Teacher's Guide Overview
The Columbine Teacher's Guide is intended for college or high school Humanities courses. It emphasizes analysis and critical thinking.
Download PDF of the full guide (55 pages, 1MB).
Cross-Curriculum Design
Most sections were designed to apply across departments. The BY COURSE menu button is the exception. More at Using the Guide (with examples).
Engaging Students
Columbine is a vehicle to engage students analyticially on society, because it provokes such personal reactions. It feels like their lives. Most students can't remember the attack, but they all know the word. They are deeply curious. More.
Whole Book or Short Unit
Both approaches supported
Many units and each analytical writing exercise focus on chapters, so they can be used in a shorter unit withouth assigning the entire book. Page numbers are provided.
Expanded Columbine Edition
We issued an expanded edition of Columbine in 2016, with 50 pages of new material since the hardcover. It includes a new epilogue and journal scans, plus the afterword and school diagram in the initial paperback edition.
Courses Supported
A more complete list than the chart
- English / Literature
- Writing
- Creative Nonfiction
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Journalism
- Media Studies
- Criminology
- Religious Studies
- Contempoary History
- Social Studies
Teen Depression is the great unlearned lesson of Columbine. If you conduct just one discussion, please consider this topic.
Education Awards
- Top Education Book of 2009 — American School Board Journal
- American Library Association Alex Award Finalist
Intro Video
Teachers report great success introducing the book with this 3-minute Columbine video:
Thank You
The Columbine Teacher's Guide only exists because of you teachers, profs and students who wrote to me with ideas, and provided feedback on the early drafts. Thanks for all the suggestions. Keep them coming.
And thanks for teaching. I'm grateful for what you do.
— Dave