The key is to shift our approach from compliance to connection. This post offers practical, classroom-ready strategies to help you cultivate a genuine interest in reading among your most hesitant students. We will explore how to diversify your classroom library, leverage technology, and build a classroom culture that celebrates reading in all its forms.

Beyond the Canon: Aligning Reading with Student Interests

For many teens, the disconnect with reading starts when they feel the material has no relevance to their lives. While the classics have their place, a curriculum built solely on them can alienate students who don't see themselves or their interests reflected on the page. The most powerful tool in your arsenal is choice.

Curate a Diverse and Dynamic Classroom Library

Your classroom library should be a treasure trove, not just a shelf of required texts. To engage reluctant readers, you need to offer a wide array of materials that cater to different tastes and reading levels.

• Graphic Novels & Manga: These are not "lesser" forms of reading; they are sophisticated narrative mediums. The visual component helps students with decoding and comprehension, making complex plots more accessible. Series like Persepolis, Maus, or popular manga can be a gateway to more traditional texts.
• High-Interest Nonfiction: Connect reading to their passions. Include books and magazines about sports, video games, true crime, music, or social justice issues. A student obsessed with basketball might devour a biography on LeBron James, while another might be fascinated by a deep dive into the history of hip-hop. Here are some books categorized by theme.
• Short Stories & Anthologies: The time commitment of a full novel can be daunting. Short stories provide a complete narrative arc in a single sitting, offering a quick win and a sense of accomplishment that builds confidence. Anthologies also expose students to various authors and styles.

The "First Chapter Friday" Strategy

Dedicate the first few minutes of class every Friday to reading the first chapter of a new, high-interest book aloud. Don't analyze it or assign work. Just read. The goal is to hook them with an exciting premise or a compelling character. You can then leave the book on display for students to borrow. This simple routine exposes them to genres they might never choose on their own and creates a low-stakes entry point into a new story.

Using Technology as an Ally, Not an Enemy

Students are already immersed in a digital world, so let's meet them there. Technology offers powerful tools to support and engage readers who struggle with traditional print formats.

Embrace Audiobooks and E-readers

For students with dyslexia or other reading challenges, the physical act of reading can be exhausting. Audiobooks remove this barrier, allowing them to access complex vocabulary and sophisticated plots. You can offer audio versions of class texts or let students choose their own from services like Audible or Libby, which connects to local libraries.

Similarly, e-readers and reading apps on tablets allow for customization. Students can change the font size, adjust the background color, and tap on a word for an instant definition. These features empower them to take control of their reading experience and reduce frustration.

Gamify Reading with Apps and Challenges

Introduce a little friendly competition to make reading more exciting. Apps like Goodreads allow students to track their reading, set goals, and see what their friends are reading. You can create classroom reading challenges, such as a "genre bingo" where students read books from different categories, or a team-based competition to see who can read the most pages in a month. Celebrating milestones with small rewards can turn reading from a solitary activity into a shared, motivating experience.

Fostering a Culture of Reading in Your Classroom

Your classroom environment plays a huge role in shaping student attitudes toward reading. It should be a place where reading is seen as a valuable and enjoyable activity for everyone, not just the "good students."

Design an Inviting Reading Space

Create a corner of your classroom dedicated to reading. Add a comfortable chair, a rug, and good lighting. Even small touches can signal that this is a space for relaxation and enjoyment, not just academic work. Allow students the flexibility to read where they feel comfortable, whether that's at their desk, on the floor, or in your designated nook. This autonomy helps reduce the pressure and anxiety often associated with reading.

Make Reading Social and Collaborative

Reading doesn't have to be a silent, individual task. Transform it into a social activity to boost engagement.

• Book Clubs & Literature Circles: Instead of assigning one book to the entire class, allow students to form small groups based on a selection of high-interest titles. This gives them agency over what they read and a community with which to discuss it. The peer-to-peer conversations are often more authentic and engaging than a whole-class discussion led by the teacher. Resources for books grouped by themes can help!
• Praise Effort Over Performance: One of the biggest obstacles for a reluctant reader is the fear of being wrong or appearing "slow." Shift your focus from quizzing for comprehension to celebrating the act of reading itself. When a student finishes a book, no matter the length or complexity, acknowledge it. Ask them what they thought of it in a casual, low-stakes conversation. This positive reinforcement shows them that you value their effort and that reading is about personal enjoyment, not just grades.

Lead by Example

Be a reader yourself. Talk to your students about what you're currently reading for fun. Share your excitement about a new book you discovered or a character you love. When students see their teacher as a passionate reader, it normalizes the activity and demonstrates that reading is a lifelong pursuit, not just something you do for school.

Transforming a reluctant reader into an engaged one is a marathon, not a sprint. It requires patience, empathy, and a willingness to redefine what reading looks like in your classroom. By offering choice, embracing technology, and building a supportive community, you can help every student find their own path to the stories that are waiting for them.

Below, you’ll find practical explanations, classroom examples, and teaching tips for covering the core elements of fiction—plot, character, setting, theme, point of view, and style—with your middle and high school students.

1. Plot: The Story’s Blueprint

Definition: Plot is the sequence of events that make up the story, built around conflicts and resolutions.

Classroom Tips:

• Use graphic organizers (like story maps or plot diagrams) to help students break down key stages: exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
• Assign group activities where students identify these stages in a current class novel or in short stories.
• Have students rewrite a chapter from a different character’s perspective to reinforce understanding of plot structure and development.

Example: In The Giver by Lois Lowry, the plot builds as Jonas begins to question his community’s rules, ultimately leading to his decision to escape.

2. Character: Bringing Stories to Life

Definition: Characters are the people, animals, or figures in a story. Understanding their motivations and changes is key to strong analysis.

