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Just Mercy (YA Version) Free Abridged Unit

Updated: 15 hours ago

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Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

This summer and last summer I taught the young adult version of Just Mercy in a 4-week summer school class. The class was for students who, for whatever reason, had failed English 11 during the school year and needed to make up their credit. This meant that the class had wide variety of abilities. Some students were there because they were smart but physical or mental health issues prevented them from successfully completing the years. Others were there because they just skipped all of the time. And lastly, others were there because they loafed and didn't pass.


So here we all were.


My county used to give teachers a lot of leeway in planning as long as we were hitting the state standards, but that has changed in the last few years. Now we all have to be teaching the same book, etc., Summer school especially used to be so fun: our county invested in all of the best YA books and we were given free reign to get the kids reading and invested. Two summers I taught Tangerine and really enjoyed it. I was looking forward to another summer with Tangerine so that I could fine tune my lesson plans, but it was not to be.


Tangerine by Edward Bloor book cover

Anyway, I showed up to the first day of summer to find out that teacher autonomy and student choice is dead now, along with my soul, and for summer school I was allowed to teach either The Great Gatsby or Just Mercy. I love Gatsby (like, it is literally one of my favorite books), but my entire teaching ethos rests on the idea that if you give a book to a kid that they can read, and that connects to their life somehow, you've won the battle. I refuse to go nuts trying to pitch and sell crusty old classic white people books to my mostly EL, black, and asian students. There are so many amazing books out there for teens other than Gatsby that students have the potential to be truly connected to or interested in. So, obviously, I chose Just Mercy.


The Great Gatsby book cover

I had my students for 4 hours of instruction each day, for 4 weeks straight, for a total of 20 days. Early in summer school, I was also preparing them for state reading and writing tests that they either failed or missed. Between the short summer school period and the test prep, there was not enough time to teach the entire book. I decided to focus only on the chapters that featured Walter, which was every other chapter.


I usually loathe YA versions of books, but this one is really well done. The language and sentence structures are still engaging but the most graphic and disturbing scenes were taken out. The other chapters without Walter are enlightening and add depth to the story, so they are worth studying if there's time.

Just Mercy book cover-YA version
Just Mercy book cover

Below is my 4-week 11th grade summer school unit for the YA version of Just Mercy (YA version). I hope some of these free Just Mercy unit materials are helpful to you.



Just Mercy Abridged Unit

Young Adult

4 Weeks

Lexile: 1130

Summer School 2025


Essential Questions:

  • What is justice? 

  • What is a "just" society?

  • Can injustices be rectified? If so, how?


Lesson Objectives:

  • SWBAT create a definition of justice 

  • SWBAT identify and explain key components to a " just" society. 

  • Students will be able to recognize injustice


Texts/Materials:

  • Just Mercy (Young Reader) version


Assessments:

  • Reading comprehension quizzes

  • Writing Assessment (required final for Just Mercy): What are the factors that lead to injustices in society? Use specific examples from Just Mercy or your choice book  to support your argument. 



General Class Template 

I tried to follow some version of this template most days to make sure I was covering all of my bases, preparing students for their state tests, teaching Just Mercy, and building in time for differentiation/remediation. I also did icebreakers for a while just to get to know everyone and build community.


  • Icebreaker

  • Grammar 

  • Writing 

  • Vocabulary 

  • Unit study 

  • Lexia/Independent Reading



Free Just Mercy Unit


Day 1-Prereading/Building Background


Welcome/Introduction to Routines/Expectations (20 minutes) 

  • Greet students at door. 

  • Assign seats. 

  • Give students a 5X 7 index card; fold in half and make name tags/decorate

  • Go over summer school requirements and why we are all here.

Index cards
Sharpies


Writing Diagnostic (30 minutes)

  • In 30 minutes, write the best essay that you can in response to the prompt. (I print off a state test prompt and give it to them)


Introduction of Unit Theme

  • Pre-test: Give students a sheet of scrap paper and ask them to define the word "justice" the best they can. Do not say anything else. (I know, it's hard.)




  • During Reading Time: 1-on- 1 goal conferences

    • Meet with students to go over their summer school goals.


Day 2-Finish Pre-Reading & Start on Chapter 1


Icebreaker (10-15 minutes)

  • Jenga "Get to Know You." For this icebreaker, I bought the cheap Jenga set below and wrote a bunch of get to know you questions on the blocks. To find the questions, I just Googled "icebreaker questions for high schoolers" and chose the ones I like.


Multicolor Jenga blocks
Pack of Sharpies

Grammar (Prep for state writing test) (30 minutes) 

  • Commas in a list


Writing instruction for state test kids (45 minutes)

(More advanced students who already passed the state test did SAT prep instead of this essay. They used Khan Academy.)

