Grades 9–11
2-3 Hours
Fantasy/SciFi, NarrativeLessonsTony Weaver, Jr. is an award-winning writer and educator who creates diverse stories that make young people feel seen and valued. After seeing the impact that media stereotypes had on students in his community, Tony embarked on a journey to create new media narratives that would challenge the status quo. He is the author of Weirdo, a graphic novel for middle grades that celebrates self-acceptance and belonging.
This lesson is part of 826 National’s 2026 anthology project. Please visit Write Your Power with Tony Weaver, Jr. to find a video from Tony, a facilitator guide, and more.
Students will learn speculative fiction techniques that will help them retell the ending of a challenging situation.
Students will produce three different new endings to a challenging memory.
This lesson aligns with the following CASEL Competency:
10 Minutes
To begin, write the word powerless on the board and ask students to share their thoughts about this concept:
10 Minutes
2 minutes
On a piece of scrap paper or in their writing journal, ask students to number their paper, 1-7. Ask students to spend two minutes creating a list of times they’ve felt powerless or not in control of a situation. Let students know that this list is just for them; they won’t be asked to share with others. Encourage students to keep their pencils moving for the whole two minutes, even when they can’t think of anything to write! If they can’t think of something to write, they can write their name, “I don’t know,” a snippet of their favorite song lyric. . . anything to keep their pencil moving and their mind working.
8 minutes
Ask students to choose one of the experiences from their list and spend the remaining eight minutes freewriting everything they can remember about that moment, including details like how they felt and any specific dialogue they can remember. Students will return to this freewrite in STEP 4.
5 Minutes
Next, introduce speculative fiction. Based on what students already know about literary genres, what do they think speculative fiction is?
Speculative fiction thinks outside the box because it answers the question “what if?” It asks readers to imagine (or speculate) a world that’s (X) because of (Y).
Ask students to share any examples of speculative fiction stories they may be aware of, such as the following:
10 Minutes
Next, display the mentor texts on pages 1 and 2 of the Reclaim Your Power— Handout and ask for volunteers to read the two texts out loud:
Then, ask students to share what they noticed about the endings of both pieces. Did the character(s) regain their power at the end? How so?
15 Minutes
Pass out page 3 of the handout and ask students to pull out their freewrite from STEP 1. On the handout, students imagine three new endings to the story they wrote about. This is their chance to retell the ending of the story in a way that gives them back their power. The story can include traditional superhero powers: flight, invisibility, telekinesis . . . nothing is off-limits!
15-30 Minutes
Finally, students combine the first part of their story with a new ending that gives them back their power. Students can either use one of the three endings they drafted in STEP 4 or combine the best elements from all three!
30 Minutes
When students are happy with their draft, it’s time to revise! We recommend dedicating at least thirty minutes, or an extra day, on revision if possible. Feel free to use whichever structures for revision you may have in place, or students can try one or more of these revision tips:
Revision Tips:
Conclusion:
826 National wants to publish the next generation of writers—that means the young people in your community and learning spaces! Students, families, and educators can submit writing from this session to 826 National, now through January 20, 2026, for a chance to become a published author.
Submissions are open now through January 20, 2026!
How to Submit:
Students and families, submit your work using these links:
Educators and program providers, submit work from multiple young people using this link:
Guidelines:
The piece creatively explores the science fiction genre and short story/poetry forms, including a variety of narrative and/or poetic devices.
The piece is written with a clear and compelling voice. It includes intentional, effective word and stylistic choices, leaving an impact on the reader.
The author’s work clearly aligns with the theme and speaks to the prompt(s). The writing explores the prompt in a unique way or point of view.
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