Diverse Short Stories – Ideas and Activities
By MARISSA DESPINS Updated March 9, 2024
It is easy to get stuck in a rut of teaching the same short stories year after year. However, I think it is important to switch things up every once in a while. Incorporating new stories makes me more enthusiastic and excited about what I am teaching. When I am excited, the enthusiasm gets picked up by the students almost immediately. I am here today to share some of my very favorite inclusive and diverse short stories. I hope you are able to find some new voices to add to your collection.
Looking for some short story resources that you can print and use right away with your learners? Click on the image or button below to see all of the short story resources available in my TPT shop!
Why is it important to teach diverse short stories?
Don’t get me wrong – I am a huge fan of the classics. That being said, it is important to expose students to stories that share a variety of voices and experiences. I am strong believer in the theory of student reading material being windows and mirrors; they need to see themselves reflected in the books they read, and also use them as a means to view the experiences of others. Including diverse stories in your collection help builds empathy and understanding. Our classrooms are made up of students that are beautiful, amazing, and from all walks of life. Because of this, the stories we share need to reflect that diversity.
Another benefit of using diverse short stories in the classroom comes down to their length and variety. Because they are short, it is easy to incorporate a wide range of voices into your ELA curriculum. Diverse novels are fantastic of course, but it can be hard to squeeze very many different ones into an already jam-packed curriculum. A wide variety of diverse short stories, however, are much easier to fit in. Because of this, short stories can be amazing ways to bring voices from different identity groups, regions and nationalities into the classroom.
Favorite Diverse Short Stories
I have included a list of five of my current favorite short stories that fall into the diverse and inclusive category. All of these stories create great classroom discussions about diversity and coming to terms with our own individual identities.
1- The Jade Peony – Wayson Choy
The story follows a young Chinese-Canadian boy named Sek-Lung. In the story, Sek-Lung tells of the times he spent creating a special wind chime with his Grandmama. The story focuses on the delicate balance between retaining the old ways while adjusting to the new, as well as the fragility of life.
This is a great addition to your collection of diverse short stories. It is perfect for discussing figurative language and theme. It also lends itself to great discussions about student’s own extended families, and the importance of spending time with and learning from our elders.
2- Fish Cheeks – Amy Tan
“Fish Cheeks” is an autobiographical narrative that students immediately connect with. The story follows a young Asian girl named Amy, who lives with her family in America. Throughout the story, Amy struggles with feeling ashamed of her family, who she wishes acted more American. The narrator’s perception of events strongly reflects the complexity of having a multicultural identity.
This is a shorter story with language that is easily accessible. The story lends itself to great classroom discussions about the importance of being proud of one’s self and culture.
3- Geraldine Moore The Poet – Toni Cade Bambara
This story follows Geraldine, a young girl growing up in Harlem. Geraldine struggles to focus in class; she is distracted by the troubles she is facing at home, as well as her hungry belly. When her teacher suggests that everyone write poetry about the beauty of the world, Geraldine has difficulty seeing anything beautiful about her story. Instead, Geraldine finds a way to express herself in a way that is both heartbreaking and honest.
This story lends itself to a discussion of individual experiences, and how these experiences shape the way we see the world.
Interested in using this story with your learners? I have a complete short story unit to go along with it that you can check out here or by clicking on the image below.
4- The Feather Pillow – Horatio Quiroga
This creepy short story is written by Uruguayan writer Horatio Quiroga. It tells the story of a husband caring for his ill wife. Despite bed rest and constant care, she does not seem to be getting better; the reader does not discover the true cause of her devastating illness until the very end of the story.
If you want to try this story out with your learners, you can snag yourself a copy of my complete Feather Pillow Short Story Unit here or by clicking on the image below.
5- Thank You Ma’am – Langston Hughes
“Thank You Ma’am” is classic short story by African America writer Langston Hughes. The story revolves around a young boy named Roger, who attempts to steal the purse of Mrs. Luella Bates Washington. A bad move on Roger’s part, Luella manages to thwart the robbery. Seeing his face is dirty and his hair is uncombed, Luella grabs him by his shirt and drags him home with her. While there, Roger is forced to confront his actions and learns an important lesson about the kindness of strangers.
This is another powerful story for class discussion, lending itself to topics relating to kindness, forgiveness, empathy and trust. It is a universally polarizing story. It allows students to examine ways we are all similar, and how most situations can be improved with just a little bit of understanding and kindness.
If you are interested in teaching this short story with your learners, you can grab a copy of my Thank You Ma’am unit here or by clicking on the link below.
I hope you are able to find some new short stories to help add some diversity to your current collections.
On the hunt for Diverse picture books to add to your lessons? Check out our read aloud favorites!
Looking for more Short Story ideas?
Check out my previous short story posts below!
The Best Short Stories for Middle School
Halloween Short Stories for Middle School
More Spooky Short Stories for Middle School
Short Stories to Celebrate Black History Month
Grab a free Short Story Activity!
Click here or on the image below to download a COMPLETE short story unit. It contains a full text version of the story, comprehension questions, close reading activities, graphic organizers, answer keys, and more!
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