "The Luncheon" by W. Somerset Maugham for half the class and copies of "The Luncheon" by Jeffrey Archer for half the class. Prepare two overheads with prereading questions or write the questions on the board. (See Session 1 for prereading questions.) For those unfamiliar with the short stories featured in this lesson, a brief synopsis of each is provided.

• "The Luncheon," by W. Somerset Maugham: The narrator, a book writer, recognizes a woman with whom he had lunch years ago. He starts remembering the unforgettable evening. He was young, living in Paris, and could barely make ends meet. She had read one of his books and wrote to congratulate him on his work. He invited her for lunch and to his horror she chose an expensive restaurant. He had only eighty francs to last him the rest of the month. She ordered one expensive dish after another and when the bill came he paid and was left with no money at all. However, in the end, the narrator feels that he has finally had his revenge when he sees that the woman now weighs twenty-one stone (approximately 300 pounds).
• "The Luncheon," by Jeffrey Archer The narrator, a book writer, meets a woman whom he doesn't recognize at first, but pretends to remember because she is a famous film director's wife. He invites her to have lunch, but can only afford a cheap meal with his paltry £37.63. She chooses an expensive restaurant, far beyond his means, and proceeds to order the most exorbitant dishes on the menu. When the meal is over and the narrator is left with very little money, the woman confesses that she has divorced the film director and married another man, who just so happens to be the owner of the restaurant.

Student Objectives

Students will

• Develop and apply specific reading comprehension strategies (i.e., questioning, predicting, inferencing, summarizing, synthesizing)
• Convey personal responses and opinions about a text reading through discussions
• Develop critical thinking skills
• Distinguish between fact and opinion
• Recognize differing viewpoints in a story
• Use the compare and contrast technique to analyze two stories
• Work cooperatively

Session 1. Introduction to the stories

Session 2. literary elements map.

Have students reconstruct the story that they read using the online interactive Literary Elements Map and share their printed maps within their group. During this activity, students should:

• Interact with the story
• Focus on important information
• Better understand the story

Session 3. Story comparisons

During this class session, students will realize or confirm that they have read different stories. To accomplish this task, mix students from each group and form new groups to share and discuss the stories. Distribute copies of "The Luncheon" Comparison Table and ask students to compare and contrast the two stories. Story elements to be discussed include characters (description, actions, and feelings), setting (time and place), events, conflict, and resolution. As a concluding activity, have students choose one story element and use the Compare & Contrast Map to compare this element in the two stories.

Session 4. Literary critics

Invite students, in groups of five or six, to review their earlier predictions now that they have finished reading the story. Students can also share their comparisons of the two stories. Write the following question on the board, "Two authors, two stories, same plot?" Ask students to think about and discuss this question. After approximately 20 minutes, open a whole-class debate to bring closure to the lesson. During the debate, students will, as literary critics, determine if the two stories are similar or not. Ask them to support their conclusions with examples from both stories. Depending on the number of students in your class, you may prefer to have groups choose a representative speaker. Take notes on the board or overhead using the following categories:

• Similarities
• Differences
• Conclusions
• Response journal activity: Have students complete a journal entry in which they write about the strategies they used to read and analyze the stories, what they learned from the stories, and whether or not they enjoyed the lesson.
• A literary column: Invite students to write a literary column in which they give their opinion about one or both of the stories. Post their writings in the classroom, on an instructional board in school, or in the school's newsletter.
• Trading cards: Have half the students in the class create Character Trading Cards for the characters in one story, half for the characters in the other. Students can then work in pairs to discuss where the characters are similiar and where they are different. Ask students to exchange the cards and write their own stories using these characters.

Student Assessment / Reflections

• Teacher observation of student's participation in individual, group, and whole-class activities
• "The Luncheon" Teacher Assessment Sheet to summarize the student's participation in the lesson
• Student Self-Assessment Sheet to determine the reading strategies that students used most frequently during the lesson and their progress toward independent use of these strategies
• "The Luncheon" Comparison Table and interactive Literary Elements Map printouts to determine student's understanding of the various story elements

Students can map out the key literary elements of character, setting, conflict, and resolution as prewriting for their own fiction or as analysis of a text by another author in this secondary-level interactive.

