Frankenweenie
Frankenweenie — Caricature & Body Representation Activities
Analyze Burton’s gothic style through caricature and body representation in Frankenweenie. Includes student chart, answer key, and creative extension.
Frankenweenie
Frankenweenie — Characterization, Archetypes & Caricature Activities
Explore how Tim Burton’s quirky characters mix archetype, parody, and stereotype. This lesson pack includes notes, student packet, and slides to teach characterization through Frankenweenie.
Frankenweenie
Frankenweenie — Viewing Questions & Motif Tracking
Engage students with 50 guided viewing questions and motif-tracking prompts for Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie. Perfect for grades 7–10 as a Halloween lesson, film study activity, or active viewing guide.
The Planning Room
Intro to Film Studies Pacing Guide Week 1
Start Film Studies with Film-Related Bingo, Box Office Trivia, and the Self/Us/Now Community Building Activities. Free Week 1–2 pacing guide.
Halloween
Frankenweenie — Pre-Viewing & Activation Questions
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
The Rematch — Close Reading & Characterization Lesson (BJ Novak)
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
How to Engage Students When Teaching Analytical Writing
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
Poetry
Defining the Indefinable: A Poetry Kickoff Lesson Using Quotes from Poets
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
Reading Questions for Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Chapter by chapter reading questions to support Novel Studies of Coraline by Neil Gaiman (the book).
The House on Mango Street
What If She’s Not “Unmotivated”?
Why I Created a House on Mango Street Novel Study for Homeschool Families If you’re a homeschooling parent trying to get your daughter to care about literature or write with confidence, you might be feeling stuck. Especially if she’s quiet. Resistant. Disengaged. Maybe you’ve heard things like:
ELA
Why the Analytical Paragraph Still Matters in a World of Scrolls and Soundbites
When I first started teaching high school English in a wealthy, high-achieving public school district, I was surprised by how often students would argue over a single point on an assignment. At first, I chalked it up to academic perfectionism or entitlement. But one day, a colleague explained that students
9th Grade ELA
Why So Many Students Struggle with Literary Analysis—And How The House on Mango Street Can Help
“Why can’t I get above a B on my English essays?” I hear this question all the time from students—and I understand their frustration. They want to do well. They’re smart. They read the book. But when it comes time to write about literature, something’s not