Do you need a modern novel to pair with the classic Macbeth? Shakespeare’s Macbeth is still one of his most wildly popular plays. I’m not saying we are all sitting around reading Macbeth , but we see countless retellings in novels and film today. Almost any story with unethical and unchecked ambition or guilt-spun paranoia has ties to the plot.  If you’re looking for something with a modern spin as you wrap up a Macbeth unit, read on to see my favorites. Let’s start with an overview of the play. Classic Focus Macbeth by William Shakespeare Brave and respected, Macbeth sits one night around his fire when three witches visit him. In their prophecy, they foretell he would become the king of Scotland. Skeptical at first, he is urged on by his ruthless wife. The single-minded ambition leads him down a path of paranoia, tyranny, madness, and murder. Modern Pairings Macbeth tells a tale that mostly centers on the dangers of corrupted power and unchecked ambition. Despite being well-loved a...

So, you want to teach Long Way Down? Long Way Down is a verse novel about a fifteen-year-old boy named Will Holloman. It is a great book that really engages students! Teaching Long Way Down can be an engaging and thought-provoking unit for your students, and there is so much you can do with this novel study. I use the materials in this Long Way Down Novel Study with my students as we read the text in my classroom. If you are looking at how to teach Long Way Down or activities to incorporate in your classroom when teaching Long Way Down, here is the ultimate list for you. Here are 25 ideas for teaching Long Way Down. Watch Author Interviews A great way to introduce students to a novel and author is to have them watch author interviews and videos before reading the book. One of my favorite videos to show my class before reading Long Way Down is the Daily Show interview with Trevor Noah. This is a great introductory interview because students get to know Jason Reynolds, who he is, what he...

If you are looking for an engaging activity to complete with your students as you read Jason Reynolds’ verse novel Long Way Down, I’ve got the perfect thing for you: a mind map. Having students create a mind map as you read (or listen to - the Audible read by Reynolds himself is amazing) the book is a terrific way to have your students focus on key events in the book. I have my students complete this activity as part of my Long Way Down teaching unit . How to Mind Map Having students create a mind map is a research-based strategy that helps students understand concepts and ideas. A mind map is a diagram created with visually-organized notes. When I have my students create mind maps, I like to provide them with tabloid-sized paper so that they have more space to add in their information. Typically, the center of the paper contains the main topic, and then there are multiple branches stemming from the center that contains additional information. When I introduce mind mapping to my studen...