  • Review steps of writing an essay 

  • I do; we do 

Lunch


Just Mercy-Review

  • Orally review definitions of "justice" or "injustice" 

  • Review essential questions and unit objectives.


Just Mercy Chapter 1 Vocabulary


Just Mercy Chapter 1 Reading Time

*For reading time, the students were divided up depending on their reading levels. For today, I read the first few pages out loud and helped them fill in the character chart, but after that, if a student just wanted to take the book in the hall and read, I let them. If they wanted to listen to the audiobook, I had them check it out from the library and listen to it with headphones. During years where the library only had. one digital copy, I would check it out and then play it to the class as a whole (minus the kiddos in the hallway).


  • Listen/read along for whatever time is left & continue filling in character chart. 


Audiobook cover for Just Mercy YA version

Day 3-Continue with Chapter 1 of Just Mercy


Attendance Question # 1 (5-10 minutes)

At the start of school, I use ask an attendance question at the beginning of class just to get kids warmed up for the day and also to get to know them a bit.


Grammar (30 minutes) 

  • Commas in a list/NoRedInk


Continue w/ Writing Test Prep 

  • I do; we do 

    • I wrote second paragraph/students wrote 3rd with practice prompt


Lexia PowerUp (30 minutes)

We do not have this program anymore, but I thought it was a pretty good one. The program would test the kids and assign them skill work based on their diagnostic. It was an easy way for me to differentiate without a coteacher. I would grade them on units completed and assign them a target unit goal for the day.

  • 30 minutes of Lexia PowerUp

    • Goal: 8 units (may need to adjust) 


Lunch


Read/Listen to Chapter 1 of Just Mercy  



Day 4-Finish Chapter 1/Start Chapter 3


Icebreaker (20 minutes)

  • Create Tattoo: Have the students create the tattoo they would get if they were 18. Prompt them to not let their neighbors see what they are working on. Collect the tattoos and use them for tomorrow's icebreaker.


Grammar (40 minutes) 


Writing/Test Prep 

  • Lecture on conclusion paragraphs

  • Write conclusion paragraph with teacher support


Test Prep 

  • Students were divided into 4 groups depending on need: Writing Work Keys, Reading Work keys, Reading SOL, or SAT. A coteacher would pop into my room to help with this part. of class.


  • Lexia (25 minutes)

Lunch


Text Study: Just Mercy

  • Review answers for Chapter 1 reading guide

  • Announcement: Open book quiz tomorrow on Chapter 1

  • Vocabulary review activity:

    • I used giant Post It paper to make a 4 square Frayer model for word. Students had to go around and fill in two things. one each poster.


Super size sticky notes

Just Mercy Chapter 3 Vocabulary Preview




Day 5-Chapter 3 Vocabulary/Library Field Trip


Tattoo Icebreaker (5 minutes)

  • Whose is whose? 

    • Hold up the tattoos one by one and see if the students can guess who each tattoo belongs to.


Grammar/Test Prep

  • Introduce FANBOYS commas


Writing Work Keys/Reading Work Keys/Lexia PowerUp/SOL Test Prep Time/College Essays

  • Differentiated work time depending on student need.


Just Mercy 


Lunch 

Field Trip

  • Library Book Talk (11:15-12:00)

    • I took the students to the library to choose a choice book related to the unit's theme: justice. I have awesome librarians, so they pulled a bunch of books for the students and pitched a few that they thought would work well for the unit and the kids.


Here are a few that I remember:

To Kill a Mockingbird
The 57 Bus
Cover of The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton

Dear Martin
The Hate U Give Book Cover




Day 6-Just Mercy Chapter 3


Vocabulary Posters

  • Vocabulary posters for Chapter 3 Just Mercy words (Kids were tired so seemed like a good Monday activity to start.) 

  • Vocabulary poster directions


Grammar 

  • Finish FANBOYS lecture from last class. 

  • FANBOYS practice


Alternating Work Blocks

  • Block 1: Test Prep/Lexia

  • Bock 2: College & Career/Lexia


Lunch


Independent Reading (10 minutes) 

  • Read your choice book for 10 minutes. 

  • Fill in reading log. 


Novel Study-Just Mercy 



Day 7-Deeper Dive Into Unit Themes


Grammar (30)

  • NoRedInk Fanboys practice


Alternating Work Blocks

  • Block 1: Test Prep/Lexia

  • Bock 2: College & Career/Lexia


Just Mercy Text Study



Lunch 


  • Just Mercy work continued (15-20 minutes) 


Movie Connection: The Hate U Give (20-30 minutes?)

