In my mission to revamp my inventory of short stories to use with my freshmen, “Weight” is hands down my favorite addition. Keep scrolling; you won’t be disappointed.
It’s on CommonLit
I hate to say it, but cost sometimes comes into play when figuring out my curriculum. Sure, there are plenty of illegal PDFs floating around. I could easily break copyright laws with my computer and copiers at school. But that’s not the message I want to send to my students. Enter CommonLit.com with the solution to all of it. Not only is “Weight” available for free via CommonLit, they also have guiding comprehension questions. For free. There’s an audio version. For free.
It’s Truly a Contemporary Text
I’m dating myself here, but I sometimes wonder if we should really be reading the same things I read a few decades ago when I was in high school. The short answer to that is no. At least some small percentage of what we teach and read should be works published in the last decade. “Weight” was published in 2018. No need to explain to students about life in the ancient times of the 1900s. No need to help them translate out archaic language. This text is one I can have students read independently or in groups without fearing they will be completely lost.
We Need More Positive Diversity
“Weight” isn’t just a story with diverse characters, the plot of the story has nothing to do with racism or oppression. Those topics are obviously important, but we can’t have marginalized students only seeing themselves in stories with plots focused on those negative topics. In “Weight,” a couple is about to graduate from high school and go off to different colleges in different cities. They go to a facility where technicians will extract their hearts and read them to see if their love is strong enough to endure such a change. Did I mention this was science fiction?
“Weight” is Perfect for Characterization
Since the entire short story revolves around this one couple and their trip to the clinic, there’s a lot to unpack with this character-driven plot. Each has parent trauma impacting their relationship, each has a secret or two, and each has a slew of deep-seated fears: some acknowledged, some hidden even from the character themselves. This provides students with an opportunity to dive in and uncover what makes everyone tick. My students have always enjoyed this part of the unit, but they especially liked exploring it via body biographies. The first time I used generic directions for body biographies I found online, but I wouldn’t recommend that. Instead, I made one specific to the story. I also blew it up to an 11 x 17 so it was easier for pairs and small groups to work on together. Here’s a link to my TpT product if you’re short on time.
Alternating Point of View
I’ve recently seen people asking for stories or examples of alternating points of view. Most of the traditional texts we use have one point of view throughout the entire piece. “Weight” alternates third person limited, hopping from character to character and using a dinkus to show when the change happens. To start, students might not even notice or understand what the limited aspect of third person really means. This text is the answer to all of that. I ask them to determine the POV, then to focus only on the first two pages to determine whose POV it is and which lines from the text show them that.
Creative Assessments
Aside from students adding their own creative touches to body biographies, there are other ways students can get creative in their understanding of the text.
Alternate Ending Creative Writing
Since the story ends ambiguously and students all have their own opinions on what would happen next, this text is excellent for writing an alternate ending. Even better, it’s what’s known as a low floor, high ceiling assessment. In short: it’s easy to differentiate as needed. For your students who need a challenge, have them write their alternate ending correctly head hopping the same way Clayton does. Write at least one section from each character’s point of view and use the dinkus to show the change. And have them practice using and correctly punctuating dialogue: commas between dialogue and dialogue tags, new paragraphs when someone new is speaking, etc. For students who don’t need a challenge, have them focus on staying true to the characters with their alternate ending. Which character will rip off the bandaid and how will the other react?
What Would Your Heart Say?
This assessment is more for fun and to help you get to know your students better. I have mine pick at least 20 nouns to write on their hearts. Some nouns will be older hobbies that they show are scabbed over by using a cross-hatch technique over top of the word. Some nouns will be huge and bold because those are the things or people that they most love. To make sure no one feels too vulnerable listing out the people they love or used to love, I also encourage the use of nicknames if that makes them feel more comfortable. Not sure what I’m talking about? Read the story and this will all make more sense. Here’s an example of a completed heart. I had my students use different colors for different nouns.
It’s Still Relatively New
Ever pull out a short story only to have half the class tell you they already read it? Yeah, me too. And while I stand by the benefits of reread and exploring more deeply texts students have already read or encountered, it’s something I mostly try to limit. I have yet to have a student tell me they’ve already read “Weight.”
Even better, as of Nov. 3, 2023, Chat GPT has no idea what this story is about.
