Short Stories from the Eighth Grade

In a recent Humanities project, they produced different types of short stories: some based on photos taken in the Mission, others inspired by “How to Survive” cards, and still others written from the perspective of a teenager’s mind. Humanities Teacher Terry Ashkinos started the assignment with a lesson on the ins and outs of writing fiction, focusing on the elements of setting, plot, conflict, characters, and moral ideas. The students read and discussed different short stories, then wrote their own based on the three prompts above. After some workshopping and revising, they’ve now collected 43 of their best stories into an illustrated volume that’s available online!

 

Terry told us that many of the stories involved “somebody coming from a place of success and then finding themselves in a place that is less successful, whether spiritually, financially, or morally.” When they noticed that theme running through so much of their work, the eighth graders decided to call the collection From Riches to Rags. It can be purchased on Lulu here; you may also be amused by some of the reviews!