Description
This resource is an engaging and effective way to teach the short story “The Pie” by Gary Soto, making it a strong addition to any short story unit.
In just 872 words, this flash fiction piece follows a young boy who steals a pie from a German market. The story’s masterful pacing captures the tension between desire and conscience as the protagonist wrestles with shame, guilt, and self-justification. These internal conflicts naturally lead to rich classroom discussions about situational ethics, moral decision-making, and how easily people rationalize actions they know are wrong. The story also contains subtle Biblical allusions, giving students an additional layer of meaning to analyze.
This lesson supports both comprehension and deeper literary analysis through structured activities. Students begin with a before-reading anticipation guide to activate thinking, then respond to reading comprehension and discussion questions that explore character, conflict, and theme. A plot diagram helps students track the story’s structure, while a figurative language analysis graphic organizer guides close examination of Soto’s craft. Answer keys are included for all activities.
You’ll receive a suggested lesson procedure along with teacher guides and answer keys in PDF format, student activity pages in editable Word documents, and print-ready PDFs for easy classroom use.
Perfect for middle school and early high school ELA, this “The Pie” lesson encourages thoughtful discussion, ethical reflection, and close reading while helping students appreciate the power of flash fiction.