At this point in summer school, the 4 hour days REALLY start getting to the kids. I added a few minutes of movie watching to break up the routine. I chose The Hate U Give since its themes line up with Just Mercy. Last year I tried to show the movie version of Just Mercy while reading it and it was totally confusing for the kids since the movie jumps around a bit. It was better to choose a movie with adjacent themes so that the kids could synthesize.


I had them fill in an "Injustice Feature Analysis for the movie, as well.


The Hate U Give Movie Cover


Day 8-Just Mercy Chapter 5


Icebreaker: 

  • Give each student a "deserted island" print out and have them draw 5 things they could not live without. What I can't live without (deserted island) (10 minutes)


Grammar (Time? ) : 


 Vocabulary: 


Just Mercy 


At this point the students had really separated in terms of who was doing what. My AP/IB students were well ahead of the others, so when we got to novel time, after I did the review activity or vocabulary everyone worked at their own pace on whatever chapter they were on. I just tried to keep track of where everyone was and printed reading guides as needed.



Day 9-Just Mercy Chapter 7

Icebreaker

  • Have students share out the 5 items they would bring to a deserted island.


Grammar (45 minutes)

  • Review rules taught so far

  • Teach next rule: Put commas around nonessential information. 


Work Keys/Lexia PowerUp Block (30 minutes/block)


Independent Reading /Work Key Writing bock(15 minutes) 


Vocabulary: 

  • Chapter 5 Vocabulary Review

    • Have students take out a sheet of looseleaf and match each of the unit 5 vocabulary words to a person from Just Mercy.

  • Introduce Chapter 7 Vocabulary


Chapter 5 Review


Just Mercy Chapter 7 Close Reading Preparation

Once students were comfortable with the basic plot, I added in a few close readings. Most students in summer school are not yet versed in the language of analysis, so I start by first teaching them the concept of figurative language.


Introduction to Figurative Language, cont…



Day 10-Just Mercy Chapter 7, Continued


Grammar

  • Put commas around nonessential information. 


Lexia /Work Keys Reading Prep Block (30 minutes)


Text Study (30-45 minutes)


Lunch 

Close Reading of Chapter 7

Once we get through the figurative language introduction (yesterday), I pre-teach the literary devices in the passage we are going to study. Then we assign each literary device a color and read and color-code the passage. THEN we do the analysis questions.


I do not let them do the close reading on their own; I walk them through it step-by-step. The directions are on the handout, but since this is early in the unit and most summer school kids do not have these skills, we do the whole lesson together.


Just Mercy Close Reading




Day 11-Writing/Background Building/Theme Tracking


This was a testing day for half of my class, so we used the morning to make up missing work and read independently while we waited for the testers to re-join us.

Grammar

  • Complete practice on NoRedInk. (commas around nonessential ("nonrestrictive)  information) 


Persuasive Writing Practice (20-30 minutes) 


Just Mercy Background (30 minutes)

Flocabulary is an education app/program that our school purchases. It's got great content and mini lessons so I recommend checking it out. This would also be good to do before students read Just Mercy, but it really works at any point in the unit.

  • Flocabulary: "Jim Crow Era" (~30 minutes)

  • When finished, read choice book. 


Theme Tracking

  • Fill in two more rows of the Just Mercy Injustice Feature Analysis (from earlier in unit. Students should already have this handout.)


Independent Reading

  • Independent reading for 10-15 minutes. 



Day 12-Just Mercy Chapter 9 Close Reading


Icebreaker: 2 Truths and a Lie

  • Have each student share out 2 truths and a lie about themselves and have their classmates figure out which one in the lie.


Grammar (15-20 minutes)

  • No Red Ink Quiz: Commas around nonessential information 


Lexia (30 minutes) 

  • 10 units


Chapter 7 Review


Chapter 9 


Lunch

Movie 

  • Watch The Hate U Give

  • Fill in thug injustice chart (Students already have this handout from earlier in the unit.)



Day 13-Chapter 9


Icebreaker

  • On index card: What is your mood today? 


Grammar


Book Study 


Movie

  • Finish The Hate U Give 

  • Fill in THUG Injustice Chart 


Lexia

  • 30 minutes/10 units

Lunch


Writing Time 



Day 14


Grammar


Lexia

  • 30 minutes/10 units


Text Study 


Choice Book 

  • Reading Time (10 minutes)


Lunch 


At this point in the year, we were getting a little tired of the room and the routine, so we took a field trip to the library just to change up the scenery. The students worked on whatever chapter of Just Mercy they were up to, which meant students were anywhere between chapters 7-11.



Day 15

Icebreakers


Grammar 

  • Taught students to put commas as "interrupters"


Lexia 

  • Complete 30  minutes/10 units ( I made this a make-up unit day.) 


Vocabulary  Review activity for chapters 1,3,5, 7 (45 minutes-1 hour)

  •  Vocabulary Posters (2nd and last round). Assign each student a vocabulary word from chapters 1, 3, 5, or 7 and have them create a poster for it.