Classroom Tips:

• Use character charts to track growth, traits, and relationships. Encourage students to find textual evidence for their observations.
• Prompt students to write journal entries as if they are a main character, helping them connect emotionally and cognitively.
• Discuss the difference between static and dynamic characters, using examples from the current curriculum.

Example: Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games is a dynamic character who changes as she faces new challenges.

3. Setting: Where and When the Story Unfolds

Definition: The setting is the environment in which the story takes place, including location, time, and social context.

Classroom Tips:

• Ask students to create scene illustrations or mood boards representing the novel’s setting.
• Explore how changing the setting (e.g., moving a classic scene into the present day) changes the story.
• Discuss how the setting affects the plot and characters—does it create challenges or influence behavior?

Example: The setting of To Kill a Mockingbird (small-town Alabama during the 1930s) directly impacts the conflicts in the story.

4. Theme: The Deep Meaning

Definition: Theme is the underlying message or big idea in a work of fiction.

Classroom Tips:

• Have students brainstorm possible themes based on events and character choices, then back up their ideas with evidence.
• Use essential questions to spark discussion around central themes, like “What does it mean to be courageous?” or “How does society influence individuals?”
• Encourage students to compare how themes are treated differently across novels or genres.

Example: In Wonder by R.J. Palacio, the themes of kindness and acceptance come through both the events of the plot and characters’ actions.

5. Point of View: Whose Eyes Do We See Through?

Definition: Point of view (POV) is the perspective from which the story is told.

Classroom Tips:

• Have students rewrite a scene from the perspective of a different character or in a different POV (first person, third person limited, omniscient).
• Use mentor texts to show how perspective shapes what we know and how we feel about characters and events.
• Discuss how a story might change if told by another character—what would be revealed or hidden?

Example: Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo uses first person POV, allowing readers to connect closely with Opal’s thoughts and feelings.

6. Style: The Writer’s Signature

Definition: Style consists of the author’s word choice, sentence structure, tone, and literary devices.

Classroom Tips:

• Teach students to spot literary devices (similes, metaphors, dialogue, imagery) in the text and discuss how they add to the story.
• Compare the writing styles of different authors or genres—what makes each unique?
• Use short writing exercises to encourage students to experiment with sentence length and word choice in their own stories.

Example: Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet features short, impactful sentences that echo the intensity of Brian’s survival story.

Making the Elements of Fiction Engaging

• Connect to Standards: Use these elements to meet curriculum objectives related to reading comprehension, literary analysis, and critical thinking.
• Discussion-Based Learning: Foster open-ended classroom conversations, using Socratic seminars or literature circles.
• Creative Assessment: Assign projects where students illustrate themes, build dioramas of settings, act out scenes, or write alternate endings.

By focusing on these core elements of fiction and connecting them to classroom activities, you help students not only enjoy novels, but also decode and discuss them with confidence—skills that will serve them across the curriculum and beyond.

This post will explore innovative and effective strategies to engage your students. We will cover how to blend technology with tradition, foster meaningful discussions, and connect timeless stories to the students' own lives. By the end, you'll have a toolkit of ideas to make your literature class more relatable and exciting.

Beyond the Page: Integrating Multimedia Resources

Today's students are digital natives, fluent in the language of video, podcasts, and social media. Using these tools in the literature classroom isn't a distraction; it's a bridge. Multimedia can provide context, deepen understanding, and appeal to diverse learning styles.

Bringing Text to Life with Audio and Visuals

Visual and auditory elements can make the world of a text more tangible. Before diving into The Great Gatsby, you could show clips from film adaptations to help students visualize the Roaring Twenties. Playing jazz music from the era or showing photographs of 1920s fashion can immerse them in the novel's atmosphere.

• Activity Idea: Create a "soundtrack for a character" project. Ask students to curate a playlist for a character like Hamlet or Jane Eyre, justifying their song choices with evidence from the text. This encourages them to analyze character motivation and emotion through a modern lens.

Leveraging Digital Archives and Online Tools

The internet provides access to a wealth of primary sources. When studying World War I poetry, you can use digital archives to show students real letters from soldiers or photographs from the trenches. This historical context makes the literature more powerful and real. Interactive maps can help trace a character's journey in a novel like The Odyssey, making the epic scope of the story easier to grasp.

From Readers to Writers: Encouraging Creative Responses

One of the most effective ways for students to understand literary techniques is to use them. Creative writing assignments empower students to step into the author's shoes, giving them a new appreciation for the craft of storytelling.

Writing in the Style of an Author

After analyzing a specific author's style—be it Ernest Hemingway's sparse prose or Virginia Woolf's stream of consciousness—challenge students to write a short paragraph in that style. This exercise forces them to pay close attention to sentence structure, word choice, and tone.

• Lesson Plan Idea: When teaching Shakespeare, have students "translate" a soliloquy into a modern-day social media post, text message exchange, or journal entry. This task requires them to understand the original meaning and reinterpret it for a contemporary audience, proving their comprehension in a creative way.

Exploring Alternate Perspectives

Literature is full of silences and untold stories. Encourage students to explore them. What was the giant's side of the story in "Jack and the Beanstalk"? What did Mr. Darcy's sister, Georgiana, think about the events in Pride and Prejudice? Writing from the perspective of a minor character can unlock new layers of meaning in a familiar text.

The Power of Talk: Fostering Rich Classroom Discussions

A silent classroom is a missed opportunity. Literature is meant to be discussed, debated, and explored collectively. Creating a safe and structured environment for discussion helps students build confidence, learn from their peers, and develop stronger analytical skills.

Using Socratic Seminars

The Socratic seminar is a formal discussion method where students lead the conversation based on open-ended questions about a text. The teacher acts as a facilitator, not a lecturer. This format encourages students to listen actively, build on each other's ideas, and support their claims with textual evidence. It teaches them that their own interpretations are valuable and that questioning is at the heart of learning.

