Paper Towns Lesson Plan

Q says that “High school is neither a democracy nor a dictatorship—nor, contrary to popular belief, an anarchic state,” but rather, “a divine-right monarchy.” Do you agree with his reasoning?

Students should explore the power dynamics of high-school socialization – a conversation that certainly would have interested Q. Begin the conversation by reinforcing the definitions of "democracy," "dictatorship," "anarchism," and "monarchy," and then discuss whether Q's judgment is accurate to your students' experiences. What would a democratic high school social life look like? Why might people believe high school to be anarchic if it is not? Who is the "monarch"?

What do...