Halloween
Activate prior knowledge before watching Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie with 8 open-ended prompts on monsters, symbolism, parody, and fear. Perfect Halloween warm-up or film study intro for grades 7–10.
9th Grade ELA
Makes satire and characterization come alive with this 1–2 day lesson that includes guided reading questions and differentiated prompts that help middle and high school students analyze diction, irony, and theme while practicing evidence-based discussion.
9th Grade ELA
My students used to breeze through short stories just so they could move on. Then I introduced BJ Novak’s bizarre, hilarious short stories—and suddenly, they were asking to read more. That’s when I realized the most accessible texts can also spark the deepest thinking. Why Start With
Film Studies
Analyzing 3 shots and other film analysis practice moments in Opus.
Film Studies
Why ASMR is perfect for horror, and what is Green satirizing?
Film Studies
Revisit the arrival to Moretti's enclave in Opus to look closely at how Green establishes atmosphere.
Film Studies
Unpacking the allegory of A24's Opus characters.
Film Studies
Unpacking Ariel's role as the audience surrogate in A24's Opus.
Film Studies
Analyze character and world in the opening sequence of A24's horror satire film, Opus.
Film Studies
Quick thoughts on A24's Opus - is the movie pointless or purposeful? Is it possible to be ethical in late stage capitalism and the influencer economy?
Poetry
Poetry intimidates some students—and honestly, some teachers too. It's abstract, personal, packed with hidden meanings, and often taught with more reverence than real curiosity. That’s why I like to start my poetry unit by admitting something radical: there is no one definition of poetry. Instead of
Coraline
Chapter by chapter reading questions to support Novel Studies of Coraline by Neil Gaiman (the book).