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TEACHING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS THROUGH THE USE OF SHORT STORIES

The term "critical thinking" has been defined by numerous scholars in a variety of ways and there is no widely accepted standard definition. It is believed that using critical thinking skills in English classes enhances students' performance. The purpose of this study is to tackle whether critical thinking skills can be enhanced through short story teaching or not. Two high school classes which participated in the study were assigned into two experimental groups, control group and intervention group, and were given Cornell Critical Thinking Test, Level X both as pretest and posttest. In the intervention group, students dwelt upon four short stories through critical thinking skills. Their structured class discussions paved the way for them to be exposed to the critical thinking use through Mr. Loveday’s Little Outing by Evelyn Waugh, Miss Brill and The Fly by Katherine Mansfield, and A Family Supper by Kazuo Ishiguro. The results of the study highlight the importance of the synergy between critical thinking strategy use and short story teaching.

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This paper is an attempt to reveal the effectiveness of Critical Thinking (CT) strategies in teaching English literature in general and short stories in particular. Critiquing against the conventional teacher dominated practices in English Language Teaching (ELT) in Nepal, this also offers a set of critical thinking strategies in order to make it more participatory and effective. This heavily draws on my experience of exploiting those techniques while teaching short stories in EFL/ESL classroom in Nepal.

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This article reports a research on embedding critical thinking through critical reading in teaching narrative text to junior high school students. The research was aimed to find out whether or not critical reading strategies can improve students’ critical thinking skills and how critical reading strategies help students to think critically in reading narrative text. Thirty five of eight graders in one of junior high schools in West Bandung were involved in this study. This study employed mixed methods as the methodology. The data were gained through pre-test, post-test, classroom observation and interview. The findings revealed that there were 18 of 35 students (51%) who made a high improvement of their critical thinking skills. It means that critical reading strategies were considered could improve students’ critical thinking skills in reading narrative text. In addition, the five critical reading strategies as proposed by Sousa (2004) and Winston Salem State University (2013) name...

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The article defines the concept “critical thinking” and reveals the effectiveness of critical thinking (CT) strategies through short stories in teaching English as a foreign language. According to the results of the study, the authors propose a certain set of critical thinking strategies to encourage students’ active involvement and effective use of teaching foreign languages in higher education.

I Gusti Ayu Gde sosiowati

Richards (2006) states that the purpose of learning language is to master the communicative competence, meaning that by the end of the leaming process, the students should be able to produce proper language in any genre and in any situation. However, that competence alone, without accompanied by the ability to perform critical thinking will end in the conversation talking about explicit information only. It can not be denied that understanding the implicit infbrmation r'vill be challenging and making the conversation interesting. Halpern (cited on l5 March 2015) states that critical thinking refers to the use of cognitive skills or strategies that increase the probability of a desirable outcome. It is the kind of thinking which is involved in solving problems- formulating inferences, calculating likelihoods, and making decisions.The purpose of this article is to show that literary work can be used to develop critical thinking and at the same time is able to improve the students&...

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Critical Thinking Reading Comprehension Worksheets

• Take these as online quizzes here!

