I’m always super excited when I find fun books that have great learning connections, and Gordon Korman’s latest book WhatsHisFace fits the bill perfectly! It’s a hoot, too – I found myself laughing out loud often while reading it. It makes the perfect addition to a unit about Shakespeare.
When 12-year-old Cooper Vega moves for the third time in five years, he receives a state-of-the-art smartphone to help him stay in touch with old friends. He’s had phones before, but this one is buggy and unpredictable. When a boy named Roderick Northrop communicates with him through the phone, Cooper realizes that his phone isn’t buggy at all; the thing is haunted!
I couldn’t leave this book alone – there were too many opportunities to transform the laughs in the book into fun learning adventures! That’s why I created resources to go with WhatsHisFace. They’re designed to make the most of the learning opportunities within the book while still enjoying every single funny bit of it.
First, Roderick is a hoot. He’s forever saying things that are wise and true, but he gets the modern vernacular a bit mixed up. I’ve created some printables featuring his quotes. You could use these strictly for decoration, but they would also make great discussion or writing prompts. You can download this resource is FREE at my Teachers Pay Teachers store.
Of course, I think you can always glean more from a story when you talk it over with at least one other someone, and so I’ve created a packet of open-ended Discussion Questions and Creative Writing Prompts. These do not have strict right-or-wrong answers but are intended for students to share their thoughts and opinions and to back those up with evidence from the book.
Gordon Korman’s outdone himself with the historical connections in this book! From discussion the clothing, speech, science, and printing methods of Shakespeare’s day, there is much to learn here. I’ve created hands-on projects examining each of these areas in a variety of learning styles and linked them up to text, articles, and videos where your students can go to learn more. Everything is ready for you to print and use immediately in this linked unit study.
You can find these and other resources all at my Teachers Pay Teachers store here.
What books will your students be reading this year?
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