Long Way Down - Sketchnotes Guide and Student Handout - Jason Reynolds Novel

Jason Reynolds changed the way young people read with his novel Long Way Down. His novel is written in verse which makes it accessible and enjoyable for reluctant readers and literary mavens alike!

This file is a two-page PDF that includes a two-sided student handout which will accompany the entire novel.

Print it out onto 11"x17" paper and have the students fold it twice, hamburger-style. The result will be a double-sided sheet of paper with a total of eight panels.

Each elevator stop in Long Way Down introduces a new character who has a message for the main character, Will. Each panel on the folded student handout is a space for sketchnotes while the students read or listen to the novel, OR have the students complete each section for homework after they listen/read in class. (Note: The audio of the novel is about 85 minutes, so this unit can be as long or short as you wish).

Assignment requirements are included at the top of the handout - students must include specific elements for each section/elevator stop/new character. There are six requirements for each section including a doodle, a question, and a poetic device.

My students LOVE this activity and it gives them something to think about and create while they listen to the story.