Teacher notes

Karen M. McManus's mystery is a natural fit for a detective unit. Students track suspects, test how far each narrator can be trusted and argue motive, means and opportunity with evidence. Because the book is written for ages 14+, it suits strong Grade 8 readers and Grades 9–10 best. The content notes and fill-in parent letter make it easier to get families on board before you start.

Quick answers

• What age is the novel for? The publisher lists it for ages 14+. It deals with suicide, bullying and drugs, and the teacher guide flags these.

• Does it work digitally? Yes. Every page number is a clickable link, so the PDF works on screens.

Priced in Canadian dollars, so it costs less here than the US-dollar price on TPT. Instant download after checkout.

Full details

Your students already know what happened. This One of Us Is Lying novel study asks what it means. There are no recall questions. Students work through the Karen M. McManus mystery as detectives: weighing clues, questioning narrators, debating gray areas and creating their own pieces. Every answer uses claim, evidence and so what.

It's built to be open-and-go. A Start Here page, a one-page unit map and a week-by-week plan mean you can teach it on Monday. Every page number in the PDF is a clickable link.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (50 pages)

Student booklet (38 pages)

• 6 case files covering all 30 chapters + the Epilogue, with 41 thinking prompts across 5 lenses: Detective, Inside the Head, Gray Zone, Writer's Room and Make It

• Before reading: Anticipation Guide, sealed title prediction, Label Autopsy

• Running trackers: Suspect Board, Trust Meter, Labels vs. Layers + Motif Log, Headline vs. Reality

• Response sheet, Motive-Means-Opportunity and Then vs. Now organizers

• Case profiles, Connections Web, Detention Timeline

• Templates: Take a Stand, Craft Spotter, POV Rewrite, Puppet Diagram, Identity Map, Burner Thread, Media Lab

• Seminar prep, 6 exit tickets, a final project choice board (9 options) and a project planner

• Single-point rubric + Level 1–4 rubrics for the project and seminar

Teacher guide (12 pages)

• Start Here page + clickable unit map

• Week-by-week plan (6 weeks + a project week)

• Answer guide for all 41 prompts, with chapter references

• Teacher key (full spoilers) + "push it further" conferencing moves

• Content notes and a fill-in parent letter

• Ontario 2023 Language curriculum links

WHY TEACHERS LIKE IT

• Students choose 3 prompts per file, so it differentiates naturally

• Media literacy and digital citizenship are built in (gossip apps, news framing, outing and privacy)

• Print the booklet once (pp. 1–27); grab templates only when a prompt sends students there

• Works in print or digital: assign the Student Booklet PDF

PLEASE NOTE

The novel is published for ages 14+ and deals with suicide, bullying, a student outed against his will, an abusive relationship, drugs and alcohol. Content notes and a parent letter are included. Students need their own copy of the novel. This is an independent teaching resource, not affiliated with the author or publisher.