Short Story Reading Comprehension Worksheets

• Beginning Level
• Answers for this series are included at the end of each worksheet.
• "My Friend" - Low Beginning. 3 answer choices. 7 questions. 74 words.
• "My House" - Low Beginning. 3 answer choices. 7 questions. 92 words.
• "Time to..." - Low Beginning. 4 answer choices. 11 questions. 89 words.
• "My Family" - Low Beginning. 4 answer choices. 6 questions. 90 words.
• "Rainy Day" - Low Beginning. 4 answer choices. 5 questions. 78 words.
• "A Call to the Pool" - Low Beginning. 4 answer choices. 5 questions. 116 words.
• "The Singing Bird" - Low Beginning. 4 answer choices. 5 questions. 96 words.
• "Seeing Stars" - Low Beginning. 4 answer choices. 8 questions. 92 words.
• "I Fly" - Low Beginning. 4 answer choices. 4 questions. 113 words.
• "The Drive" - Mid Beginning. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 120 words.
• "Zach's Animals" - Mid Beginning. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 104 words.
• "Griffin's Talents" - Mid Beginning. 4 answer choices. 9 questions. 112 words.
• "A Happy Visitor" - Mid Beginning. 4 answer choices. 5 questions. 170 words.
• "An Adventure" - Mid Beginning. 4 answer choices. 5 questions. 177 words.
• "Running" - Mid Beginning. 4 answer choices. 5 questions. 148 words.
• "Paul Cooks" - Mid Beginning. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 112 words.
• "Bella Hides" - Mid Beginning. 4 answer choices. 8 questions. 135 words.
• "First Prize" - Mid Beginning. 4 answer choices. 8 questions. 155 words.
• "What Number?" - Mid Beginning. 4 answer choices. 12 questions. 154 words.
• "The Interview" - High Beginning. 4 answer choices. 9 questions. 205 words.
• "Julian's Work" - High Beginning. 4 answer choices. 12 questions. 194 words.
• "Talia's Special Day" - High Beginning. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 204 words.
• "One Hundred Dollars" - High Beginning. 4 answer choices. 13 questions. 273 words.
• "New Shoes for Maddy" - High Beginning. 4 answer choices. 11 questions. 223 words.
• "The 20" - High Beginning. 4 answer choices. 12 questions. 256 words.
• "Big City Noise" - High Beginning. 4 answer choices. 13 questions. 238 words.
• Intermediate Level
• "By the Water" - Low Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 9 questions. 225 words.
• "A Cold Day" - Low Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 14 questions. 286 words.
• "Vet Emergency!" - Low Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 247 words.
• "Late" - Low Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 14 questions. 284 words.
• "The Brenners" - Low Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 13 questions. 297 words.
• "Bullied" - Low Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 13 questions. 197 words.
• "The New School" - Low Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 14 questions. 286 words.
• "The Park" - Low Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 11 questions. 297 words.
• "Worth Working For" - Mid Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 280 words.
• "The Rent Man" - Mid Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 12 questions. 215 words.
• "Time with Grandpa" - Mid Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 9 questions. 237 words.
• "The Bus Driver" - Mid Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 15 questions. 294 words.
• "A Day Like No Other" - Mid Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 12 questions. 305 words.
• "A Mystery" - Mid Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 247 words.
• "Just One Touch" - Mid Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 15 questions. 326 words.
• "Wanga" - Mid Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 13 questions. 340 words.
• "Ana Finds an Apartment" - Mid Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 12 questions. 408 words.
• "Guermo's Surprise" - High Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 9 questions. 372 words .
• "Canopy of Nature" - High Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 8 questions. 332 words .
• "Blizzard in Birmingham" - High Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 319 words.
• "A Christmas in March" - High Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 385 words.
• "Bail" - High Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 301 words.
• "Clean Water Act" - High Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 632 words.
• "BB" - High Intermediate. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 511 words .
• Advanced Level
• "The Mini Problem" - Low Advanced. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 291 words .
• "Flower Power" - Low Advanced. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 368 words.
• "Seeing Clearly" - Low Advanced. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 284 words .
• "Accused" - Low Advanced. 4 answer choices. 12 questions. 285 words.
• "City Girl" - Low Advanced. 4 answer choices. 13 questions. 429 words.
• "Fried" - Mid Advanced. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 235 words.
• "Tattoo" - Mid Advanced. 4 answer choices. 11 questions. 350 words.
• "The Transfers" - Mid Advanced. 4 answer choices. 12 questions. 381 words.
• "Wild" - Mid Advanced. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 493 words.
• "Scorpion" - Low Advanced. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 333 words
• "Remains of a Marriage" - Mid Advanced. 4 answer choices. 11 questions. 345 words.
• "Museum Hours" - Mid Advanced. 4 answer choices. 10 questions. 179 words.
• "Seeing Through" - High Advanced. 5 answer choices. 10 questions. 326 words.
• "Ursula Pugh" - High Advanced. 5 answer choices. 8 questions. 324 words.
• "Dreams" - High Advanced. 4 answer choices. 12 questions. 357 words.
• "Tracks" - High Advanced. 5 answer choices. 11 questions. 531 words.
• "Love Train" - High Advanced. 5 answer choices. 12 questions. 646 words.
• "The Storm" - High Advanced. 4 answer choices. 12 questions. 407 words.

Informational Passages Reading Comprehension Worksheets

In these reading comprehension worksheets, students are asked questions about information they have read about a specific topic. each passage reads similar to a newspaper of journal article, and provides interesting information about some aspect of history, nature, mechanics, science, art, and more. questions involve critical thinking with a focus on logic and inference..

