In Cold Blood is not just a novel, it is a work of journalism that (while its total veracity is rightly questioned) required years of careful research and interviewing. This is an opportunity to teach students about journalism, about creative nonfiction, and about the structures of both. Explore both Capote's finished product and his elaborate, in-depth writing process.
The thought questions in this lesson plan provide material and ideas that students can use to write short original essays and to develop their powers of thought. For the sake of improving the power of expression, teachers should encourage students to write on topics that have been discussed in class, this time in the...
