Before you begin readingThe Boy in the Black Suit, you need to implement this engaging pre-reading activity that introduces key themes and builds excitement for the novel.

This resource is designed for high school ELA teachers looking for a low-prep, high-impact complete lesson that fosters critical thinking, collaboration, and discussion.

What’s Included:

• Agree or Disagree Statements: 10 print-ready prompts for students to analyze, debate, and discuss in small groups.

• Synthesis Worksheet: A guided worksheet to help students reflect on group responses, evaluate arguments, and identify the best agree/disagree points.

• Lesson Slides: Facilitation slides complete with timers, sentence frames, and discussion stems to keep students on track and engaged.

How It Works

Preparation:

• Print the "Agree or Disagree" statements for your table groups (8-10).

• Add sticky notes to each statement (1 per student).

• Print one Synthesis Worksheet per group for the final activity (8-10).

Activity Directions:

• Students rotate between table groups, discussing and anonymously recording whether they agree or disagree with each statement and providing a brief explanation.

• After all groups have visited every statement, students analyze the results using the Synthesis Worksheet.

Wrap-Up Discussion:

• Connect the statements to key themes in The Boy in the Black Suit using the Theme Formula: Theme = Topic + Universal Message.

• Facilitate a class discussion where students identify the topics (since they already have the message) and connect the topics/messages to the novel.

The Big Reveal:

• Build excitement by asking students to guess the novel based on the topics discussed. End the class by revealing The Boy in the Black Suit.

Why You’ll Love This Resource:

• Low Prep, High Engagement: Just print the materials, provide sticky notes, and present the slides!

• Supports Analysis Writing: Prepares students for analyzing and discussing themes, which connects to their culminating Literary Analysis essay.

• Flexible Timing: Perfect block classes (90-100 minutes), but this lesson can easily be split into two lessons if you have shorter classes (50 minutes).

• Student-Centered: Encourages collaboration, critical thinking, and theme analysis in a fun, interactive way.

This activity will help your students explore theme while sparking curiosity and engagement for their journey into The Boy in the Black Suit.