Why You Need to Teach Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid

I first started teaching Annie John in the early 2000s, and it’s always been a surprise to me that it’s not more of a staple in high school English Classes. With themes of growing up and coming of age, it’s such a classic choice for teens, and yet it doesn’t focus on white boys and their problems, and so it’s refreshing and compelling. (Now that I think about it, maybe that’s the real reason why it isn’t taught more often….)

Teaching The Great Gatsby: Discussion Questions, Unit Plan Ideas, and Historical Context

Just about every American Literature class in the country will read F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel on the American Dream—and it’s a classic for a reason. This lovely text asks some of the biggest questions of our times. Why do we lie to ourselves and others? Should we do everything for love? How do factors such as race, class, or gender help or hinder people from achieving their dreams? I’ve loved Fitzgerald’s gorgeous novel since I first read it in