Think-Pair-Share

For students who are hesitant to speak in a large group, the Think-Pair-Share strategy is an excellent starting point.

1. Think: The teacher poses a question, and students take a minute to think about their answer silently.
2. Pair: Students pair up with a partner to discuss their thoughts.
3. Share: The pairs share their combined ideas with the larger class.

This simple structure lowers the stakes and ensures that every student has an opportunity to voice their ideas in a low-pressure setting before presenting to the whole group.

Building Bridges: Forging Real-World Connections

"Why do we have to read this?" is a question every literature teacher has heard. The most powerful answer is to show students how literature connects directly to their world and the issues they care about.

Connecting Themes to Current Events

The themes found in classic literature—justice, inequality, love, and loss—are timeless. Connect the social hierarchy in a Jane Austen novel to modern discussions about class. Relate the dystopian warnings in George Orwell's 1984 to current debates about technology, surveillance, and freedom of speech.

• Activity Idea: Have students create a "Text to World" connection journal. For each reading, they must find a current news article, social media trend, or personal experience that relates to a theme in the book. This helps them see that literature is not an isolated artifact but a living conversation.

Literature as a Tool for Empathy

Reading stories from perspectives different from our own is a powerful exercise in empathy. When choosing texts, aim for a diverse range of voices and experiences. A novel about an immigrant's journey, a memoir about overcoming adversity, or a poem that captures a unique cultural viewpoint can open students' minds and hearts. Frame discussions around understanding the characters' feelings and motivations, asking students to step into their shoes. This practice builds emotional intelligence and a more compassionate worldview.

Conclusion: Making Literature Matter

The goal of teaching literature is not just to prepare students for a test; it's to equip them with skills for life. By using a mix of teaching methods—from multimedia integration and creative writing to robust discussions and real-world connections—you can ignite a genuine passion for reading.

When students see literature as a tool for understanding themselves and the world, it becomes more than just a required subject. It becomes a source of wisdom, a catalyst for conversation, and a lifelong companion. The next step is to choose one new strategy and try it in your next unit. You might be surprised by the excitement and deep thinking it inspires.

1. Connect Literature to Students' Lives

• Relate Themes to Real-Life Issues: Highlight how the themes in the text (e.g., identity, love, conflict, justice) connect to students' experiences or current events.
• Modern Adaptations: Use modern retellings, movies, or pop culture references to make classic literature more relatable.

2. Encourage Active Participation

• Socratic Seminars: Facilitate open-ended discussions in which students analyze and debate the text.
• Role-Playing: Have students act out scenes or take on the roles of characters to deepen their understanding.
• Creative Projects: Assign tasks like rewriting a scene in a modern setting, creating a playlist for a character, or designing a book cover.

3. Use Technology and Multimedia

• Interactive Tools: Use apps, online quizzes, or platforms like Kahoot to make learning interactive.
• Audiobooks and Podcasts: Provide audio versions of texts or related podcasts to cater to auditory learners.
• Video Clips: Show film adaptations, author interviews, or historical context videos to enhance understanding.

4. Differentiate Instruction

• Choice in Reading: Offer a selection of books that align with the curriculum but allow students to choose based on their interests.
• Tiered Assignments: Adjust tasks based on students' reading levels or learning needs.
• Group Work: Pair students with varying strengths to collaborate on projects or discussions.

5. Focus on Critical Thinking

• Close Reading: Teach students to analyze passages for literary devices, tone, and meaning.
• Compare and Contrast: Encourage comparisons between texts, genres, or historical periods.
• Debates and Essays: Assign argumentative essays or debates on themes, characters, or author intent.

6. Incorporate Creative Writing

• Imaginative Assignments: Ask students to write alternate endings, diary entries from a character’s perspective, or prequels/sequels.
• Poetry Writing: Use poetry as a way to explore themes and emotions in a creative format.

7. Build a Collaborative Classroom Environment

• Literature Circles: Divide the class into small groups where each student has a role (e.g., discussion leader, summarizer, questioner).
• Peer Reviews: Encourage students to critique each other’s interpretations or essays constructively.

8. Incorporate Historical and Cultural Context

• Background Research: Assign research projects on the time period, author, or cultural influences of the text.
• Guest Speakers: Invite experts, such as professors or local authors, to provide additional insights.

9. Gamify the Learning Process

• Trivia and Quizzes: Create games around plot points, characters, or quotes.
• Escape Rooms: Design a literature-themed escape room where students solve puzzles related to the text.

10. Foster a Love for Reading

• Book Talks: Share your enthusiasm for the text and recommend related books.
• Reading Challenges: Set up friendly competitions to encourage more reading.
• Celebrate Success: Acknowledge students’ progress and achievements in understanding literature.

By combining these strategies, you can create a dynamic and inclusive learning environment that not only helps students understand literature but also fosters a lifelong appreciation for reading and critical thinking.

You Don't Have To Know EVERYTHING

Even though my first year of teaching was back in 1980 (I know, that was a loooonnnng time ago!), I vividly remember feeling so inadequate. I wanted to be that font of information, gushing forth bountiful insights about every book I taught--and having perfect answers for every question. I wanted to be like the literature teachers I had and admired, who were so full of interesting details and insights. 

What I discovered is that while having a good basic knowledge of the book is important, you don't need to know everything that your literature professors knew about it. It is more important on the K-12 level to use the book to reach your students, build relationships with them, teach them important skills like critical thinking and writing, and help them build a love of reading. On the K-12 level, it isn't about The Book; it's about Your Students. The Book is just a means to relationships and skills development.

Don't Be Afraid To Ask Questions

Every teacher in your department was once a new teacher. Find some veteran teachers who are willing to be mentors for you, and don't be afraid to ask for their advice or ideas. Don't be a pest and nuisance they dread to see coming, but when you're stuck and need a helping hand, don't hesitate to ask. Most veteran teachers will be willing to take at least a few minutes to help you. 

