Indigenous American
Wandering Stars — Prologue Reading Questions & Historical Context Activity
Reading questions and activity for learning more about the Sand Creek Massacre.
Edgar Allan Poe
How to Make Edgar Allan Poe Relevant: Scaffolded Creative Writing for Secondary ELA
I love Gothic literature. Something about it. The monsters as metaphor. The rich, dense language that forces me to slow down. The layers of figurative language that overlap imagery, weaving it into extended metaphor, accentuating with sound devices, and all of it coming together to suggest theme. What ELA teacher
Coraline
Coraline, Eccentric Adults, and the Line Between Weird and Unsafe
Coraline shows kids learning bravery amid odd adults. Use these passages and guiding questions to explore safety, risk, and coming of age.
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
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
Writing
How to Write a Strong Analytical Thesis Statement in High School and IB English
Learn how to write a clear, compelling analytical thesis statement for high school or IB English class. This guide breaks down sentence frames, provides real examples, and shows how to level up your thinking.
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
Analytical Writing
How to Use ChatGPT to Turn a Film Analysis Model into Scaffolded Writing Instruction (with Into the Spider-Verse)
Help students analyze theme and character growth in Into the Spider-Verse with this scaffolded film analysis activity. Includes thesis + outline worksheets.
Lesson Plans
A Simple 3-Step Framework for Teaching Literary Analysis (Even If You're Not an English Teacher)
A free guide for parents looking to support their students with deeper reading in high school ELA.