a monster calls essay plan

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April 12, 2022

15 Engaging Ways to Teach a Monster Calls Patrick Ness

What it’s about: Click HERE for the full lesson

A Monster Calls Patrick Ness is a heart-wrenching novel about a boy who is losing his mother to cancer. He goes through all the stages of grief which is manifested as a monster in his nightmares. When Conor sleeps he has nightmares about a monster who tells him stories. Eventually he has to face the fact that he has decided to let his mom go and die in peace.

A Monster Calls Patrick Ness: Vocabulary

I start by passing out a vocabulary sheet in which students have the page number and the vocabulary word. Students are to write a simple synonym for the definition. I like to keep definitions as simple as possible because when you use long definitions there is a low chance of student retention.

A Monster Calls Patrick Ness: Journal Responses

Second, I have multiple journal responses that I use throughout the unit that are engaging and assess student comprehension.

• Some of the examples are to write a letter to a character. Tell them how you are similar or different. Tell them something you admire about them and why. This puts the students through the thought process of what empathy is like.
• Another journal response can be to Create a mock interview between yourself and a character. Create interview questions, practice and be prepared to present in front of the class.
• Students can Predict what will happen in the next chapter and craft a chapter from a character’s perspective in first person point of view. Be prepared to share the chapter with your classmates.
• Or, choose a significant incident in the book and write a journal entry from a character’s point-of-view
• You can ask them If you were given the opportunity to ask the author 5 questions what would they be? Write the questions below and explain why you want the answers to these questions.
• To assess setting students can create the setting in a drawing below. Be specific with details.
• Lastly draw a primary character and at least one secondary character in the box below. Be accurate in your drawing.

Lunch Box Notes Emojis for Boys and Girls by Teacher for Inclusion (teacherspayteachers.com)

A Monster Calls Patrick Ness: Reading Comprehension

• Visualize-I ask students to draw a symbol that best represents the book.
• Summarize-Students will summarize the book, a chapter, or a section of the book.
• Clarify-Students are to analyze where they lack an understanding of the book. They are to ask themselves, what do I need to re-read in order to fully comprehend the material?
• Connect-students ask themselves how the material connects to other material in the book and to other texts they have read.
• Respond-Students analyze how the author uses literary devices in the work and why.
• Question-Students are to make a list of questions they have for the author for further understanding.

A Monster Calls Patrick Ness: Costa’s Question Cues

Next I have students create a list of high order thinking questions using Costa’s question cues. Some of Costa’s question stems begin with the following:

• Compare/contrast

You can collect these questions and answers and use them for a Socratic Seminar or a Four Corner Discussion. Pass out a list of the questions for students to work on at home. Have students return with their questions and answers. Elect two leaders to lead the discussion. Remain as an observer and allow for a meaningful discussion about the book.

A Monster Calls Patrick Ness: Connections

I like to take connections with the book a step deeper because of the importance of engaging the students by connecting them with the material. I have students look up quotes of things that happen in the book that remind them of something from their own lives. They write the quote and begin a connection with something like, “This reminds me of a time that….” Students catalogue the quotes and connections as they read through the book.

A Monster Calls Patrick Ness: Purpose of Reading

It is important to note the purpose of reading a text. Students are always asking “what is the point of this?” and there is only a positive outcome if a teacher takes the time to answer this question. Some purpose of reading questions can be:

• What are the characters’ motives or goals?
• What is the conflict?
• What am I visualizing?
• What is the message the author is trying to convey?
• What mood is the author creating?
• What problem is the character facing?
• How is the plot developing the story?
• Why did the author write this story?
• What themes are addressed in this text?
• What is your emotional response to the text?

Through analyzing and discussing the answers to these questions, you can come to a consensus as to what the purpose is of reading a text-even if it’s just for fun!

A Monster Calls Patrick Ness: Sentence Starters

The next assignment I have students complete throughout the reading are sentence starters. Sentence starters help students to analyze their own thinking and wonderment. Some examples of sentence starters are:

• I wonder…
• I was surprised that…
• I don’t really understand…
• I was reminded that…

A Monster Calls Patrick Ness: Exposition Writing

Some practice with writing an exposition can be done by simply using a statement and backing it up with evidence. For example, if we are to look at the statement “Parents should enocurage their kids to participate in a sport” then the evidence to back it up.

A Monster Calls Patrick Ness: Compare/Contrast Characters

Another assignment worthy of a teacher’s attention is to compare contrast characters physical and emotional descriptions. You can utilize a graphic organizer to effectively list information.