Likewise, if you come upon a really good resource that you find helpful, you might tell your mentor about it, to offer something in return for their mentoring. 

Remember That Your Students Are Important

It's easy to get caught up in writing "perfect" lesson plans, meeting standards, making IEPs, creating cool bulletin boards and room decorations, and all the rest of it. Remember your students are people--important people--and you are there to interact with them, not to focus on all the peripheral stuff. The things you do are, ultimately, FOR them, but don't forget to interact WITH them. Particularly in middle and high school, it's easy to fall into the trap of teaching TO them rather than teaching THEM.

Take Care Of Yourself

At the beginning, there's lots of wonder and enthusiasm. By about Thanksgiving, a feeling of being overwhelmed sometimes creeps in. By the end of the calendar year, many first-year teachers feel like giving up. 

Part of the reason for this progression is that most teachers are asked to do more than is possible for one human person, especially a person new to teaching, to do. To keep from getting overwhelmed, stay calm, set priorities, do your best to stay organized, and be sure to take care of yourself. Eat well, get enough sleep, save some time for your own family and friends, and learn to say, "No" when what someone asks of you is beyond your priorities and you truly don't have the time to do it.

You will be no good to anyone (especially yourself) if you are run down, frazzled, feeling defeated, or ill. Do what you can to preserve your own self and energy, and other things won't seem so bad.

Think About The Teachers You Had And Loved

In most cases, we don't remember teachers who just showed us how to write a 5-paragraph essay or knew the intricate details of Shakespeare's life. We don't remember fondly the teachers who simply gave us papers to fill out at our desks every day while they sat at their desks. We remember the teachers who cared, the ones who gave us confidence, showed us the "hows" and "whys" of things, and/or went out of their way to do something extra for us. They were genuinely interested in helping us and did their best to encourage and educate us. Be THAT teacher in your own way.

Remember that little things matter: a nod of confidence, a fist-bump celebration, a little comment. The little things build trust, confidence, and rapport. Without trust, confidence, and rapport with your students, teaching can be difficult because classroom management can be difficult without these elements.

So, in your own way, do the little things that the teachers you loved and respected did.

Not Everything Has To Be Done From Scratch

More than ever before, there are resources "out here" to help you. There's lots of free stuff on the Internet, websites that offer awesome platforms for various activities, videos on YouTube about EVERYTHING, courses that are offered, teacher groups to talk with and learn from on social media, and so much more. You aren't alone, and you don't have to do everything by yourself, from scratch, in your classroom or home office. A simple Internet search for whatever you are looking for usually shows up many helpful options.

As much as we all would love to create our own, personalized, perfectly awesome things for our students and our classrooms, alas, time and energy are limited. Sanity must prevail (lol). Go ahead and get, use, purchase if you have to and can, whatever is available to help yourself and your students. 

It is, in fact, better to "give in" and use premade resources that help you keep from re-inventing the wheel, so to speak. Spend your planning time on things that only you can do for your students. Not taking this approach will waste your precious time and drive you crazy.

Be Grateful And Stay Positive

Every day, stop and think about what good things happened that day. It's easy to remember the frustrations, the errors, the rudeness or thoughtlessness of others, and everything that went wrong. Daily remind yourself of what was right, good, awesome, and positive in your day. 

Moreso than ever before, I think, there are people who seem to live to complain about anything and everything from what was wrong with their breakfast cereal to politics and religion and social justice, the school, the other teachers, the students, their spouses, their children, their neighbors. Avoid those people and don't become one of them if you can help it.

Spend time with positive people and try to be one yourself. Life is short, and spending it wallowing in negativity isn't a recipe for having a happy one. Read Jerry Spinelli's short novel Stargirl. Be yourself, look for the better side of things, and be happy.

Email

If you need help choosing a book or finding resources for a novel or just want to ask an English teaching or classroom-related question, you can always contact me via my website. I'm always happy to try to help in whatever way I can. 

Teaching isn't easy, but it can be so rewarding! If you are a veteran teacher, please share some of your best tips in the comments below, to help some new teachers as they begin their journeys!

Critical Thinking

At this point in time, AI isn't always accurate. For example, I asked it to generate a summary of a novel that isn't often discussed. It got the beginning and ending of the story right, but it completely made up the middle based on the facts that it knew. If I hadn't read the book, I never would have known that the middle was wrong. So, when students use AI to generate content, they have to be critical thinkers to know to at least suspect when something isn't accurate in the content produced.

You can have students generate AI content about any aspect of any book and then have students analyze the created content, looking for accuracy, producing more examples from the text as support for the ideas generated, taking the information given and giving their opinions as to whether they agree or disagree with the statements made (and supporting their answers), and/or considering whether there is more content that could be added to the generated information to give a more complete answer/analysis. 

Probing Characters

Have students ask AI a question and tell the AI generator to answer as a particular character. For example, I typed in "Why does Boo Radley help Scout and Jem? Answer as Boo Radley."  Here's what AI came up with:

"Well, Scout, I reckon I helped you and Jem 'cause it felt like the right thing to do. Y'all remind me of somethin' pure, somethin' good in this world. I may keep to myself, but I see more than folks think. When I saw you two in trouble, I couldn't just stand by. Protectin' you was somethin' I had to do, like carin' for family. You and Jem, you brought a bit of light to my quiet life, and I couldn't let harm come to that."

If students do this exercise independently, AI will probably generate slightly different answers. A second query produced the following:

"Well, Scout, I reckon I helped you and Jem 'cause it felt like the right thing to do. Y'all remind me of somethin' pure and good in this world, somethin' worth protectin'. I may keep to myself, but that don't mean I don't see or care. When I saw you two in trouble, I just couldn't stand by. Sometimes, Scout, you don't need a reason to do what's right—you just do it."

