Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Creative Writing: Short Story”

In this activity, students will write a short story on a protagonist who sacrifices a personal pursuit for the good of the community.

Although Mr. Ryder seeks a particular lifestyle, at the end of the story, he makes a choice that ultimately supports his community more than his personal pursuits.

For this Activity, you will create a short story in which the protagonist changes their priorities in order to better the community. Your story may relate to the book’s themes of Slavery, Colorism, and/or Post-Reconstruction in the American North, or you may choose another theme that you feel passionate about.

• Introduce your protagonist and their personal goal.
• Include an inciting incident that gets in the way of this goal.
• Consider setting, additional characters and events, and the story’s message.
• Resolve the conflict and make sure the story ends clearly.
• Show how your character has grown by identifying their new priority.

After drafting, trade your story with a partner for peer review. Is the message clearly conveyed? How does the character’s priority change? Once you have revised based on your partner’s feedback, share your story with the rest of the class.