A Monster Calls Patrick Ness: Close Reading Questions

It is highly effective to take a close reading passage from the book and have students analyze it by answering a list of carefully crafted sentences. A list of close reading sentences can look like this:

• What does this passage mean to you?
• Why do you think it is important to the text as a whole?
• What confuses you about the passage?
• Why is understanding this passage important to your response to the book as a whole?
• How does the passage connect to other ideas in the book?
• How does the author feeling about the ideas, characters or events they are presenting?
• Do the characters remind you of anyone else in fiction, history, or anyone else in your life?
• What is revealed about the characters you have read in this passage?

A Monster Calls Patrick Ness: Have Fun with Learning! Roll the Dice Activity

It is crucial that students have some fun while learning. A simple way to create some fun is by creating a “roll the dice” activity sheet. On a sheet of paper create the following activities:

• Paraphrase learned information in one sentence.
• Create a bookmark for today’s learning.
• Write original lyrics to a song that relates to today’s topic.
• Write four what if questions about the topic
• Create vocabulary cards for the five most essential terms
• Write an acrostic poem about the topic
• Write a letter to a family member or friend about the topic
• Create an analogy for today’s topic and an image
• Create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast information
• Summarize what you learned today to three classmates

Have students role dye and whichever number they land on they will complete as a group. If you only have once set of dye, you can roll for the whole class.

A One-Pager Assignment Project

The purpose of the one-pager assignment is to take a close look at the novel and analyze its themes, characters, quotes, etc.

The top half should focus on symbolism and themes using words and images. The bottom half should focus on key characters from the text and how they develop.

You may also use other symbols, drawings and words as you wish.

The border is themes. Students can get creative and maximize their efforts with a one-pager assessment.

Create a Plot Structure Diagram

Create a plot structure diagram using the mountain analogy with the following:

• Rising action
• Falling action

6-Panel StoryBoard

Students can get a little creative and create a six-panel storyboard where they illustrate and write about a scene. They can also do an extension of a paragraph or the book.

Philosophical Chairs Discussion

Philosophical chair discussions are important in that they not only teach students to take a critical look at a topic but they learn how to express their opinions and evidence about the topic effectively. A great philosophical chairs discussion topic for this book is how our actions affect others. Have students choose a side, write about their opinions using evidence from the text and share their work in an articulate manner.

A thorough final assessment can be the essay. For this particular book I would do a literary analysis or if you want to extend the philosophical chairs discussion, you can use the same topic from the philosophical chairs discussion.

However, you teach A Monster Calls you are doing your students a service as it is a book worthy of attention and analysis. Get this full lesson in my TpT shop HERE

To read Nine, Ten: by Nora Raleigh Baskin click https://wordpress.com/post/teacher-for-inclusion.com/3755

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A Monster Calls Essay

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W hy's T his F unny?

A Monster Calls

67 pages • 2 hours read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-6

Chapters 7-12

Chapters 13-18

Chapters 19-26

Chapters 27-32

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Why has Conor told no one else about his nightmare at the beginning of the story? How does Ness challenge Conor’s decision to keep this secret?

Conor has the chance to tell Miss Kwan about Harry bullying him several times. Why does he lie and say that everything is fine?

Consider the different items left behind after the monster visits Conor. What do the leaves, the berries, and the sapling represent after each visit?

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SCHEME OF WORK: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (24 lessons)

Subject: English

Age range: 11-14

Resource type: Unit of work

Last updated

15 May 2023

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This is a 24 lesson scheme of work for the novel ‘A Monster Calls’. A great scheme of work for teaching this modern text.

The scheme hits the ground running with reading the text. It is an accessible text, yet explores complex ideas around grief, truth and healing. We work on analysing character, setting and plot, focusing on pupils’ own feelings, reactions and experiences. The scheme includes a mid unit assessment and an end of unit assessment, and feedback activities for both assessments. This scheme is designed for KS3 and can be used on a range of abilities, with activities being adapted or ommited for different levels.

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A Monster Calls

Download all 'A Monster Calls' resources as a zip file

• Teacher's Notes (.pdf)
• 1 Monsters First Impressions Lesson Plan (.pdf)
• 1 Monsters First Impressions (.ppt)
• 1 The Monster Worksheet (.pdf)
• 2 Our Own Monsters Lesson Plan (.pdf)
• 2 Our Own Monsters (.ppt)
• 3 Nightmares Lesson Plan (.pdf)
• 3 Nightmares Worksheet (.ppt)
• 3 Nightmares (.ppt)
• 4 Tales and Tellings Lesson Plan (.pdf)
• 4 Resource Narrative Plot Cards (.pdf)
• 4 Tales and Tellings (.ppt)
• 5.Relationships (.ppt)
• 5 Relationships Lesson Plan (.pdf)
• 5 Relationships Graph (.pdf)
• 5 Dad Worksheet (.pdf)
• 5 Grandma Worksheet (.pdf)
• 5 Mum Worksheet (.pdf)
• 6 Beginnings and Endings Lesson Plan (.pdf)
• 6 Beginnings and Endings (.ppt)
• 6 Openings and Endings (.pdf)

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Part of English Literature

Conor lives with his mother who is ill. One night, the yew tree near his house turns into a monster. It visits Conor and says that it will tell him three stories. In exchange, Conor must tell the story of his worst fear.

