Find Your Voice
Exploring voice, friendship, and expression in Will Grayson, Will
Grayson
Laurel Ann Gonsecki
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Table of Contents
Rationale and overview…………………………………………………………………………..3
Goals and essential questions………………………………………………………………….5
List of resources and materials………………………………………………………………..6
Assignments and rubrics…………………………………………………………………………7
Introductory lesson plan………………………………………………………………………..12
Daily outlines………………………………………………………………………………………...13
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Unit overview and rationale
The goal of this unit is to help my class of twenty tenth-grade students to
understand the concept of voice within literature while also helping them to learn to better
express themselves and to understand and appreciate different forms of expression. Will
Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan is the best possible lens through
which to look at these topics because it covers the gambit of teen issues, from friendships
to depression, from homosexuality to heartbreak, and it is written by two different authors
representing two separate narrators with very different voices. Each lesson will seek to
foster critical thinking about a certain issue faced by high school students today, and we
will explore a variety of methods of expression throughout the unit, from casual discussion
and journal writing to spoken word poetry and visual art.
Students are faced with difficult issues in and out of school every day, and tenth
grade in particular is a very difficult time for many adolescents. Our children are growing
up in an increasingly complex world and will need to be equipped with the skills needed to
work with others, solve problems, and communicate effectively and comfortably
(Windschitt, 2002). It is this concept that inspired me to choose the themes of voice and
expression to explore within this unit, as I believe that it will help them both to more fully
analyze literature and to develop these very applicable skills.
Young Adult literature (YAL), while typically not seen as meritorious or complex, is
an ideal way to engage students in issues that are very real to them, as well as to teach
social justice and tolerance. Will Grayson, Will Grayson contains a number of controversial
topics, among them teen depression and homosexuality. While these may be uncomfortable
subjects for some individuals to grapple with, high school students are faced with them
each and every day, whether firsthand or from afar. Without a full understanding of these
issues, it is easy for individuals to create erroneous ideas about them, which can often lead
to prejudice and bigotry. Educator Jacqueline J. Glasgow posits that literature is one of the
best ways to cultivate awareness, saying, “a good story allows us to see people as
individuals in all their complexity. Once we see someone as a person in all their humanity,
then we've reached beyond the stereotype. Good books unsettle us, make us ask questions
about what we thought was certain; they don't just reaffirm everything we already know”
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(2001). Tolerance is a difficult and ongoing human experience, and YAL can guide students
toward a more kind and accepting attitude.
YAL has also been shown to provide a great deal of motivation for young readers.
Education, and by extension reading, is a social experience. This social aspect of learning
and literature analysis is greatly enhanced when the readers can more fully identify with
the topics raised in a text (Rybakova, 2013). I plan to use a number of collaborative
methods throughout this unit, including reading aloud, oral presentations, group
discussions, and two guest speakers, one of whom will teach a workshop. My hope is that
these activities will lead excite students about this book, and that once they have engaged
in a book like Will Grayson, Will Grayson, they will be more open to the possibility of
engaging with canonical texts. Reading and readers alike are changing (Burns & Botzakis
2012). Young Adult Lit is changing with them.
Resources:
Burns, L., & Botzakis, S. (2012). Using the Joy Luck Club to teach core standards and 21st
century literacies. English Journal, 101(5): 23-29.
Glasgow, J. (2001). Teaching social justice through young adult literature. National Council
of Teachers of English, 90(6): 54-61.
Rybakova, K., Piotrowski, A., & Harper, E. (2013). Teaching Controversial Young Adult
Literature with the Common Core. Wisconsin English Journal, 55(1)
Windschitl, M. (2002). Framing constructivism in practice as the negotiation of dilemmas:
An analysis of the conceptual, pedagogical, cultural, and political challenges facing
teachers. Review of Educational Research, 72(2): 131-175.
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Goals
1.) Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the concept of voice in the
context of the novel Will Grayson, Will Grayson and will be able to extend this
understanding to the analysis of other works of literature as well.