• Answer Key - This answer key is available but still under development.
• "The Sun" - Low Beginning. 3 questions. Under 50 words.
• "Gas" - Low Beginning. 3 questions. Under 50 words.
• "Music" - Low Beginning. 4 questions. Under 50 words.
• "Birds" - Low Beginning. 4 questions. Under 50 words.
• "The Heart" - Low Beginning. 4 questions. Under 50 words.
• "The Butterfly" - Low Beginning. 5 questions. Under 50 words.
• "Pigs" - Low Beginning. 3 questions. Under 50 words.
• "The Brain" - Low Beginning. 3 questions. Under 50 words.
• "The Ocean" - Low Beginning. 7 questions. Under 100 words.
• "Trees" - Low Beginning. 4 questions. Under 100 words.
• "Alligators" - Low Beginning. 6 questions. Under 100 words.
• "The Blow-Dryer" - Low Beginning. 5 questions. Under 100 words.
• "Green Grass" - Low Beginning. 6 questions. Under 100 words.
• "Taste" - Low Beginning. 4 questions. Under 100 words.
• "Bees" - Mid Beginning. 10 questions. Under 200 words.
• "Frogs" - Mid Beginning. 10 questions. Under 200 words.
• "Beds" - Mid Beginning. 10 questions. Under 200 words.
• "Humans" - Mid Beginning. 10 questions. Under 200 words.
• "Fish" - Mid Beginning. 10 questions. Under 200 words.
• "Houses" - Mid Beginning. 10 questions. Under 300 words.
• "Soda Pop" - High Beginning. 10 questions. Under 200 words.
• "Tea" - High Beginning. 10 questions. Under 200 words.
• "Ice Fishing" - High Beginning. 10 questions. Under 300 words.
• "Bears" - High Beginning. 10 questions. Under 300 words.
• "Flags" - High Beginning. 10 questions. Under 300 words.
• "Leonardo Da Vinci" - High Beginning. 10 questions. Under 300 words..
• "Tennis" - High Beginning. 10 questions. Under 300 words.
• "Dogs" - High Beginning. 10 questions. Under 300 words.
• "Money" - High Beginning. 10 questions. Under 300 words.
• "Abraham Lincoln" - High Beginning. 10 questions. Under 300 words.
• "Corn" - High Beginning. 10 questions. Under 300 words.
• "Umbrellas" - High Beginning. 10 questions. Under 300 words.
• "Ben Franklin" - High Beginning. 10 questions. Under 300 words.
• "Cars" - High Beginning. 10 questions. Under 300 words.
• Answer Key - This is the answer key for to the intermediate level informational passages.
• "Helicopters" - Low Intermediate. 10 questions. Under 300 words.
• "Yellowstone National Park" - Low Intermediate. 10 questions. Under 400 words.
• "Empress of the Blues" - Low Intermediate. 10 questions. Under 400 words.
• "The Cactus" - Low Intermediate. 10 questions. Under 400 words.
• "Space Exploration Voyagers 1 and 2" - Mid Intermediate. 10 questions. Under 400 words.
• "Television" - Mid Intermediate. 10 questions. Under 400 words.
• "Hibernation and Estivation" - Mid Intermediate. 10 questions. Under 400 words.
• "Marco Polo" - Mid Intermediate. 10 questions. Under 400 words.
• "Movie Ratings" - Mid Intermediate. 10 questions. Under 400 words.
• "Birdsongs" - Mid Intermediate. 10 questions. Under 400 words.
• "Counting" - Mid Intermediate. 10 questions. Under 400 words.
• "Easter Island" - High Intermediate. 10 questions. Under 400 words.
• "Mosquitoes" - High Intermediate. 12 questions. Under 700 words.
• "Fingerprints" - High Intermediate. 11 questions. Under 700 words.
• "Mother's Day" - High Intermediate. 10 questions. Under 700 words.
• "Europe" - High Intermediate. 12 questions. Under 700 words.
• Answer Key - This is the answer key for to the advanced level informational passages.
• "Chocolate" - Low Advanced. 10 questions. Under 600 words.
• "Houses Around the World" - Low Advanced. 10 questions. Under 700 words.
• "Cells" - Low Advanced. 10 questions. Under 700 words.
• "Soccer" - Low Advanced. 12 questions. Under 700 words.
• "Bathtubs" - Low Advanced. 12 questions. Under 700 words.
• "Pollution" - Low Advanced. 12 questions. Under 700 words.
• "Interstate Highways" - Low Advanced. 10 questions. Under 800 words.
• "The U.S. Census" - Low Advanced. 10 questions. Under 800 words.
• "Sleep" - Low Advanced. 11 questions. Under 800 words.
• "The U.S. Postal Service" - Mid Advanced. 11 questions. Under 800 words.
• "Chemical Elements" - Mid Advanced. 11 questions. Under 800 words.
• "Africa" - Mid Advanced. 11 questions. Under 1000 words.

Technical Reading Comprehension Worksheets

In these reading comprehension worksheets, students are asked questions about the meaning, significance, intention, structure, inference, and vocabulary used in each passage. each passage reads like an encyclopedic or technical journal article. answers for worksheets in this section can be found at the end of each individual worksheet..