At school, Conor is being bullied by Harry and falls out with Lily, his best friend. Conor’s grandmother arrives to help look after him.

The monster tells Conor the first story. This story teaches Conor that most people aren’t just ‘good’ or ‘bad’ but somewhere in between.

Conor’s mother goes into hospital so Conor stays with his grandmother.

The monster tells Conor the second story. Conor agrees to help destroy one of the character’s homes but when the monster leaves he realises that he has destroyed his grandmother’s things instead.

Conor’s mother becomes seriously ill. Conor stops working at school and stops talking to people. He thinks that no one notices him.

The monster arrives at school and tells Conor the third story. As the monster speaks, Conor beats up Harry. The monster tells Conor that there are worse things than being invisible.

Everyone at school is now afraid of Conor, apart from Lily who reaches out to him.

Conor learns that the doctors can’t do anything else to help his mother. He is angry with the monster.

Conor tells the story of his worst fear. It is the nightmare in which he lets go of his mother’s hand and she falls over a cliff. The monster explains that Conor could have held onto his mother but that he let her go as he wanted the pain to be over. The monster explains that Conor is not a bad person and that feelings are complicated.

Conor holds his mother as she is dying, knowing that it is not his fault and that he can want her to live but also to want the pain to be over.

The stories that the monster tells Conor are allegories. An allegory is a type of story which contains a hidden meaning. Conor learns to apply the stories to his own life.

The first story is about a Queen who is also a witch. She is accused of murder by the heir to the throne, but is saved from death by a monster.

The second story is about a healer who asks to cut down the local parson's yew tree. The parson refuses. When the parson’s daughters become ill, the healer refuses to help them and they die.

At the end of the second story, the monster describes how he destroyed the parson's house as punishment. Conor joins in with the destruction and breaks his Grandmother's belongings.

The monster's third story is about a man who felt helpless and invisible. As the monster tells this story, Conor violently beats up Harry.

For the fourth story, Conor must tell the monster about his worst fear. Conor tells the monster about his recurring nightmare.

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A Monster Calls Lesson Plans

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The A Monster Calls lesson plan contains a variety of teaching materials that cater to all learning styles. Inside you'll find 30 Daily Lessons, 20 Fun Activities, 180 Multiple Choice Questions, 60 Short Essay Questions, 20 Essay Questions, Quizzes/Homework Assignments, Tests, and more. The lessons and activities will help students gain an intimate understanding of the text, while the tests and quizzes will help you evaluate how well the students have grasped the material.

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A Monster Calls Fun Activities

Siobhan Dowd

Read something written by Dowd.

Watch the movie of A Monster Calls.

Author Interview

Write ten questions that you would ask the author if you could interview him.

Printmaking

The illustrator Jim Kay used found objects to create prints for some drawings in the book. Use found items and create your own drawing.

Reality and Fantasy

Discuss with a group whether the yew tree monster was real or a figment of Conor's imagination.

Create a map of places mentioned in the book.

Create a poster about the yew tree.

Life Writing

Write a story that you would write if you were asked to write a story from your life.

Book Jacket

Create a book jacket for the novel. Include a summary of the book on the front flap, a biography of the author and illustrator on the back flap, and...

(read more Fun Activities)

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A Monster Calls Lesson Plan

Classroom activities, movie: a monster calls, kind of activity:.

Classwide Discussion

Students will compare the novel to the animated film

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.7

A Monster Calls is a dark fantasy drama based on the novel of the same name. Released in 2016, the film is rated PG-13 for "thematic content and some scary images." The students will compare the film to the original novel and explore how the differences between the two affect the storyline.

The class will watch the first half of the movie, stopping right before Conor's grandma sees her destroyed sitting room, at around the 42-minute mark. While watching the film, instruct students...

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A Monster Calls Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for A Monster Calls is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

What is an example of personification from a monster calls

"And we hear wood groaning, “. . . like the hungry stomach of the world, growling for a meal.”

how does connor change 'throughout a monster calls'?

I can't write an essay for you but can give a general response. Conor is the novel's protagonist and point-of-view character. At thirteen, Conor is haunted by a dream in which his terminally ill mother's hands slip from his grasp. He is also the...

Study Guide for A Monster Calls

A Monster Calls study guide contains a biography of Patrick Ness, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About A Monster Calls
• A Monster Calls Summary
• Character List

Lesson Plan for A Monster Calls

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to A Monster Calls
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• A Monster Calls Bibliography