2.) Students will be able to use a journal to track personal reflections on the novel, as well
as extend analysis of the text to bigger life issues, constructing the ability to use literature
as a lens through which to look at the world.
3.) Students will demonstrate an understanding of Spoken Word or “slam” poetry,
particularly two-voice poems, and will be able to compose and perform their own twovoice poem.
4.) Students will be able to demonstrate a thorough understanding of character analysis,
using various elements of the text to build a full perception of character.
5.) Students will be able to think critically and discuss controversial issues such as
depression, fake IDs, and homosexuality.
6.) Students will be able to use a variety of mediums to represent critical thinking about the
world and literature.
Essential Questions
1.) To what extent do we choose our friends? Can we really control who remains in our
lives and who does not?
2.) Will Grayson states that love is tied to truth. To what extent are the two concepts
dependent upon one another? How do they make each other possible?
3.) Why is it difficult for individuals to reach out for help when they need it? How can we
help those who are not willing to ask for it?
4.) Is our society obsessed with sex? To what extent to sex and love have to be connected?
Are there different types of love besides sexual love?
5.) How do we express ourselves? Is one form of self-expression more valid than another?
How can we push ourselves to express ourselves more fully?
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Resources:
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
“An Origin Story” and “When Love Arrives” by Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye
Project V.O.I.C.E.
“Holland, 1945” and “In an Aeroplane Over the Sea” by Neutral Milk Hotel
New York Daily News article, “Daily News reporter easily snags fake ID in Queens
hotspot for phony documents”
Excerpt from When Strangers Click
Recap of Catfish, season 1, episode 4
Psychology Today article, “Creativity and Art Expression”
NYT article “The Decline and Fall of the ‘H’ Word”
Pink News article, “Will Young voices concern about the derogatory use of the word ‘gay’ in
schools”
“Tell the Truth” and “The Truth” by Emily Dickinson.
Video: “Anderson Cooper Comes Out”
Huffington Post article, “When Suicide Strikes: How One Teen Wages War Against
Depression”
Minute Physics video, “Schrödinger's Cat.”
Materials:
Copies of Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
Class journals
Craft supplies (construction paper, scissors, glue, markers, crayons, colored pencils)
Projector
Internet
Laptops
Hard copies of articles and poems
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Assignments and rubrics
Reflective Journal (5 points)
Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.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.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with
multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other
characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.9: Analyze how an author draws on and transforms
source material in a specific work (e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid
or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare).
Assignment:
Throughout the unit, you will be prompted with several questions for reflection in
your journal. Responses to the prompts should be thorough, including support from the
text when necessary, and must answer completely the question at hand. You are also
encouraged to write in the journal on your own, keeping track of individual thoughts or
questions you might have while reading the novel. While this is not required, it will be very
helpful in completing other assignments throughout the unit.
Grading:
 0-1 point: All journal entries are incomplete or very poorly done. Prompts have
gone unanswered, and student clearly devoted little or no effort to the completion of
the project.
 1-2 points: Most journal entries are incomplete or poorly done. Some prompts have
been answered, but many do not demonstrate sufficient thought or effort on the
assignment throughout the unit, or are missing.
 2-3 points: Some journal entries are incomplete or poorly done. Most prompts are
complete, but some do not demonstrate sufficient thought or effort on the
assignment throughout the unit, or are missing.
 3-4 points: All journal entries are complete. Student demonstrated thought and
effort, but journals contain little or no textual support. Quality of journal entries may
be inconsistent.
 4-5 points: All journal entries are complete and thorough. Student demonstrated
exceptional thought and understanding of the text and prompts at hand and offered
sufficient textual evidence throughout. Quality is consistently high.
 6 points (extra credit): Student has gone above and beyond the call of duty. All
prompts have been answered thoroughly and exceptionally, offering extremely
thoughtful insights as well as textual evidence. Student applied extra effort to the
assignment, writing in the journal in his or her own time, beyond the required
prompts.
