Arts/Music Lesson Plan: Eleanor & Park

Purpose/rationale: The 10th grade Honors English class has just finished reading
Rainbow Rowells, Eleanor & Park. I chose to teach this text because it is easily
comparable to Romeo & Juliet, a play they will be reading after this novel. The stories
have a few themes in common; reading a young adult novel first will help the students
analyze the themes and then late use this knowledge while reading the Shakespeare play.
This lesson will help the students analyze Eleanor and Parks relationship, while
practicing reading in between the lines. They will have to use what they know about the
characters (what the characters have said, what other characters have said about them and
how they have acted) to come up with what they believe would be the happy ending for
the novel/couple. Doing it as a postcard, rather than just a conversation, will get the
students who express themselves through art more involved and inclined to participate. It
will also get all of the students to work with the idea of symbols, a concept that is very
important in books they will read in the future. After they complete the postcard, the class
will have a discussion about the book as a whole. The discussion will be conversational
and play as a review for the upcoming exam. These three words are always a big part of
discussion so allowing them to do this assignment will get it out of their system, leaving
room to focus on other aspects of the novel.
LAFS.910.RL.1.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what
the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Objectives:
Students Will Be Able To:
Analyze characters relationships in Eleanor & Park
Infer a characters thought process
Materials:
Teacher:
o Copy of Eleanor & Park
o Assorted colors of construction paper
o Markers/Crayons
o Computer/Projector
o PowerPoint, Eleanor & Park postcard
o FAQ from Rainbow Rowells Website
22 copies
Student:
o Copy of Eleanor & Park
Anticipatory set:
When the students walk into class, they will grab a FAQ sheet from the center table. The
students will sit down and read this as a preparation for the following activity.

Teaching Strategy/Procedure/Activity:
Time
Student is doing
2 minutes
Reading the FAQ. When
they finish they should sit
quietly, allowing their
classmates to read it. They
should mark anything that
stands out to them as they
read it.

2 minutes

8 minutes

3 minutes

Teacher is doing
Making sure students are
reading and staying quiet.
She tells them to mark
anything that stands out to
them. She should make sure
there are plenty materials
left from the previous class
period. She explains to the
class that what they are
reading is from the FAQ
section of Rainbow
Rowells website.
Listening to the teacher
Explaining the postcard
explain the following
assignment. She is using the
activity. They are asking
PowerPoint as assistance
questions as the assignment and shows the example at
is explained.
the end of the PowerPoint.
She makes sure to explain
that since Rowell implies I
love you are not the last
three words, they should try
to come up with other three
words. If they stand by their
belief that I love you are
the last three words then
they may use them.
Creating their postcards.
Walking around, making
They should write what
sure the students are on
they believe the three words task. If they are stuck she
are and draw a symbol or
should ask questions like,
scene of why they believe
What represents the
those are the words.
couple? What kind of
person do you believe
Eleanor is?
A few students will present Selecting students to
their postcards and explain
present their postcards. She
why they believe those were is then collecting them all.
the words.

Summary/Closure:
Select students will briefly present their postcards. They will explain why they chose
those words and offer proof of why those would be the words.

Assessment:
Informal assessment:
o Analysis of characters and events used to produce postcards
Homework/follow-up assignment:
None
Accommodations/adaptations:
Students with ADHD will have preferential seating. They will also get a quick tap
on their desk if seen off task. If they need to get up and move around for a second,
they will get up to sharpen their pencil or throw something out, as to not distract
the rest of the students.
Students with ADD will have preferential seating. They will also get a quick tap
on their desk if seen off task.
Students with Anxiety will speak to the teacher prior to class and get a quick
overview of what the period will look like. They should receive the weeks
assignments/important dates every Monday.
ELL student with low proficiency will have access to a dictionary and translator
at all times. They will also get paired with a bilingual student, as both parties have
previously agreed.
ELL student with intermediate proficiency will have access to a dictionary and
translator as needed. They will get paired with a bilingual student, as both parties
have previously agreed.
Attachments/Appendices:
Appendix A: PowerPoint, Eleanor & Park Postcard
Appendix B: FAQ from Rainbow Rowells Website
Plan B:
If I see that the students are putting a lot of effort into the drawing and are really enjoying
themselves, I will allow them to take it home and finish it. I will, however, still ask a few
students to explain their postcards, regardless if they are done or not. If they finish too
quickly, I will spend more time discussing the words they chose. If they still dont seem
as interested as expected, I will begin the book discussion early. If the computer is not
working when I need it, I will read the directions from the printed copy of the
PowerPoint.
Citation:
FAQ. (n.d.). Retrieved February 07, 2016, from http://www.rainbowrowell.com/faq/
Rowell, R. (2013). Eleanor & Park. New York, NY: St. Martins.

Appendix A: PowerPoint, Eleanor & Park Postcard

Appendix B: FAQ from Rainbow Rowells Website

Rainbow Rowell FAQ
What are the three words at the end of Eleanor & Park?
Smell. You. Later.
What are the three words?!
Get. A. Job.
What are the three words??????????????????????
Okay, look. I havent even told my mom the three words. But lets talk about this for a
few minutes
I always knew, when I started Eleanor & Park, what the last line would be. I knew
Eleanor was going to send Park a postcard, and that it would be just three words long.
And I knew that readers would assume those three words were I love you. I want
readers to assume that. Its the obvious answer and its a happy answer. Wouldnt it be
lovely if Eleanor finally said, I love you?
But I cant bring myself to confirm that interpretation. Or to say anything conclusive
about the postcard beyond that I think Eleanor wrote something hopeful. Park responds
hopefully. He sits up, he smiles, he feels like something with wings take off from his
chest. That sounds like hope to me.
It drives people crazy when I talk like this: as if the characters have minds of their own,
and Im just interpreting their actions based on what Ive read. I created Eleanor and
Park! I should be able to tell you, concretely, what it is says on the postcard.
But theres something about that moment between them
Its the end of the book, and were getting ready to leave the characters. Their story is
about to become their own again. (If you imagine that characters keep on living after you
close a book; I do.) So were backing away from them, and theyre having an intimate
moment. And it just feels wrong to read their mail.
I know! Its crazy for me to say that! Weve been in their heads for 300 pages, and its a
postcard everyone at the post office probably read it. But in the moment, as the author,
it didnt feel right to read it, or to share it.
The important thing to know about that postcard is that Eleanor sent it. She worked
through all her fear and anxiety and insecurity, and she reached out to Park. She sent him
something that made him smile and feel wings fluttering in his chest.
Readers often ask me after theyve asked about the three words why I decided to end
the book this way. Why couldnt I give Park and Eleanor a happy ending?
I think I did give them a happy ending.
I mean, I know its not really an ending; there arent wedding bells and sunsets. This isnt
the end for these two people. Its just where we leave them.
But theyre 17 years old.
And I dont believe that 17-year-olds get happy endings. They get beginnings.