Guide
Teaching Everything Sad Is Untrue
This guide supports classroom discussion of Daniel Nayeri's novel about a young Iranian refugee and its themes of identity, belonging, and the power of storytelling.
Resources
6Subject
- English & Language Arts
Grade
9–12Language
English — USPublished
Get This Resource
Teaching Everything Sad Is Untrue
Date of Publication:
May 2025
Download the Guide
Get in Google Drive
Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story) by Daniel Nayeri is a semi-autobiographical novel that blends memoir with myth as it recounts the story of Khosrou (Daniel), a young Iranian refugee living in Oklahoma. With its unique structure, heartfelt storytelling, and humor, this novel will prompt young adults to reflect on the impact of their own stories and better understand the varied truths those stories reveal about themselves.
Our guide to the novel supports planning and teaching a whole-class book unit that centers students’ identities and experiences as young adults in the world. It includes:
- Planning resources for teachers
- Classroom-ready content such as schema-building activities
- Close-reading lesson plans
- Engaging discussion questions
- Reflective journal prompts
- Summative assessment ideas
Truth, Storytelling, and Identity in Everything Sad Is Untrue
Students engage in a close-reading activity to delve deeply into the book and explore how the first pages introduce key information about Daniel and some of the book’s themes.
Storyteller, Truth, and Perspective in Everything Sad Is Untrue
Students engage in a close-reading activity to explore how the author uses storytelling to illuminate complex ideas about truth and perspective.
Memory and Cultural Heritage in Everything Sad Is Untrue
Students engage in a close-reading activity to explore how the author uses humorous anecdotes and history to present Khosrou’s reflections on identity, memory, and cultural heritage.
Sadness, Hope, and Story in Everything Sad Is Untrue
Students engage in a close-reading activity as preparation for a summative assignment on the significance and meaning of the book’s title and explore topics, such as family, memory, storytelling, and hope.
Imperfection and Complexity of Truth in Everything Sad Is Untrue
Students engage in a close-reading activity to explore the concept of imperfection and the complexity of truth in the protagonist’s story.
Get This Resource
Get Digital Books on Sora
Everything Sad Is Untrue
ISBN:
9781646140008
Date of Publication:
May 2025
Borrow
We partner with Sora, the student reading app, to provide digital access to this book. Your district may already have access, or you may need to purchase digital copies for your students.
You might also be interested in…
ELA Unit Planning Guide
This guide provides the framework and classroom resources to help you design an English Language Arts unit for middle or high school students centered around a book of your choosing.
More Like This
