Teacher: Anna Walle

Unit: Applying Novels to Real Life Grade Level: 9th

Lesson Plan Title: 13 Reasons Why Discussion/Reflection
Unit Essential What are some warning signs of suicide?
Question(s) to be How can we help people who have suicidal thoughts?
Addressed in the Lesson
Student Learning How to read and follow stories with multiple narrators
Outcomes (SLOs) to be How to take textual information and apply it to
Addressed in the Lesson someones own life in a reflective way
Specific Learning Students will be able to recognize warning signs of
Objectives for this Lesson troubled peers
Students will be able to identify theme within a story
Common Core State Writing 9-10.8
Standards (CCSS) to be (Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative
Addressed in the Lesson print and digital sources, using advanced searches
effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in
answering the research question; integrate information
into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas,
avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for
citation.)
Reading Literature 9-10.2
(Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze
in detail its development over the course of the text,
including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by
specific details; provide an objective summary of the
text.)
Lesson Introduction Raise your hand and tell me one main point you remember
from 13 Reasons Why. It could be a plot point or something
about a character, anything you can remember.
*Listen to responses*
Okay, good answers. Now, I want you to focus in on one thing
that you remember. Find that place in the book.
*Wait for them to find place*
Now I want you to take out your journals and write about this
part. I want you to reflect and relate it to your own life and how
that part makes you feel.
Instructional Strategies Students will write a journal entry on the part of the book that
and Learning Tasks struck them and got them thinking the most. Then after this, they
will take this entry home and write a paper on their feelings.
They will look on the internet for two more sources about this
topic and add them into their writing to incorporate research into
 the activity.

After we finish writing the reflections in class (25 minutes), we

will start to make a bulleted list on the board of possible themes
that the story centered around (20 minutes). Together as a class,
we will narrow it down to our favorite theme and incorporate
that into our paper.

Use the last 10 minutes to discuss the warning signs Hannah

showed in the book and how the characters could have reacted
differently to help her instead of contribute to her distress.
Instructional Materials Pencil/pen
Book
Notebook
Whiteboard
Computer
Assessment(s) I will not be grading the self-reflections, as these are just the
students thoughts. I will read the papers and make sure that
there was an outside source included in the paper, that the book
was used by quoting it and centering around one main plot point
or character, and that the grammar is correct. I will use a formal
grading rubric that I will give to the students beforehand to make
sure they know exactly what is expected of them in the
assignment.
Works Cited

English Language Arts Standards Reading: Literature Grade 9-10 2. (n.d.). Retrieved

February 22, 2017, from http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/2/

English Language Arts Standards Writing Grade 9-10. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2017,

from http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/9-10/

Pytash, K. (2013). Using YA Literature to Help Preservice Teachers Deal With Bullying and

Suicide. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 56(6), 470-479.

Smagorinsky, P. (2008). Teaching English by design : How to create and carry out instructional

units / Peter Smagorinsky.

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, Jay. (1998). Understanding by design / Grant Wiggins and Jay

McTighe.