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Two-Voice Spoken Word Poem (10 points)
Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.5
Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or
trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific
purpose and audience.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.10
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
Assignment:
One of the main focuses of this unit is the study of voice. We will be discussing voice
in multiple genres in mediums as well as working to create and polish your own voices in
your writing. In conjunction with Will Grayson, Will Grayson, we will be studying the art of
spoken word poetry with the help of Project V.O.I.C.E., an initiative by three well-known
poets to raise awareness and appreciation for spoken word poetry. You, along with a
partner of your choice, will spend two weeks composing a dual-voice poem about a topic of
your choosing. This topic can be anything from something personal, such as your friendship
with your partner, to something silly, such as your love for My Little Pony. The project will
culminate in the performance of your poems throughout week 3 of the unit. The poem must
be 3 – 5 minutes in length when read aloud.
Grading (you will be graded independently of your partner, based mostly on individual
effort):
 0-2 points: poem is incomplete and does not reach the minimum length
requirement. Little to no effort was demonstrated in this project.
 2-4 points: Poem is complete, but does not reach the minimum length requirement.
Little effort was demonstrated in the completion of this project.
 4-6 points: Poem is complete and reaches the minimum length requirement. Poem
somewhat reflects students’ individual voices and demonstrates some
understanding of spoken word poetry. Some effort was demonstrated in the
completion of this project.
 6-8 points: Poem is complete and reaches the minimum length requirement. Poem
reflects students’ individual voices and demonstrates sound understanding of
spoken word poetry. Sufficient effort was demonstrated in the completion of this
project.
 8-10 points: Poem is outstanding and reaches the minimum length requirement. .
Poem reflects students’ individual voices and demonstrates thorough understanding
of spoken word poetry. Students demonstrated exceptional effort and collaboration
in the completion of this project.
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Playlist Project (15 Points):
Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support
analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.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.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple
or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters,
and advance the plot or develop the theme.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.7: Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in
two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment
Assignment: Will Grayson and his friends love music and enjoy going to concerts,
mentioning a number of specific bands, songs, and genres throughout the novel. Get into
the mind of a character of your choosing and create a playlist of at least 10 songs that he or
she might have on his or her iPod or a mix CD. For each track, write 3-5 sentences
explaining why your character has put that song on his or her playlist, as well as a short
paragraph explaining the theme or mood of the playlist as a whole using evidence from the
text. You may write from the point of view of you, the reader, or from the point of view of
your character him or herself, writing as if she or she is explaining the playlist to a friend.
Rubric:
Length (1
point)
Choices (5
points)
Mechanics (3
points)
Explanations
(6 points)
Fewer than 10 songs
provided (0 points)
Song choices are random and
do not reflect the chosen
character or the book (0
points)
Explanations contain many
errors, to the point that the
comprehension of the reader
may be confounded (0-1
point)
Explanations are not present
or are incomplete and reflect
little or no effort (0-1 point)
Some song choices effectively
reflect the chosen character
(1-3 points)
Explanations have few
grammar errors, but are still
comprehensible.
(2 points)
All explanations are present,
but some are incomplete
and/or do not include textual
support. (2-4 points)
10-15 songs are
provided (1 point)
Most or all song choices
are thoughtful and reflect
the chosen character (45 points)
Explanations have
minimal or no grammar
errors. (3 points)
All explanations are
present and all or most
are complete and
thoughtful, containing
textual support and
thoughtful reflection (4-6
points)
Extra credit: Create album art for the playlist that reflects the theme of the playlist and the
character you are representing. (+2 points)
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Final Creative Writing Project (30 points)
Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to
support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.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.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple
or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters,
and advance the plot or develop the theme.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are
used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative
impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense
of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
Assignment:
Throughout this unit we have been studying voice within Will Grayson, Will
Grayson, as well as in other genres and text. Draw on your knowledge of voice, as well as
the character analysis we have done throughout the unit to write or rewrite three scenes
from the novel from the point of view of a character other than the two narrators. These
three scenes must be spaced out across the timeline of the novel. For example, if you were
to write from the point of view of Jane, you might rewrite the scene where she first meets
Will, the scene where they first kiss, and the final scene. Following your scenes, please
provide a brief explanation regarding how you developed the voice of the character based
on what is provided in the text. The three scenes must be at least six pages total.
