Vocabulary and Plot Elements in "The Monkey's Paw": Introduction

This UDL instructional unit supports ninth and tenth grade English/Language Arts courses in which students read and analyze short stories, novels, and classic literature. The unit was developed in a classroom of 26 diverse students, nearly half of whom have identified disabilities. The specific story, The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs, is in the public domain and can therefore be digitized for use with text-to-speech software and distributed to all students.

The teachers applied UDL principles by:

• providing multiple representations of the story content and vocabulary words;
• offering multiple strategies for understanding vocabulary, elements of plot, story content, and offering students options for expressing their understanding;
• selecting an engaging story containing mystery and eerie suspense.

Throughout the unit, lessons focus on story vocabulary, story reading and comprehension, and analysis of plot elements. These principles, tools and techniques can be applied to any text in the English/Language Arts curriculum.

Instructional Focus

In considering the most effective way to meet lesson goals and incorporate the principles of UDL, the teachers decided that each day's lesson would include instruction in three key areas:

• story vocabulary;
• story reading and comprehension;
• analysis of the elements of plot.

When designing the activities, they provided multiple opportunities for engagement, offered flexible materials, and allowed students to choose the means to act on the content and demonstrate their learning of it. For example, to present new vocabulary, the teachers used Microsoft PowerPoint to provide visual representations of word meaning and analysis.