In a class discussion or small group, students can compare and discuss the answers. How do Jem and Scout bring a bit of light to Boo's life? And how does Boo's statement about not needing "a reason to do what's right" apply to other events in the novel? Do you need a reason to do what's right? Which of the two responses is better? Why?

This is a fun activity that creates a springboard for discussion of many aspects of the story...and real life. And it can be done with any aspect of any novel with any characters; the possibilities are endless--and require analytical thinking.

Modern Translations

Sometimes reading old English or Victorian era texts can be tedious and difficult for today's students. Using AI to generate a modern translation can be a fun activity to help students relate to the text. For example, I asked AI to "translate Hamlet's to be or not to be sololiquy into modern English." Here's what it came up with:

To live or not to live—that’s the big question.
Is it better to put up with all the crap life throws at you,
or to fight back against it and end the pain?
Dying, sleeping—that’s all death really is.
And if it’s just sleep, then it’s not so bad.
You’d escape the heartache and the endless struggles
that life forces on us. It’s a win, right?

But wait—what if when we die, we dream?
That’s the catch. Those dreams could be nightmares,
and who knows what they’d be like?
That’s the thing that makes us hesitate.
It’s why we put up with all the awful stuff in life—
the insults, the heartbreak, the grind of work,
the unfairness, the pain, the rejection—
when we could just end it all with a knife.

But we don’t, because we’re scared of the unknown.
No one’s come back from death to tell us what it’s like,
so we stick with the misery we know
instead of risking something worse.
That’s how fear makes cowards of us all.
It messes with our resolve,
and our big plans fall apart
because we overthink everything.

But enough of that. Here comes Ophelia.
I need to shut up now.

Just about any student today would get the meaning from this...and maybe be amused at the translation. You can do a lot with this. Have students correlate lines in the original with the lines in the AI translation. Discuss how the poetry is stripped out of the translation and what effect that has. Have students do their own rewrites from the AI content, translating that into poetry. And, of course, you can discuss the ideas Hamlet puts forth.

Again, you can use this kind of AI translation with any text with difficult vocabulary, dialects, or sentence structures that give your students trouble.

I asked AI to "translate the first paragraph of A Tale of Two Cities into modern English," and here is what I got:

It was the best of times and the worst of times. People were wise, but also foolish. There was a lot of belief, but also a lot of doubt. It was a time of light and hope, but also of darkness and despair. We felt like we had everything ahead of us, yet also nothing. Some thought we were heading straight to Heaven, while others thought we were going the opposite way. In short, it was a time very much like today, where the loudest voices insisted everything was either the absolute best or the absolute worst.

Have students compare the original to the AI translation. Discuss word choices, overall meaning and tone, etc. Compare multiple AI generated translations and decide which is the best. Have students take multiple AI generated translations and incorporate them into their own "best translation to modern English." There are lots of things you could do with this.

Creative Writing

Have students generate a short story via AI and then analyze it. For example, I asked AI to "write a short children's story about a bear named Bigly who learns a valuable lesson." Here's what I got:

Bigly and the Big Blueberries

Once upon a time, in a sunny forest nestled between rolling hills, there lived a big, fluffy bear named Bigly. Bigly was known for two things: his enormous appetite and his love for blueberries. He could sniff out a blueberry bush from miles away, and he always made sure to eat as many as his belly could hold.

One bright morning, Bigly woke up to the sweet smell of ripe blueberries. "Mmm, breakfast!" he said, licking his lips. He followed his nose to the biggest blueberry bush he had ever seen. The berries were plump, juicy, and as blue as the summer sky.

Bigly started gobbling them up. "Nom nom nom!" he said, stuffing his cheeks. But as he ate, he noticed something strange. A little squirrel named Pip was watching him from a nearby tree.

"Bigly," Pip called out, "you're eating all the blueberries! What about the other animals? We love blueberries too!"

Bigly paused, his paw halfway to his mouth. "But I'm hungry," he said. "And there are so many berries here!"

Pip scurried down the tree and said, "Yes, but if you eat them all now, there won't be any left for tomorrow—or for anyone else."

Bigly frowned. He hadn't thought about that. "But... I love blueberries," he said softly.

Pip smiled. "We all do, Bigly. But sharing means everyone gets a taste, and the bush will have time to grow more berries for later."

Bigly looked at the bush, then at Pip, and then at the other animals peeking out from behind trees. He realized Pip was right. If he kept eating everything, there wouldn’t be enough for everyone—or for the future.

"I'm sorry," Bigly said, stepping back from the bush. "I didn’t mean to be greedy. Let’s all share the berries."

The animals cheered and gathered around the bush. Bigly helped them pick the ripest berries, and they all enjoyed a delicious feast together. Bigly even saved a few berries to plant in the ground, so new bushes could grow.

From that day on, Bigly became the forest's best sharer. He learned that sharing not only made others happy but also made the forest a better place for everyone.

And as for the blueberries? They grew back even bigger and juicier, just like Bigly’s heart.

You can then analyze and discuss this story. Discuss the imagery and figurative language used. Ask students what lesson Bigly was supposed to learn. Why do you think AI chose this lesson? Discuss the other elements of fiction: what elements are present?  If students each generate AI stories, compare and contrast the stories. What does AI think is important in a good story? After discussion, give students class time to write their own stories based on the formula that AI seems to use.

Poetry

Have students generate AI poems based on any aspect of any novel. For example, I asked AI to "write a poem based on Macbeth."

Here's what it generated:

The Thane of Ambition

Upon the heath, where witches tread,
A prophecy whispered, a fate was fed.
"All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king!"
A spark of power, a deadly thing.

The loyal Thane, with valor bright,
Turned dark beneath ambition's light.
His dagger's edge, his soul's despair,
A crown he sought, but guilt he'd wear.