Grading:
Length (5
points)
Paper is incomplete (0
points)
Mechanics (5
points)
Significant mechanical
errors are present.
Paper is difficult to
understand or
incoherent (0-1 point)
Paper simply retells
events as they occur in
the text, and/or
character’s voice is
scattered or unclear (03 points)
Creativity &
application of
lessons (10
points)
Paper is less than 6
pages in length (1-4
points)
Some mechanical
errors that at times
confound
comprehension (2-3
points)
Paper contains some
creative details and
at times represents
the new character’s
perspective and
voice (4-6 points)
Page is at least 6
pages in length (5
points)
Few or no
mechanical errors.
Paper is completely
legible (4-5 points)
Paper contains a
good deal of
creative details and
mostly reflects the
new character’s
perspective and
voice (7-8 points)
Paper is
exceptionally
creative and
demonstrates a
thorough
understanding of
the new character’s
perspective and
voice. (9-10)
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Explanation
(10 points)
Explanation is not
present or incomplete
(0-3 points)
Explanation is
present, but does not
adequately explain
the choices made by
the student and/or
does not contain
textual support. (4-6
points)
Explanation is
present, and
somewhat explains
choices made by
student. Textual
support is
incomplete or
irrelevant. (7-8
points)
Explanation
completely and
thoroughly
represents
student’s
understanding of
the assignment,
contains sufficient
textual support (910 points)
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Week 1, day 1 (Monday)
Daily Goal: To introduce Will Grayson Will Grayson and the idea of voice, both in a literary
and societal sense.
Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.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.
Materials needed: powerpoint presentation, blank paper, projector, Internet, Will Grayson
Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan, class journals
Class activities
1.) Jumpstart:
What was one time you felt like you couldn’t find your voice? How do you
feel that you best express yourself (music, writing, art, etc.)? Think
and discuss (5 minutes)
2.) Writing activity (20-25 minutes): Based off of their discussion, students will create a
character and begin writing a brief scene in which he or she is struggling to find his or her
voice.
 Put on music
 After 2-4 minutes, stop students and ask them to pass their papers onto the next
student, who will then continue the scene/story.
 Have students pass papers 4 times.
3.) Students will read their original papers and discuss the difficulties of this activity. (5
minutes)
4.) Watch John Green video while passing out novels (3.5 minutes)
5.) Students will answer the following question in their class journals: “In literature, the
author’s style or the speech and thoughts of a first-person narrator are known as voice.
How do you think the shifts in voice will affect the telling of the story in Will Grayson, Will
Grayson?” They may also write about their expectations for this novel, what they are
excited about, what interests them about the book, etc. (5-10 minutes)
6.) When they have completed their journal entries, students will begin reading Will
Grayson Will Grayson until the end of the class period.
Homework: Read chapters 1 & 2 (up to page 38) by tomorrow’s class
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Week 1, day 2 (Tuesday)
Jumpstart: Think-pair-share: (15 minutes)
Now that you’ve read a chapter from each Will Grayson’s point of view, what do you
notice about the voice of each character? Compare and contrast the two.
What do you think these characters’ different voices reveal about their
character?
Video: Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye – “An Origin Story,” two-voice poem (7 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esgfG3BoAPc
Discuss: (5-10 minutes)
What differences do you detect in the styles and techniques of the two poets?
How much do their personalities come through in this 7-minute video? How much
of this is dependent on voice?
Video: Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye – “When Love Arrives” (5 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdJ6aUB2K4g
Discuss: (5-10 minutes)
How did the two voices operate differently in this poem?
What do the poets have to gain by telling a story in two voices?
Assign voice poem project: In pairs of their own choosing, students will compose and
perform 2-voice poems. The rest of the period will be spent brainstorming a topic for their
poem. RUBRIC!!!
