Montana High School English: Nine Units on Text Analysis and Essay Writing
Montana High School English: Nine Units on Text Analysis and Essay Writing
Montana high school English teachers looking for a ready literature and writing strand can start with the High School ELA Text Analysis & Writing Bundle: nine units, from analysis vocabulary and characterization to Macbeth, Orwell's 1984 and argumentative essays, for $109.99. It works as a strand you teach as written, but it is not a full Grades 9–12 course and has no Montana-specific texts.
Open the ELA analysis bundleThe High School ELA Text Analysis & Writing Bundle ($109.99) gives Montana English teachers nine units: analysis vocabulary, characterization, argumentative essays, political cartoons, political speeches and rhetoric, Macbeth, Orwell's 1984, the American Dream, and listening and viewing comprehension. It is a strong strand for close reading and essay writing. It is not aligned to the Montana Content Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy, and it does not cover Indian Education for All content.
The resources
High School ELA Text Analysis & Writing Bundle, Grades 9–12
9 resources in one download: $109.99 instead of $224.91 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
High School ELA Text Analysis & Writing Bundle | Fiction, Speeches, Essays, Macbeth & 1984 | 9 Units | Grades 9–12
English Language Arts Complete – Ready-to-Use Curriculum for High School ELA (Grades 9–12)
English Language Arts Complete – Ready-to-Use Curriculum for Middle School ELA
Teach-Life-Balance: The Complete Time-Saving Course for Teachers (incl. Planner, Guides & Templates)
The real problem
Why this year is an odd one for Montana English teachers
As of the 2026–27 school year, Montana English teachers are working between two sets of standards. The Montana Content Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy were revised in 2024 and adopted in September 2025, and schools implement them on July 1, 2027. That gives departments this year to look at what they teach and where the gaps are, while still teaching every day under the current plan. Many will want to keep units that hold up under either version, which tends to mean close reading, evidence-based writing and argument. A second layer is Montana's own. The Indian Education for All Act (HB 528, 1999) carries out Article X, Section 1(2) of the 1972 constitution, so English classes are expected to make room for American Indian authors and perspectives alongside the rest of the reading list. Then there is staffing. The Office of Public Instruction lists many schools as impacted, including reservation schools and schools far from the larger cities. In those buildings one teacher may cover every high school English section, sometimes on a four-day week. That teacher needs units that are complete, that cover different grades with one prep where possible, and that leave time for the local and tribal texts no outside publisher supplies.
Why it fits
Where the nine units help a Montana department
The bundle is built around reading closely and writing about texts. These are the uses that fit the Montana situation best.
- Analysis Vocabulary and Operators gives every grade a shared language for writing about texts.
- Characterisation and Analysing Fiction works with any novel or story you choose, including local authors.
- Writing a Comment and Argumentative Essay builds the evidence-based argument most departments keep under either standard set.
- Political speeches and rhetoric units suit juniors and seniors and pair well with civics classes.
- Macbeth and Orwell's 1984 are complete text units for a drama block and a novel block.
- One teacher covering several grades can run the analysis units across sections with little extra prep.
Getting started
One way to place the units in your year
Montana schools set their own course sequence. This outline is a suggestion that a single English teacher or a small department could adapt.
- Teach analysis vocabulary firstBegin each grade with Analysis Vocabulary and Operators so students share the same terms. Later units then build on that language rather than reteaching it each time.
- Pair characterization with your own textsUse Characterisation and Analysing Fiction with a novel or story already on your list, including works by American Indian authors you choose for Indian Education for All.
- Give upper grades a rhetoric blockFor juniors and seniors, run Analysing Political Speeches and Analysing Cartoons together. They suit election years and any overlap with the civics or government class in your building.
- Choose one drama and one novel unitTeach Macbeth or 1984 as a full block, depending on the grade. The American Dream unit can follow 1984 or stand on its own later in the year.
- Close with argument writingEnd with Writing a Comment and Argumentative Essay. Use the work as a common writing sample when your department reviews its plan against the 2027 standards.
What to buy
Strand or full course: what to buy
If you want a focused text analysis and writing strand, buy the High School ELA Text Analysis & Writing Bundle at $109.99, compared with $224.91 for its nine parts bought separately. If you need a complete high school ELA curriculum across Grades 9–12, ELA Complete – High School ($149.90, 100+ resources; $189.90 with Teach-Life-Balance) is the broader choice, covering short stories, novels, drama, poetry, essays and speeches plus multi-paragraph writing. A small school that also teaches Grades 6–8 English could add ELA Complete – Middle School ($149.90). The Teach-Life-Balance course alone costs $89.90.
Honest limits
What to know before you buy
This bundle was not written for Montana. It has no Montana texts, no American Indian authors chosen for Indian Education for All, and no standards codes. Check each unit against the Montana Content Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy and your district curriculum yourself, especially as the 2027 implementation nears. You supply the full texts of Macbeth, 1984 and any novel you teach. The licence covers your own teaching; for a department or school, send Teach Lessons a short message first. If it does not fit, you can exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is the bundle aligned to Montana's ELA standards?
No. It is not aligned to, approved by or endorsed by the Montana Office of Public Instruction or the Board of Public Education, under either the current standards or the revision schools implement on July 1, 2027. Compare each unit with the standards and your district's English curriculum and decide where it fits.
Does it help with Indian Education for All?
Not directly. None of the nine units is built around American Indian authors or tribal perspectives. What it gives you is a method: the characterization and analysis units work with any text you select, so you can apply them to works you choose for Indian Education for All from state or tribal sources.
I am the only English teacher in a small school. Is it practical?
That is one of the better uses. The analysis vocabulary, characterization and argumentative essay units can run in several grades with different texts, so you plan once and adjust the reading. The drama and novel units are complete blocks with their own materials, which cuts evening preparation.
Do I need class sets of Macbeth and 1984?
Yes. The units give you the teaching materials, worksheets and tasks, but not the full texts of the play or the novel. Use the editions your school already owns or whatever access your library provides. Nothing physical ships, since every resource in the bundle is a digital download.
How does a four-day week affect the pacing?
There is no fixed calendar in the units, so you set the pace. On a four-day schedule, many teachers teach one lesson per class day and move longer writing tasks to homework or a work period. Treat any pacing you build as your own estimate and adjust it after the first unit.
Can our department share one purchase?
One purchase covers one teacher's own classes. Use across a department or school is possible after a short message to Teach Lessons, so ask before passing the files to colleagues. Posting the materials online, reselling them or sharing them outside your school is not allowed under the licence.
Plan your analysis and writing strand
See the nine units and their contents on the product page before your next department meeting.
Open the ELA analysis bundle