Lady Macbeth, with steely plea,
"Unsex me now," her haunting decree.
Together they schemed, their hands blood-stained,
Yet in their triumph, no peace remained.

The ghost of Banquo, a silent stare,
A banquet haunted, a king laid bare.
The witches cackled, their riddles spun,
"None born of woman shall harm thee, son."

But fate is sly, and words deceive,
A forest moves, and kings must grieve.
Macduff, the blade, the prophecy's twist,
The tyrant falls in a bloody mist.

Oh, Macbeth, a tale of might,
Of vaulting ambition and endless night.
A lesson carved in Scotland's stone:
Power gained is power alone.

Discuss the poem that AI generates. To what do each of the individual lines refer? Has it covered the essence of the play? What more could/should be added (if anything)? How does this poetry differ from Shakespeare's poetry?  If students each do the exercise, compare and contrast the poems that AI generates. Which is best? Why? Follow up with students writing in-class their own poems about the novel/play/book.

Image Generation

Tell students to AI generate an image of a scene in the book. Tell them to refine the image to be the best it can be. This will require students to choose words to identify the book and the scene. Have them write down a list of the words and phrases they go through and use to refine their images. You could give them a chart with a column for "I Used These Words" and "Evaluation of the Image" with 5-10 rows in the chart. They write the words they used in the first column and then say what was accurate and inaccurate in the second column. On the next line, they write their revised query words and how the image changed/what was good or needed improvement. And so on, until they get an image they are happy with. Then, have students share their images and have a whole-class discussion comparing/contrasting the images and voting on which image is the best.

This is a good exercise in using precise vocabulary--and checks students' understanding of the important elements of the scene. 

Letters and Notes

I asked AI to generate a "thank you note from Tom Robinson to Atticus Finch," (To Kill a Mockingbird) and here's what it generated:

Dear Mr. Finch,

I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I’ve been sitting here, thinking about everything you’ve done for me and my family, and I felt I needed to put my thoughts into words. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to thank you enough, but I’ll try.

First and foremost, thank you for standing by me when no one else would. You didn’t have to take my case, but you did, and you gave it your all. You treated me like a man, not just a name on a piece of paper or a lost cause. That means more to me than I can ever say. In a world where folks like me don’t often get a fair chance, you gave me hope. You gave me dignity.

I know it wasn’t easy for you or your family. I’ve heard the things people have said, the way they’ve looked at you, and I hate that you had to go through that because of me. But you never wavered. You stood tall, and you fought for me like I was one of your own. That kind of courage is rare, Mr. Finch, and I’ll carry the memory of it with me always.

Please let Miss Jean Louise and Mr. Jem know how much I appreciate their kindness, too. They didn’t have to come to the courthouse, but they did, and it reminded me that there’s still good in this world. Your family gave me a glimpse of what justice and compassion could look like, and that’s something I’ll hold onto, no matter what.

I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I do know this: I’ll never forget what you’ve done. You’ve shown me that there are people willing to stand up for what’s right, even when it’s hard, even when it feels like the whole world is against them. That’s a lesson I’ll carry with me, and I hope one day, folks will see the world the way you do.

Thank you, Mr. Finch, for everything. For your time, your effort, and your heart. You’ve made a difference in my life, and I pray that God blesses you and your family for all the good you’ve done.

With deepest gratitude,
Tom Robinson

It's a nice thank-you letter. It includes several accurate references from the story. Analyze it with your students--or they could work in small groups to analyze it. Are the facts accurate? Is it actually in Tom Robinson's voice? Is there anything that really doesn't fit or seem right about the letter? Would Tom Robinson have used perfect spelling, grammar, and writing skills? Have students re-write the letter during class time, making any changes they feel are necessary to make it better--more like something Tom Robinson would have really written to Atticus.

This works from any character to any other character that is in classic or popular fiction. Let students USE AI, concentrate on analyzing what is generated, then give them the opportunity in class to make it better.

Conclusions

These kinds of activities will help students learn to use AI in productive ways and will help sharpen their analytical skills. Exercise students' analytical minds to evaluate the content AI generates. Follow up with a short, targeted, in-class writing assignment where they have to do the writing. This will also help them see that although what AI generates often sounds good, it needs to be used with caution and with analytical consideration.

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Maybe a different approach to diagnostic assessment would help you get off to a better, friendlier, more engaging start with your students and set a different tone for your school year.

If you are trying to assess writing skills, grammatical skills, vocabulary skills, or students' knowledge of literary elements, try asking a series of questions--something like the following:

1. As we start this school year together, what are the most important things I should know about you? Write a couple of paragraphs to answer this question.
2. What is your favorite book or movie? Why is it your favorite?
3. Who is your favorite character in that book or movie? What traits does that character have that you like or admire?
4. Do you have a favorite sports team, sports player, music group, or performer? Tell me a little bit about them.
5. If you had the power to change one thing about yourself or school or the world, what would it be?
6. Do you like to read, or would you rather listen or watch a video?
7. What would you most like to have happen within the next year?
8. What do you consider your best character traits to be?
9. What are some things you like to do?
10. Describe someplace you have been or would like to go using the most descriptive words and phrases you can think of, including any figurative language (similes, metaphors, hyperbole, personification, for example) you might be able to include.

Have a little discussion about each question (I would skip #1 and #8 because they are more personal questions), asking for volunteers who would like to share their answers to each. The reason for this is that students may find things in common they can talk about with other students in class, which may help to build a sense of community among your group. And, no doubt some answers may be funny, which will lighten and brighten the atmosphere in your classroom, making students feel happy or more comfortable.

Don't allow students to get away with snarky or disrespectful comments. Dissuade them in a positive way. This will set the tone for your classroom and let students know what kind of responses are acceptable to you in your class discussions.

Collect the papers and read them without grading them. The purpose of this exercise is for you to be able to assess students' skills and get to know what makes your students "tick," so you can proceed with planning appropriate activities, have points of conversation with students within and outside of class work, and build a rapport that will help students know that your class is about THEM, not just required content and grades.