Homework: Read chapters 3&4 (pages 39 – 74) by Thursday
First draft of poem due Tuesday
Week 1, Day 3 (Wednesday)
Project V.O.I.C.E. performance and workshop: this will take the full period
http://www.projectvoice.co/project-voice-our-program
Homework: Read chapters 3&4 (pages 39 – 74) by tomorrow (Thursday)
Journal entry: How has your work with spoken word poetry changed your reading
of Will Grayson, Will Grayson?
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Week 1, Day 4 (Thursday)
Chapters 1-4 read
Jumpstart: Listen to Neutral Milk Hotel’s “Holland, 1945” (3:13) and “In an Aeroplane Over
the Sea” (3:22)
As the songs play, take notes on elements of the song (lyrics, mood, etc.) that stick
out to you.
Discuss: (15-20 minutes)
Why do you think these songs were mentioned specifically in the book, while others
are merely described and not named?
Why do you think Neutral Milk Hotel is featured while the other bands
mentioned in the book are fictional?
Journal entry: (15-20 minutes)
Choose from the following characters: Tiny, Will, and Jane.
Analyze and write what that character might like about the songs we just
listened to and why Neutral Milk Hotel means so much to him or her.
After the journals are finished, any remaining time will be used to begin reading chapter 5
Homework: Read chapters 5 & 6 (pages 74 – 108) by Monday
First draft of poem due Tuesday
Week 1, Day 5 (Friday)
Chapters 1-4 read
Jumpstart: Read article about fake IDs: Daily News reporter easily snags fake ID in Queens
hotspot for phony documents
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/queens-neighborhood-hot-spotfake-ids-docs-article-1.1812718#ixzz34AAhz0xj
(5-10 minutes)
Think-pair-share: (20 minutes)
Do you think it is wrong to purchase or use a fake ID? Why or why not?
Will and Jane only use their fake IDs to get into concerts, and not to drink underage.
Do you think this makes a difference in the morality of their decision to own them? Why or
why not?
Work time: Remainder of the period will be used for the students to work on their poems
with their partners.
Homework: Read chapters 5 & 6 (pages 74 – 108) by Monday
First draft of poem due Tuesday
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Week 2, Day 1 (Monday)
Chapters 1 – 6 read
Activity: Watch excerpt from When Strangers Click (15 minutes) and recap of Catfish,
season 1, episode 4 (5 minutes)
Journal entry: (15-20 minutes)
Based off what you just saw and your previous knowledge on the subject, what are the pros
and cons of online dating? Do you think the benefits outweigh the risk? Would you ever
consider dating someone online?
How do you think things will work out between Isaac and Will Grayson?
Any remaining class time will be used to work on poems.
Homework: Read chapters 7 & 8 (pages 108 – 126) by Thursday
First draft of poem due TOMORROW
Week 2, Day 2 (Tuesday)
Chapters 1 – 6 read
Jumpstart: Discuss with your partner what you like about the drafts of your poems and
what you think you need to improve on, focusing on each individual part of the poem as
well as the piece as a whole. (10 minutes)
Workshop: Each partner-pair will join with another pair and read each other’s poems,
offering feedback and suggestions. After 20 minutes, all groups will switch so that every
pair is talking to a new pair. (40 minutes)
Homework: Read chapters 7 & 8 (pages 108 – 126) by Thursday
Final draft of poem due Thursday
Week 2, Day 3 (Wednesday)
Chapters 1 – 6 read
Jumpstart: Read aloud Psychology Today article, “Creativity and Art Expression” (10
minutes)
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-the-brain-the-beholder/201402/creativityand-art-expression
Round Robin discussion: (30 minutes) On their own copies of the article, students will
write commentary on the material, considering how it applies to the characters in Will
Grayson, Will Grayson and their respective methods of creative self-expression (Tiny’s
musical, Maura’s poetry, etc.), passing the copies at their own pace. At the end of 30
minutes, the articles will all be returned to their original owners.
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Work session (20 minutes): Poem groups will work toward the completion of their final
drafts of their poems.
