Literary Nonfiction: A Middle School ELA Lesson
A fresh, student-centered way to teach literary nonfiction through the lens of identity, voice, and belonging. This 2–3 day lesson blends reading, writing, and media analysis to help students connect personally with the genre—no textbook required.
Students explore how names, heritage, and storytelling shape identity through two accessible texts: the animated short Facundo the Great and Julia Alvarez’s Names/Nombres. Along the way, they’ll practice close reading, build vocabulary, annotate with purpose, and create their own identity maps.
What’s Included:
▸ Genre overview with mentor text examples
▸ Vocabulary strategies + sentence starters
▸ Scaffolded pre-reading + discussion prompts
▸ Multimedia analysis (Facundo the Great – StoryCorps)
▸ Full lesson guide for Names/Nombres by Julia Alvarez
▸ Creative identity-based writing and reflection activities
▸ Closure activities + extension ideas
Details:
PDF download
Recommended for grades 6–8
Estimated time: 2–3 class periods
No prep required – just print or upload and go.
A fresh, student-centered way to teach literary nonfiction through the lens of identity, voice, and belonging. This 2–3 day lesson blends reading, writing, and media analysis to help students connect personally with the genre—no textbook required.
Students explore how names, heritage, and storytelling shape identity through two accessible texts: the animated short Facundo the Great and Julia Alvarez’s Names/Nombres. Along the way, they’ll practice close reading, build vocabulary, annotate with purpose, and create their own identity maps.
What’s Included:
▸ Genre overview with mentor text examples
▸ Vocabulary strategies + sentence starters
▸ Scaffolded pre-reading + discussion prompts
▸ Multimedia analysis (Facundo the Great – StoryCorps)
▸ Full lesson guide for Names/Nombres by Julia Alvarez
▸ Creative identity-based writing and reflection activities
▸ Closure activities + extension ideas
Details:
PDF download
Recommended for grades 6–8
Estimated time: 2–3 class periods
No prep required – just print or upload and go.
A fresh, student-centered way to teach literary nonfiction through the lens of identity, voice, and belonging. This 2–3 day lesson blends reading, writing, and media analysis to help students connect personally with the genre—no textbook required.
Students explore how names, heritage, and storytelling shape identity through two accessible texts: the animated short Facundo the Great and Julia Alvarez’s Names/Nombres. Along the way, they’ll practice close reading, build vocabulary, annotate with purpose, and create their own identity maps.
What’s Included:
▸ Genre overview with mentor text examples
▸ Vocabulary strategies + sentence starters
▸ Scaffolded pre-reading + discussion prompts
▸ Multimedia analysis (Facundo the Great – StoryCorps)
▸ Full lesson guide for Names/Nombres by Julia Alvarez
▸ Creative identity-based writing and reflection activities
▸ Closure activities + extension ideas
Details:
PDF download
Recommended for grades 6–8
Estimated time: 2–3 class periods
No prep required – just print or upload and go.