A Lesson Before Dying

One other idea that I like to use with novels is that of journaling the thoughts of a character as the novel progresses. In A Lesson Before Dying, this is a great novel to use for the character journals. The thoughts of the teacher talking to the man in prison everyday opens up an incredible discussion through the journals. Each day I give them different prompts to think about in their writing. Often times it is hard for students to talk in a group discussion in front of the class, through the journals, it opens up a discussion without them having to put themselves out there. I also will take quotes out of their journals, with the students' permission, and word process them with no name and put them on desks in a circle. Through open discussion, the quotes can be an easy avenue to start the discussion and no one knows who they came from.