It is, of course, about the content and grades in a way, but the focus is on how you can make the content relevant to them, improve their skills from where you see they are to where they need to be, and help set them up for success--successful learning and good behavior--in your classroom and beyond.

You may find out, for example, that six of your students like the same band and you could reference that band in some content examples. Half your class may obviously need help with improving their vocabularies, as evidenced by their descriptive answers on question #10. When you're working on descriptions, you could use examples from things they have indicated an interest in. And so on...connecting your content to your students.

Rather than just giving a vocabulary test, a grammar test, and a test about figurative language (for example), you have achieved your purpose of being able to assess students' skills and knowledge without setting them up for failure (after all, the "test" is to determine what they do and don't know) AND you have gained insights into what is important to your students.

You might consider "follow-up" conferences with your students, in which you meet with them in a private area and can talk about their responses one-on-one, adding to their connections with you individually as people. In the follow-up conference, you can talk with them about their answers to the questions and share your evaluations as to what skills they do well and where they may need more work through the year.  For example, if a student tries to describe Yellowstone National Park, you may talk about the park for a bit then show them how the descriptive words or phrases they chose worked well (and where they didn't) or show them how their sentence structure worked well or ways it could be improved. Give them a little summary of a few things you'll work on together to help them improve--making some goals for the year. That's just one example. Look in their answers for ways to connect with them and give them goals for the year. Make clear that you'll help them with these goals (if in fact you will).

By simply changing the way you assess students on the first days of the school year, you have opened your classroom up to success from the very first encounters you have with them. You show a personal interest in them, they find connections with other students in your class (and maybe you, too), and their first days are more enjoyable and fun (because they're talking about things that interest them). In the process, you find out a great deal about your students--their interests and skills--and have plenty of ways to connect your content to them throughout the year. That's a "win" for everyone.

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Let me preface my suggestions with the obvious statement that classroom engagement behaviors are cultivated in a variety of means, which is a different, broader topic than what I'm addressing here. How you treat students and what you expect from them from the moment they enter your classroom, when you see them in the hallways, or when you interact with them in after-school activities will all play a part in how engaged they will be in your class.

Students need structure, but "structure" doesn't necessarily mean boring repetition. Structure can be as simple as knowing what your expectations are--having a plan laid out so they can clearly see what they are doing, when they are doing it, and why they are doing it.

Teaching is, in a way, like sales. Before you buy something--invest your time and money, you want to know that what you're getting is worth the price (time/money) paid. I think many students are leery, like people who have been burned many times by paying for something and not receiving a product that was "worth it." Before they invest again, they want some assurances that what they will receive will be worth their time and energy invested. It doesn't have to be "fun," but it does have to seem "worthwhile."

So, when you start to plan, think in reverse. What will your students get out of the time they are investing in your novel unit? This book that you are about to study...what does it really offer students? The activities, writing assignments, analysis--all of it--what skills, what insights about life, what are you giving students that is meaningful, useful, helpful in their lives? Write it all down. Don't use educational jargon; use words that are meaningful to your students.

Way back in 1978, in my education classes at Towson University, I learned to write "objectives." What no one told me is what I'm telling you now--that students don't care about "objectives" and "outcomes." They care about themselves and want to know concrete benefits. 

If every minute of your class time with your students is all about THEM, they will eventually become engaged. They don't care about the book or the characters or symbolism. They care about their own lives. What you have to do is to show them the connection of the novel study to their own lives via benefits.

Ideally, create your novel study with a variety of engaging activities--some individual work, some group work, some worksheets, some involving technology, some with whole class participation. That will help keep students involved, challenged, and engaged. Any Internet search can give you activity ideas. The magic is in what you do with the activities and how you present them to students within the culture you have created in your classroom.

Class discussions, research papers, games, role-playing, debates, presentations, models, projects, murals, newspapers, poetry, music, graphic organizers--the kinds of activities one can do in a novel study are just about endless.  

At the same time, these various kinds of activities have to actually produce the "benefits" I've been talking about. So, take your list of "benefits" and decide what kind of an activity will best suit that outcome.

All this is great, but it also has to make sense. There has to be some logical order to the sequence of activities. Some of that will necessarily be determined by the reading of the book. Some chapters lend themselves to certain kinds of discussions or certain content analysis. For example, chapter three might have a lot of figurative language. Chapter five may have a key plot turning point. Chapter nine might juxtapose two characters. And so on. 

Just picking out vocabulary words and creating comprehension questions isn't what teaching a novel is all about. I've been doing this for over thirty-five years and have learned so much from my journey. I look back at novel units I wrote back in the beginning and compare them to ones I wrote later in my life, and I am amazed at just how much richer the latter ones are. 

It isn't easy. It takes a great deal of time and thought and work, as does anything that is worthwhile. If you do this, though, you will be standing on solid ground yourself as you teach--and if you share with your students the benefits of each activity and center your class time on THEM, their engagement WILL be better.

Just remember what we do isn't about some esoteric theories or some cerebral exercises. Maybe at the university level it is, but not in K-12 classrooms. In our K-12 world, it's about giving students tools to prepare them for life, for work, and--for some--the university. We have to give them useful information as well as reading, thinking, writing, and communicating skills--all benefits.

A Word About Commercially Available Novel Study Units

Many, including myself, have always said that teaching is an art. It is. You have to take all the elements and put them together in a way tailored to the students that you have to teach. No commercially prepared novel unit can do that entirely for you. I, and many others, have said that commercial novel study units are TV dinners, not the gourmet meals you would like to be serving your students.

That being said, having a commercially available novel study unit as a foundation can give you freedom from some of the mundane and time-consuming parts of novel unit creation that will allow you to spend your valuable time novel study crafting and tailoring things for your students. 

