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Part of Longman’s “Literature for College Readers” series, American 24-Karat Gold introduces developmental readers to classic American short stories, with pedagogy to support their reading and comprehension and make the literary pieces accessible.
Table of Contents:
RIPE FIGS A Sample Lesson
Kate Chopin “Ripe Figs”
Chapter 1 Characters and Conflicts
Kate Chopin “The Unexpected”
Is Dorothea shallow or profoundingly honest? What do you think?
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions
“The Unexpected”
Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
Eudora Welty “A Worn Path”
Old Phoenix overcomes challenge after challenge as she takes the reader on a journey to town.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions
“A Worn Path”
Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
Amy Tan “Two Kinds”
Tensions between mother and child touch us all in this lively tale of hopes and aspirations.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions “Two Kinds”
Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
Edgar Allan Poe “The Tell-Tale Heart”
Edgar Allan Poe walks the reader through the homicidal mind in this classic tale of maniacal obsession.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions
“The Tell-Tale Heart”
Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
Ray Bradbury “There Will Come Soft Rains”
Using nontraditional characters, Ray Bradbury questions humankind’s relationship with the technology it creates.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions
“There Will Come Soft Rains”
Journal 88
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
Chapter 2 Setting and Props
Sandra Cisneros “Eleven”
Rachel brings forth insights we can all share.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions
“Eleven”
Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
Alice Walker “Everyday Use”
Sincerity triumphs over superficiality in this story centered around a family heirloom.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions
“Everyday Use”
Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
Joseph Bruchac “Bone Girl”
Old traditions lead to new changes in this spirited tale.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions
“Bone Girl”
Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
Mark Twain “Strong Temptations—Strategic Movements—The Innocents Beguiled”
Told with humor and irony, this is the classic tale of Tom Sawyer painting the fence.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions
“Strong Temptations—Strategic Movements—The Innocents Beguiled”
Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
Edgar Allan Poe “The Cask of Amontillado”
Edgar Allan Poe walks the reader through the homicidal mind in this classic story of family revenge wherein darkness increases with the subterranean descent.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions
“The Cask of Amontillado”
Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
Chapter 3 Plot and Foreshadowing
Langston Hughes “Salvation”
We share the narrator’s confusion as events swirl around him in this light yet introspective tale.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions
“Salvation”
Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
Migene Gonzalez-Wippler “Yoruba”
In this lively story, Migene Gonzalez-Wippler portrays a childhood experience with a religious system that combines Christian and African beliefs, enhanced by foreshadowing.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions
“Yoruba”
Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
Max Brand “Wine on the Desert”
Justice is brutally served in this powerful story.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions
“Wine on the Desert”
Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
O. Henry “The Last Leaf”
We share friendship and devotion in this stirringly poignant tale.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions
“The Last Leaf”
Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions Writing
Frank Stockton “The Lady or the Tiger?”
The reader expects resolution in a story, but Frank Stockton leaves the reader holding her or his breath.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions
“The Lady or the Tiger?”
Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
Chapter 4 Irony
Kate Chopin “The Story of an Hour”
Kate Chopin turns marital assumptions upside down with her ironic twist.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions
“The Story of an Hour”
Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
O. Henry “Gifts of the Magi”
Love triumphs over all as gifts are well, if not wisely, given.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions
“Gifts of the Magi”
Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
Dorothy Parker “The Wonderful Old Gentleman”
Did you ever want to scream, “That’s unfair”? The knife of injustice slowly twists in this ironic story.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions
“The Wonderful Old Gentleman” Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
O. Henry “The Ransom of Red Chief”
Written in a simpler time and with continuing humor, O. Henry turns the tables.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions
“The Ransom of Red Chief”
Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
Zora Neale Hurston “Sweat”
Zora Neale Hurston’s ever-surviving female realizes ultimate justice.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions
“Sweat”
Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
Chapter 5 Extended Short Story Study
Jack London “To Build a Fire”
Arctic conditions test the knowledge of man and dog.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions
“To Build a Fire”
Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
William Faulkner “A Rose for Emily”
The reader experiences the very wretchedness of William Faulkner’s decaying South through Emily and her relationships.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions “A Rose for Emily”
Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
Nathaniel Hawthorne “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment”
In this tale set amid dark and ominous surroundings, Nathaniel Hawthorne questions change with light humor, irony, and even a touch of sarcasm.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions
“Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment”
Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
Herman Melville “The Bell-Tower”
In this powerful tale written long before modern machinery, Herman Melville exposes a man’s self-glorifying pride in his own resourcefulness.
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Context
Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack
Pre-reading Questions
“The Bell-Tower”
Journal
Follow-up Questions
Discussion Questions
Writing
Appendix A Judges
Appendix B How I Use This Book
Appendix C Vocabulary in Context
Glossary of Prefixes and Suffixes
Credits
Index 426
