A Sports Fiction SHORT STORY Full Unit! Reading with Comprehension Questions

This short story unit is designed to ignite students' interest in reading and foster critical thinking skills! It includes a 5-page short story (split into 5 parts) + a modified version, pre-reading vocabulary exercises to do before each page of the story, and post-reading comprehension questions for in-depth analysis after each page of the reading.

Click here instead to get this product as part of a BUNDLE of 5 short stories!

STORY SUMMARY:

"The Curveball" is a heartwarming story that follows the remarkable journey of Max, whose passion for baseball knows no bounds. From his room adorned with posters of legendary players to his relentless dedication on the field, Max's love for the sport is palpable. As a 12-year-old with remarkable talent, Max's dream of reaching the Little League World Series becomes a driving force in his life. Through rigorous training, the support of his family, and the camaraderie he shares with his teammates, Max's journey becomes a testament to the power of resilience, teamwork, and the pursuit of a dream. Plus, the story all comes to a dramatic end with a fun plot twist!

Why use short stories?

Short stories can be more manageable for students, while retaining their interest and still allowing them to hone essential reading comprehension skills. Students will work on vocabulary acquisition, identifying main ideas, summarizing, making inferences, making connections, making predictions, analyzing characters and plot, and more, in a much shorter, more focused context.

Short Story Reading Pages (Split into 5 separate parts - each 1 page in length)

Includes modified versions of each part of the reading for differentiation (5 pages)

• Covers the same content but as simpler texts, so students can still fully participate in all discussions/questions about the readings.

Pre-reading exercises to do BEFORE each reading (7 pages + 5 answer pages):

• Activation of prior knowledge (before reading part 1)
• Vocabulary practice exercises (for each of parts 1-5). Answer keys also included.

Post-Reading Response Pages to do AFTER each reading (15 pages):

• Comprehension questions (mix of multiple-choice and open response)
• Making predictions (+ reflecting on predictions, after reading further)
• Making connections (to self or other texts)
• Summarizing the readings
• Describing settings
• Reflection/critical thinking questions
• Respond to the quote prompt
• Making inferences
• Comparing/Contrasting
• Critiquing
• Themes/Lessons
• Illustrating a Scene

The comprehension questions have been designed to directly align with strand C2 of the new 2023 Ontario Language curriculum.

CHECK OUT MORE FUN SHORT STORY UNITS:

• a TIME TRAVEL adventure short story unit
• a MYSTERY ADVENTURE short story unit
• a SCIENCE FICTION space adventure short story unit
• a FUTURISTIC ADVENTURE short story unit

FULL BUNDLE OF ALL 5 SHORT STORIES: The whole class can work on one story at the same time and you can use a new story every month, OR you can allow students to choose whichever story topic interests them most, and rotate through as many times as you want.