The Rematch — Reading & Analytical Writing Lessons

Bring classic fables to life with satire and fresh literary analysis.

This lesson uses BJ Novak’s witty short story The Rematch (a modern spin on The Tortoise and the Hare) to spark high-interest reading and scaffolded writing practice. Perfect for middle and high school homeschoolers, the lesson helps teens see how diction, tone, and satire work — while guiding them to build strong evidence-based paragraphs.

What’s Inside:

Version 1: Reading & Analysis

• Printable + digital comprehension and discussion questions
• Group/one-on-one prompts to:
  • Characterize the tortoise and hare
  • Analyze diction and sarcasm
  • Explore themes like pride, motivation, and reputation
• Ideal for a flexible 1–2 day reading and discussion lesson

Version 2: Reading + Writing Extension

• Everything in Version 1, plus:
• Quotation integration notes & practice (3 methods of embedding quotations)
• Reasoning practice: moving from claim & evidence to strong analysis
• Guided analytical paragraph templates and models (with student/parent answer keys)
• Perfect for extending into a full writing lesson (2–3 days total)

Why Homeschool Families Love It

✅ Familiar fable retold in a funny, satirical style that hooks teens instantly
✅ Clear scaffolds for both discussion and analytical writing — easy for parents to facilitate
✅ Flexible design — keep it short and engaging or extend into a structured writing project
✅ Includes exemplars, organizers, and notes so students can model strong writing

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this lesson, your teen will be able to:

• Identify and analyze satire, diction, and tone in a short story
• Characterize protagonists with evidence-based reasoning
• Write a focused analytical paragraph with claim, evidence, and reasoning (CER)
• Confidently integrate quotations into academic writing

⚠️ What's Not Included?

Please note that this unit includes scaffolded reading questions AND instructional writing materials and mentor texts for "The Rematch" in the collection, One More Thing by BJ Novak, but I do not own the rights to distribute the stories themselves.

You will need a copy of the story.

I recommend purchasing a copy of the text to use for yourself, previewing the text here, or borrowing from the library.