Not all novel study units are equal. They vary from scanty outlines (what I call "skeleton units") with some study questions, vocabulary words, and a few activities--to something like my LitPlan for The Westing Game, which is 360 pages of detailed lessons, assignments, and assessments. Some are "trendy" with currently popular activities that may or may not have the real "benefits" I discussed earlier. Some are "cute" with lots of graphic images and graphic organizers--which, again, may or may not have the real "benefits."

My LitPlans are comprehensive novel study units that provide a strong foundation of materials based on proven educational methods. They look very simple (which is a good thing) but provide a very strong footing for your novel study. My customers often say that LitPlans are "deceptively simple," providing "real help," a "great foundation," and "everything I needed." New teachers often email me to tell me my LitPlans "saved their lives." I don't know about that, but I'm so happy that they were helpful!

I hope that this post has been helpful to you. If it has, please let me know; I like feedback.

If you're interested in looking at my LitPlans, here's a link: https://www.tpet.com/litplans/ 

If you find some resources you want (except novel texts), you can use code BLOG1 at checkout for 20% off your order.

Thank you for reading and sharing this blog post!

Here's a link to a FREE RAFT Assignment Template https://www.tpet.com/content/GraphicOrganizers/RAFT%20Assignment.pdf 
No email or other information is required; just download or print it.

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Why Teach Novels in High School?

Novels serve as a rich medium for learning, offering several benefits that contribute to both academic and personal growth for students:

• Critical Thinking: Analyzing themes, characters, and symbolism helps students develop critical and analytical skills.
• Empathy Development: Exploring diverse perspectives allows students to better understand people from different cultures and experiences.
• Language Skills: Exposure to different writing styles and vocabulary expands students' language proficiency.
• Discussion Skills: Novel-based discussions encourage active participation and help students articulate their thoughts effectively.

For these reasons, novels can be a powerful tool in the classroom when taught correctly.

Best Practices for Teaching Novels

1. Choose the Right Book

Selecting the right novel is critical to ensuring engagement and learning outcomes. Aim for:

• Relevance: Choose books that resonate with students' experiences and current issues. For example, works like Animal Farm by George Orwell or Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury can prompt discussions about individualism and The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan encourages thought about family relationships and cultural heritage.
• Appropriate Reading Level: Avoid overly challenging texts that may deter interest, but also ensure the book offers enough depth to provide valuable learning opportunities.
• Diverse Perspectives: Incorporate authors and characters from various backgrounds to ensure inclusivity and offer a broad worldview.

2. Set Learning Objectives

Clearly outline what you aim to achieve with each novel:

• Are you focusing on literary analysis?
• Exploring thematic connections to current events?
• Enhancing vocabulary or comprehension skills?

Define specific goals and communicate these to students.

3. Contextualize the Text

Help students better understand the novel by providing relevant context:

• Historical Background: Explain how the novel fits into its time period. For example, contextualizing Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck or Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse set in the Great Depression gives students a broader understanding of the text.
• Authorial Intent: Share details about the author’s background and motivations in writing the book.
• Relevance to Today: Draw connections between the novel's themes and current events or contemporary issues that matter to your students.

4. Use Pre-Reading Activities

Get students excited and prepared to engage with the text through pre-reading exercises:

• Show engaging videos or documentaries related to the book's theme.
• Facilitate a class discussion about key topics or questions the novel addresses.
• Have students brainstorm what they expect or hope to learn from the story.

5. Guide Active Reading

Encourage students to engage with the text as they read:

• Annotating: Teach students to highlight important passages, write questions in the margins, and take notes as they read.
• Key Questions: Provide guiding questions for students to consider while reading.
• Reading Logs: Ask students to write brief reflections after each chapter to keep them engaged.

6. Facilitate Active Discussions

Class discussions are essential for unpacking and analyzing a novel. Ensure these are:

• Structured: Use text-based questions to guide conversations (e.g., “What motivates the protagonist to act this way?”).
• Inclusive: Encourage quieter students to participate through small group discussions or written responses shared with the class.
• Explorative: Allow room for different interpretations, reinforcing that there are multiple valid ways to engage with the text.

7. Address Complex Themes Thoughtfully

Many novels feature challenging or sensitive themes. Approach these topics with care:

• Prepare Students: Provide relevant historical or social context and explain why these issues are important.
• Set Ground Rules: Establish a respectful environment for discussing sensitive subjects.
• Provide Support: Be prepared to offer resources or one-on-one time for students who might find certain themes emotionally challenging.

8. Use Creative Assessments

Move beyond the traditional essay and add variety to your assessments:

• Creative Projects: Students can create art, videos, or presentations related to the novel's themes.
• Debates: Organize debates on key issues in the book.
• Readers Theater: Have students act out pivotal scenes to explore characters more deeply.

9. Foster Connections to Personal Experience

Encourage students to connect the text to their own lives. Reflection prompts may include:

• “Have you experienced something similar to what the protagonist went through?”
• “How would you have handled this situation differently?”

Making personal connections deepens the impact of the novel and makes it more memorable for students.

Recommended Novels for High School Classrooms

Here are a few novels that consistently resonate with high school students:

• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
• The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
• The Giver by Lois Lowry

These books address universal themes such as justice, identity, and societal change while offering room for rich analysis.

Final Thoughts

Teaching novels in high school equips students with more than just literary knowledge. It provides tools for critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and empathy that will serve them throughout their lives.

By carefully selecting novels, preparing students with context, and fostering meaningful discussions, teachers can create a dynamic and impactful learning environment. Whether you’re introducing students to modern classics or hidden literary gems, the strategies above can ensure every novel resonates and inspires.

Need More Help?

Looking for additional teaching resources or suggestions? Visit Teacher's Pet Publications to find valuable information about books for high school students and thousands of downloadable teaching resources related to literature!