Assignment

The final story you will read for this section is called “Long, Long After School” by Ernest Buckler.

As with the previous story, you will complete a Short Story Observation Chart based on your comprehension of the story.

Follow each of these steps, in order, to complete your assignment.

Ernest Buckler was a well-known and popular Canadian writer.  His short stories and novels have gained him much recognition, winning him the Canadian Centennial Medal and earning him the title of Officer of the Order of Canada.  He is best known for his novel, The Mountain and the Valley, which was published in 1952.

“Long, Long After School” is a powerful story that tells the tale of Wes Holman, a local caretaker in a small town who nobody seems to notice much . . . that is, until Miss Tretheway dies.  Miss Tretheway had taught grade 3 in this town for 50 years.  Most people would have described Miss Tretheway as being very plain.  She wasn’t terribly popular with the other teachers.  She had never been married or had a romantic relationship, as far as anyone could tell.  To Wes Holman, though, Miss Tretheway was special . . . even beautiful.  Throughout the course of the story, Wes slowly reveals just how much Miss Tretheway meant to him, and how profoundly she had changed his life.

Step 1:  Download another copy of the 2.2 Short Story Observation Chart (in Word, Google doc, or PDF).

Step 2:  Read the short story “Long, Long After School” on p. 250 in Between the Lines 12.

Step 3:  Listen to the story being read aloud as you follow along, if you’d like.

Step 4:  Complete the 2.2 Short Story Observation Chart. If necessary, take a moment to review the example observation chart you read earlier, and review the following tutorials: Plot and Point of View and Character.

Step 5:  Gather BOTH of your charts and save each of the documents on your computer in the following way:  Your Full Name 2.2 Short Story Observation Chart for Title of Short Story. BE CERTAIN TO SUBMIT TWO CHARTS, one for "Garson" and one for "Long, Long After School."

Step 6:  Submit your two charts for assessment in the space provided. 

Step 7:  Your teacher will then assess your assignment and give you feedback.  Read this feedback carefully and apply the suggestions for improvement to your remaining assignments.

WAIT!  If you would like additional practice with analyzing short stories, or if you struggled on the previous 2.2 Short Story Observation Charts, you may want to complete this Alternate 2.2 Short Story Observation Chart.  Contact your teacher for permission before doing so.