• "Water" - Beginning level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 300 words.
• "Paper" - Beginning level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 300 words.
• "The Flu" - Beginning level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 400 words.
• "Nuts" - Beginning level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 400 words.
• "The Sun" - Beginning level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 400 words.
• "The White House" - Beginning level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 400 words.
• "Soap" - Intermediate level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 400 words.
• "Clocks" - Intermediate level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 400 words.
• "The Robin" - Intermediate level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 400 words.
• "Hybrid Vehicles" - Intermediate level. 4 questions with answers included. Under 500 words.
• "Photography" - Intermediate level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 500 words.
• "Biomimetics" - Intermediate level. 4 questions with answers included. Under 700 words.
• "The Great Debates" - Intermediate level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 400 words.
• "Salt" - Advanced level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 700 words.
• "Colony Collapse" - Advanced level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 600 words.
• "Columbian Exchange" - Advanced level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 700 words.
• "Ethanol" - Advanced level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 600 words.
• "Generations" - Advanced level. 3 questions with answers included. Under 600 words.
• "The Hubble Telescope" - Advanced level. 7 questions with answers included. Under 1000 words.
• "Intellegence Augmentation" - Advanced level. 5 questions with answers included. Under 1000 words.

Role Play Reading Comprehension Worksheets

In these reading comprehension worksheets, students can increase their understanding of colloquial and idiomatic expressions and get a feel for conversational english. they also allow several students to participate at the same time - which makes them really fun great for use in school or at home..

• Answer Key - This is the answer key to the role play worksheets.
• "What Time Is It?" - Beginning Level. 4 questions. Under 100 words.
• "How Are You?" - Beginning Level. 4 questions. Under 100 words.
• "Tie Your Shoes!" - Beginning Level. 4 questions. Under 100 words.
• "Where Are My Glasses?" - Beginning Level. 4 questions. Under 100 words.
• "A Cookie" - Beginning Level. 4 questions. Under 100 words.
• "Where Are My Keys?" - Beginning Level. 4 questions. Under 100 words.
• "City Life, Country Life" - Beginning Level. 10 questions. Under 200 words.
• "Flu Shot" - Intermediate Level. 5 questions. Under 200 words.
• "Vinegar" - Intermediate Level. 4 questions. Under 200 words.
• "Wait for Me!" - Intermediate Level. 8 questions. Under 400 words.
• "Glasses" - Intermediate Level. 8 questions. Under 400 words.
• "Hungry" - Advanced Level. 8 questions. Under 400 words.
• "Want to Know a Secret?" - Advanced Level. 8 questions. Under 200 words.
• "Milk and Aesthetics" - Advanced Level. 8 questions. Under 500 words.

Dual Version Reading Comprehension Worksheets

In each of these reading comprehension worksheets, the same story is told, but with two versions: one that is basic, and one that is more advanced. this allows students to make direct comparisons between the advanced version to the more basic one, and makes for a powerful learning experience..

• Answer Key - Coming Soon!
• "An Overcast Day" - Beginning Level. 4 questions. Under 200 words.
• "Who Knows My Name?" - Beginning Level. 4 questions. Under 200 words.
• "A Call to the Pool" - Beginning Level. 6 questions. Under 300 words.
• "Oh No!" - Beginning Level. 8 questions. Under 300 words.
• "An Adventure" - Beginning Level. 6 questions. Under 400 words.
• "Happy Birthday" - Beginning Level. 4 questions. Under 400 words.
• "My Family" - Beginning Level. 8 questions. Under 300 words.
• "My Family" - Beginning Level. 5 questions. Under 300 words.
• "Driving Directions" - Beginning Level. 6 questions. Under 400 words.
• "A Happy Visitor" - Beginning Level. 7 questions. Under 300 words.
• "The Singing Bird" - Intermediate Level. 10 questions. Under 300 words.
• "Violet Makes a Cake" - Intermediate Level. 8 questions. Under 400 words.
• "A Visit to the Doctor" - Intermediate Level. 7 questions. Under 400 words.
• "Making Dinner" - Intermediate Level. 8 questions. Under 400 words.
• "The Market" - Intermediate Level. 10 questions. Under 500 words.
• "Maria Gets Her License" - Intermediate Level. 8 questions. Under 500 words.
• "A Paper for School" - Advanced Level. 7 questions. Under 300 words.
• "A Birthday Surprise" - Advanced Level. 7 questions. Under 600 words.
• "Getting a New Job" - Advanced Level. 8 questions. Under 600 words.
• "The Dinner Party" - Advanced Level. 9 questions. Under 600 words.

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