SHORT STORY BOOT CAMP
Give your students the tools they need to become confident literary analysts with this Short Story Boot Camp—a high-impact, low-prep unit that introduces or reinforces essential literary elements using engaging short stories and structured analysis activities.
Perfect for grades 9–12, this flexible mini-unit helps students master key concepts like plot, characterization, conflict, setting, theme, point of view, tone, and symbolism through a curated selection of short stories and scaffolded learning tools.
Stories:
- “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver
- “Eveline” by James Joyce
- “A&P” by John Updike
- “Reunion” by John Cheever
- “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor
This unit includes:
an extended-paragraph prompt and samples for each story
a Google Slide deck for each story
a fully-developed lesson plan for each story
AP LITERATURE ESSAYS KEY REMINDERS + CHECKLISTS
These six graphic organizers will help your AP English Literature® students achieve high-scoring essays on the exam. The download includes 5 essential reminders for the poetry, prose, and literary argument essays, as well as a checklist for each. These graphic organizers demystify the rubric through straightforward language and guide students in their reading and writing. They will help students achieve their highest score possible on the AP Literature exam.
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THE AP LIT EXAM TEACHER TOOLKIT
This 125+ page PDF document walks teachers through the four aspects of the exam (Q1, Q2, Q3, multiple choice, and the digital format), sharing teaching strategies for building better readers, mastering thesis statements, earning full credit on evidence + commentary, and finding ways into the elusive sophistication point. Susan Barber, Melissa Smith, and Brian Sztabnik share their best teaching tools and strategies for the exam so that you can help your students succeed.
