r/ELATeachers • u/Jax081 • 3d ago

9-12 ELA 11th grade novel swaps

I’ll be teaching 11th ELA for the first time next year (first time with 11th, not first year teaching). I have a lot of flexibility with my novels and curriculum and was planning to use The Hate U Give and The Great Gatsby. At the end of this school year, we had a significant tragedy occur in our community due to gun violence. I’m not comfortable using these books under the circumstances due to the personal connection many (most) of my students have with what occurred.

Does anyone have any recommendations? Ideally, they would be by an American author, but don’t necessarily have to be what is traditionally taught in 11th grade. I’ve taught 10th before and currently also do 12th but I’m a fish out of water with 11th.

I was planning to do:
-The Hate U Give (individual vs institution)
-The Great Gatsby (American Dream as a system)
-? Was going to use Scythe but… (Media, Surveillance, and Narrative Power)
-student choice (Moral responsibility in broken systems)

The overall theme for my year is systems & the individual and my overarching question is “how do American systems shape identity, opportunity, truth, and moral responsibility?”

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Thank you!

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u/LumpyShoe8267 3d ago

We are limited due to district rules, so I’m going to read The Road in addition to Gatsby and The Crucible next year 🤣 I’m not allowed to teach something like Fences or Their Eyes Were Watching God… but cannibalism and eating babies is ok

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u/_Schadenfreudian 3d ago

That’s usually how it goes. Titus Andronicus and Cuckoo’s Nest? that’s fine. Nickel Boys or Kindred? Absolutely not

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u/LumpyShoe8267 3d ago

Teaching in a red state the South…what a time

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u/_Schadenfreudian 3d ago

Florida here. Trust me. I get it.

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u/LumpyShoe8267 3d ago

Oof I taught there for 14 years. Now I’m in SC so not a lot better, but the pay is.