Steven Levenson’s Dear Evan Hansen full novel study lessons click HERE on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Adapted from the Tony Award-winning musical, Steven Levenson’s Dear Evan Hansen is an inspiring novel about a high school student’s struggle to find his place in the world. Through its relatable characters and powerful themes of identity, loneliness, and belonging, Steven Levenson’s novel offers students a unique opportunity to explore issues that are relevant to their lives. Let’s take a look at how educators can bring this story into their classrooms.
Bringing the Story to Life
One of the best ways to engage students in Dear Evan Hansen is to have them explore some of its main themes through activities that draw upon their own experiences. To that end, consider having students write letters or poems expressing what they wish people knew about them but they may be too afraid or embarrassed to say out loud. This activity will help them relate to Evan’s story by giving them an opportunity to express themselves without fear of judgement or criticism.
When teaching any book, it’s important to create an engaging lesson plan. This means making sure that your lesson plan has activities that will keep your students interested while they learn about the material. One way to do this is by incorporating multimedia into your lesson plan. For example, if you’re discussing a particular scene from Dear Evan Hansen, consider playing a portion of the musical or showing a video clip about the characters in order to bring the material to life for your students.
Another great way to engage your students is through discussion questions and activities related to critical thinking and analysis. These types of activities will help them better understand and analyze the text, as well as providing an opportunity for them to express their thoughts on Dear Evan Hansen in a constructive manner. You can also assign research projects related to topics discussed in the book such as mental health or bullying. In addition, you could also use Dear Evan Hansen as an entry point for discussing mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Ask your students how they think mental illness affects our relationships with others and how we view ourselves. You might also consider having your class discuss which strategies can be used for managing mental health problems and preventing negative feelings from spiraling out of control.
Promoting Positive Mental Health
In addition to teaching your students about literature, it’s important that you also provide them with resources related to mental health and wellbeing. The themes in Dear Evan Hansen are very powerful and emotional; therefore, it’s essential that they have access to proper resources if they need help or support during their learning journey. Consider providing information on counseling services or other sources of support available at school or in their local community so they know where they can turn if needed.
Click HERE for the Digital Course Above.
Lastly, use the novel as an opportunity for exploring different perspectives on difficult topics such as cyberbullying, suicide, and acceptance. Ask your students questions like “What do you think it takes for someone like Connor Murphy (one of the protagonists) to accept himself?” or “What would you do if you witnessed someone being bullied online?” These types of open-ended questions can help students empathize with characters and gain insight into different viewpoints on controversial topics.
Overall, teaching Dear Evan Hansen in the classroom is a great way for educators to engage their students and encourage them to think more deeply about important social issues such as mental health, bullying, and acceptance. By using activities that allow students to draw upon their own experiences while exploring these topics through literature, teachers can create meaningful learning opportunities that will stay with them long after they finish reading the book. With this approach, educators can help their students develop empathy skills while also gaining a deeper understanding of themselves along the way!
Dear Evan Hansen full novel study lessons click HERE on Teachers Pay Teachers
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