Explore Stargirl through this comprehensive 6-deck study unit, designed around discussion, interpretation and active learning rather than worksheets.

This resource includes six analysis packs covering context; themes; character; language features and narrative structure; teaching sequence; and analytical paragraph exemplars.

• Jerry Spinelli’s suburban Arizona setting, the high school social hierarchy the novel critiques, and its place within the individuality-versus-conformity literary tradition
• Themes including individuality versus social conformity, the pressure to belong, kindness and generosity as radical acts, popularity and its fickle nature, and the cost of authenticity
• Character analysis of Stargirl, Leo, Kevin, Hillari Kimble, and the wider student body as a collective force of social pressure
• Language features and narrative structure, including Leo’s retrospective first-person narration, symbolic imagery (the ukulele, the sunflower, Cinnamon the rat), and the novel’s structural shift once Stargirl becomes popular
• A ready-to-teach sequence guiding lesson flow across the unit
• Exemplar analytical paragraphs modelling strong textual analysis for student reference

Includes rich learning activities such as debates, scene analysis, collaborative tasks, visual literacy activities, retrieval practice, exemplar analysis and essay planning.

Teaching approach
This resource is activity-based rather than a scripted lesson-by-lesson program. Teachers can select and adapt tasks to suit their classroom needs, with an emphasis on discussion, interpretation and collaborative analytical learning.

File information
• Non-editable PDF
• Not an editable PowerPoint
How to use
• Upload to your LMS for digital learning
• Print selected pages for classroom use
• Display pages to guide discussion and activities
• Adapt in presentation or design platforms if desired (formatting may vary)