English 110: Short Story Unit Creative Assessment

Objective: To research and learn about the historical and cultural influences on a piece of
literature or an author

Your Task: Independently, you will chose one short story that we read in this unit, and one
suggested topic from the list below. Then, create a Thinglink interactive map with 4
touchpoints that provide information to contextualize the culture and time period of the short
story.

Stories we Read this Unit:

Author Short Story Title Setting (or country Time Period
referenced)

Juan Rulfo No Dogs Bark Mexico 1950s

Richard Connell The Most Dangerous Caribbean Islands 1920s

Game

Alice Munro Day of the Butterfly Canada 1960s

Rosario Ferre The Youngest Doll Puerto Rico 1970s

Gabriel Garcia The Handsomest Colombia late 1960s

Marquez Drowned Man in the
World

Thomas King Borders U.S./Canada border, 1990s

Blackfoot tribal land

Jorge Luis Borges The Book of Sand Argentina 1970s

Consider any of the following topics to research in connection to the story or author:
1. Political turmoil or changing borders
2. Civil Rights Movements
3. Cultural practices in the country
4. International events that have impacted the region
5. The authors personal history
6. Gender roles in society
7. The influence of this culture in Chicago today
8. A topic of your choice-- be sure to confirm with the teacher!
 Instructions for Making a Thinglink Interactive Image:
1. Consider the setting or country referenced in the short story you selected.
2. Search for a map of the country. Save this image to your camera roll. In Thinglink, click the
plus sign and upload the image.
a. This map is your background image.
b. Be sure to give this image a specific title.
3. On your image, click to add your first touchpoint.
a. Select Add Text; type in the name of the short story and its author in this touchpoint.
4. Add two touchpoints with links to the research and sources you found. You may add links
to articles, videos, images, or other media. Each touchpoint must also contain a brief
explanation of the source.
a. Required: One of these two touchpoints must be from an SICP Library Database:
Encyclopedia Britannica, Britannica Image Quest, Student Resources in Context, or Explora
(Ebsco).
1. IMPORTANT: to add an image or video from a database, you must first download and save it to
your camera roll. Then, you can Add a Media touchpoint and upload the database image or
database video. (A URL link to a database will not work!)
5. Finally, add one last touchpoint. Add text, and include 3 sentences that explain how
your cultural research is directly related to a moment or passage in the short story
itself.
a. You should cite a quote from the short story to support your reasoning.
6. Save the image by clicking on the sharrow in the bottom left corner and add to the
Google Classroom assignment called Short Stories Unit: Creative Assessment
(Thinglink Interactive Map).

Total Points: 15 DUE DATE: A Period: Tuesday, October 4, 2016 (C Day)

D Period: Wednesday, October 5, 2016 (K Day)