Homework: Read chapters 7 & 8 (pages 108 – 126) by tomorrow
Final draft of poem due TOMORROW
Week 2, day 4 (Thursday)
Chapters 1 – 7 read
Turn in final drafts of poem
Jumpstart: (10 minutes) In groups of 5, discuss:
What is foreshadowing and why do writers use it in their work? It is important for a
plot twist to be foreshadowed?
Activity: (10 minutes) Individually, scan the chapters of the book we have read and
identify at least five examples of foreshadowing about the truth about Isaac
Writing activity: Write 3-5 paragraphs explaining whether or not Maura’s actions were
wrong and why. This may be written in an analytical style OR you may write from the point
of view of either Maura or Will.
Homework: Read chapters 9 & 10 (pages 127 – 152) by Monday
If you have not done so already, finish your short essay from class.
Week 2, day 5 (Friday)
Chapters 1-7 read
Today will be a practice day. Students will meet with their partners and practice
performing their spoken word poems for the entire period. There will be a sign-up sheet
passed around on which students may pick a day next week to perform their poems
Homework: Read chapters 9 & 10 (pages 127 – 152) by Monday
Week 3, day 1 (Monday)
Chapters 1 – 10 read
Two poem presentations (10 minutes)
Jumpstart: What do you think is the significance of the Will Graysons meeting each other
in a porn store? What do you think it says about the relationship between love and sex? (10
minutes)
Jigsaw activity: (35 minutes) Half of the class will read NYT article “The Decline and Fall of
the ‘H’ Word” and half will read Pink News article, “Will Young voices concern about the
derogatory use of the word ‘gay’ in schools”
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After everyone has completed reading the articles, students will pair up and offer key
points to partner about his or her article and then discuss. After 5 minutes, discussion will
be opened up to include the entirety of the class.
Introduce and explain playlist project: (5 minutes)
Get into the mind of a character of your choosing and create a playlist of at least 10
songs that he or she might have on his or her iPod or a mix CD. For each track, write 2-4
sentences explaining why your character has put that song on his or her playlist.
Homework: Read chapters 11 & 12 (pages 153 – 184) by Wednesday
Playlist project due Friday
Week 3, day 2 (Tuesday)
Chapters 1 – 10 read
Two poem presentations (10 minutes)
Jumpstart: Both Will Graysons believe that love and truth are inextricably connected. Do
you agree with this? Why or why not? Think-pair-share a time when honesty or lack
thereof became a barrier in one of your relationships with a friend, family member, or
significant other. (10 minutes)
Activity: Read “Tell the Truth” and “The Truth” by Emily Dickinson. As a class, we will
discuss the different interpretations of truth represented by these two poems, dissecting
the voice in each one and what that reveals about the poem’s narrator. We will then
analyze how each poem ties into Will Grayson, Will Grayson, focusing specifically on
individual characters and their versions of the truth. (30 minutes)
Homework: Read chapters 11 & 12 (pages 153 – 184) by Tomorrow
Playlist project due Friday
Week 3, day 3 (Wednesday)
Chapters 1 – 12 read
Two poem presentations (10 minutes)
Jumpstart: Watch video – “Anderson Cooper Comes Out” (2 minutes)
Think, pair, share: Do you think it is important for high-profile gay
individuals to
be openly gay? Why or why not?
Do you think the experience will grayson faces after coming out is typical of young
gay individuals in the United States? (10 minutes)
Journal entry: Briefly describe a time you told your friends and/or family something about
yourself that you thought would be hard for them to handle or even merely embarrassing
(e.g. “Dad, I’m a feminist,” or, “Kate, I’m obsessed with My Little Pony!”). Does this
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experience and the reaction of others help you to understand what Tiny or will grayson
might have gone through when they came out about their sexuality? (10 minutes)
Work session: Laptops will be available for students to work on their playlist projects. (20
minutes)
Homework: Read chapters 13 & 14 (pages 184 – 215) by Friday
Playlist project due Friday
Week 3, day 4 (Thursday)
Chapters 1 – 12 read
Two poem presentations (10 minutes)
Jumpstart: With a partner, compare and contrast two of the characters who interact with
one another in the novel and create a Venn diagram representing these two characters.
Then, pairs will find the other pair or pairs whose Venn diagram analyzes the same
characters as they chose to depict and discuss what they think the Venn diagram says
about the relationship between these two characters (20 minutes)
Work session: Laptops will be available for students to work on their playlist projects. (20
minutes)
Homework: Read chapters 13 & 14 (pages 184 – 215) by tomorrow
Playlist project due tomorrow
Week 3, day 5 (Friday)
Chapters 1-14 read
Two poem presentations (10 minutes)
Turn in playlist assignments
Activity: Students will create collages depicting a relationship within the novel. Students
should attempt to enter the mind of one of the two characters and create the collage as if he
or she is making it as a gift for the other character. Sample collages and scrapbook pages
will be provided as examples. When they have completed the collages, students will write a
brief 2-5 sentences explaining why they chose to include various elements in their piece
and how the collage represents the fictional relationship. (35 minutes)
During the activity, students may volunteer to have their playlists played
Final five minutes: I will assign and explain their final creative writing project for the unit
Homework: read chapters 15 & 16 (pages 216 – 250) by Monday
First draft of final project due Wednesday
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Final project due the following Monday (first day of the next unit)
Week 4, day 1 (Monday)
Chapters 1 – 16 read
Jumpstart: Read aloud Huffington Post article, “When Suicide Strikes: How One Teen
Wages War Against Depression”
Discuss: Do you think it is possible for people who do not suffer from depression to
understand the illness? (10 minutes)
Journal entry: Write a letter from Tiny Cooper to Tanner Snider asking him for help
understanding will grayson’s depression.
OR
Write a letter from will grayson to Tanner Snider thanking him for his work. (20 minutes)
Work session: Students will work independently on their final projects.
Homework: read chapters 17 & 18 (pages 251 – 280) by Wednesday
First draft of final project due Wednesday
Final project due next Monday
Week 4, day 2 (Tuesday)
Chapters 1 – 16 read
Jumpstart: Watch Minute Physics video, “Schrödinger's Cat.”
Do you think the argument is correct? Could the cat be both alive and dead?
What is the significance of this thought experiment within the novel? What does it
really represent?
Have you ever avoided doing something because you were afraid of eliminating
certain possibilities? (15 minutes)
Work session: Work on rough drafts of final projects.
Homework: read chapters 17 & 18 (pages 251 – 280) by tomorrow
First draft of final project due tomorrow
Final project due next Monday
Week 4, day 3 (Wednesday)
Chapters 1 – 18 read
Jumpstart: With a partner, predict what you think will grayson’s plan for Tiny’s musical
might entail. Write 2-4 sentences in your journals detailing your prediction and why you
think that. (10 minutes)
Workshop: In groups of 4, students will workshop their drafts. (40 minutes)
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Homework: Finish book, including conversation with John Green and David Levithan by
Friday
Final project due next Monday
Week 4, day 4 (Thursday)
Chapters 1 – 18 read
Jumpstart: Think, pair, share: What is a song that you would include in a musical about
your life? Why do you think this song represents you? (15 minutes)
Activity: Now that you have finished or are almost finished the book, what are some
essential questions raised by Will Grayson, Will Grayson? In groups of 4, share your
favorite of your essential questions and have a “Save the Last Word for Me” discussion (20
– 25 minutes)
Remaining time may be used for students to work on their final drafts or on reading the
novel.
Homework: Finish book, including conversation with John Green and David Levithan by
tomorrow
Final project due next Monday
Week 4, day 5 (Friday)
Book is finished!
Jumpstart: Now that you have finished reading the book, what is a question you would like
to ask the authors? Write 1-2 original, thoughtful questions. (10 minutes)
SURPRISE SKYPE SESSION WITH JOHN GREEN! Students will have the opportunity to
Q&A with the man himself about the book (40 minutes)
Homework: Final project due next Monday
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