    • Share out

  • Sentences Stations

    •   Vocabulary Stations 

      • We hung the posters up around the room and then I gave each kid 6 Post-Its and asked them to write a sentence for 6 words of their choice and to then put the Post-It on the poster.

      Lunch

Novel Study 



Day 16


In our district, students are allowed three absences and still get full credit for summer school, so most kids save up their days and blow off the last 3 official days of summer school.


My group pf kids had almost perfect attendance, so I decided to wrap up the unit early so that I could get most of them to take the final exam before leaving for the summer. I will still detail some of the things I did last year to wrap up the unit (when I had a bigger group and a lot more kids that had to stay until the last day.)


For 2025 summer school, today was basically a review day.


Icebreaker


Go over final exam 


Grammar 


Vocabulary 


Novel Study

  • Read excerpt of Chapter 13 out loud (see reading guide)

  • Have students analyze Chapter 13 and fill in reading guide or just discuss if you are getting short on time.


Student Work Time

  • Complete Chapter 11 and/or 13

  • Finish Chapter 11 packet 


Lunch


Essay Exam Prep  

  • After lunch, I had students plan out their Just Mercy final exam essay with a graphic organizer. My co-teacher made the graphic organizer for this year so I can't post it here, but she basically gave them the prompt and a bank of evidence to use.

    • Prompt:  What are the factors that lead to injustices in society? Use specific examples from Just Mercy or your choice book  to support your argument. Make sure your details are specific and developed. 


Independent reading (15 minutes)

  • For whomever finishes their graphic organizer early


Movie

  • Now that most kids were done with Just Mercy the book, I felt comfortable showing them Just Mercy the movie. The movie version is great, but events are condensed and switched around a bit to fit into the time frame so it is confusing to show alongside the book if you have kids who are working on comprehension. At the end though, all good!


Just Mercy Movie Cover


Day 17


Icebreaker 


Grammar (8:00-8:20)

Give each student a whiteboard and have them write the sentence type as you present it. Check and fix errors as they are presented.


Vocabulary Review (8:30-9:00)

  • Give each student a bingo page and have them fill in 24 of their bingo words plus a free space in the middle.

  • There are many ways to play vocabulary bingo. I prefer to give the students a sentence with a blank since it matches the format of the quiz I give them. Since I has EL students this summer, I typed the sentences up as I said them and displayed them on the whiteboard. Sentences below. Be careful because I put each answer right underneath the sentence so make sure to black those out before displaying.

  • When they figure our the vocabulary word, they cross it off their board. First one to 5 in a row wins!


9:00-Start Final Exam-Part 1 (Hopefully this gives all kids enough time to finish before lunch) 


Lunch


11:05-12:05-Final Exam Part 2 (Essay writing)


Independent Reading (15 minutes)

  • For students who finish early.


Movie Time

  • Just Mercy movie



Day 18


Icebreaker 


Grammar


3rd Writing practice w. / rules (Ditch grammar time after this)


Lexia Make up Units

  • Complete 30 minutes/10-15 units 


Independent Reading (15 minutes)


Novel Study

  • Finish chapters not finished yet. 

  • Finish watching Just Mercy (~40 minutes) 

  • Fill in other rows on the "Factors of Injustice chart"  Ask them what rows I should add for next year.  (Skipped since they already completed final at this point). 



Day 19

Grades were due by 11 am

Unit Wrap Up

Journal:

  • On a sheet of looseleaf, ask students to give examples of when injustices have occurred either to them personally or in the greater society.  (I ran out of time this summer, but this would have been a perfect place to talk about Kilmar Abrego.)

  • Then ask them to write about what justice would have looked like in that situation.

  • Ask for volunteers to share out.

  • Collect journals


2. Stone Catcher Intro

  • Summarize the "stone catcher" chapter (chapter 16) and read the passage about stone catchers. 

  • Have students define a "stone catcher" 

    • A "stone catcher" is: 

  • Brainstorm ways to be a "stone catcher" in daly life and write ideas on the class whiteboard.


  1. Arts & Crafts

    I was feeling creative this year and wanted to do a good end-of-year wrap up, so I went to the local crafts store the night before and bought rocks and markers that would write on the rocks.

Flat rocks to draw on
Rock painting markers

I wasn't sure if the kids were going to go for my idea, but they worked hard all summer and I thought they might be good sports about it.


Once we brainstormed all of the ways to be a stone catcher in real life, I had choose their favorite one from the board and asked them to "write it on the rock" and then decorate the rock"." Then I told them were were going to take a walk around the school grounds and leave the rocks where people could find them. I got this idea from the kids in my neighborhood who were leaving rocks with positive affirmations on them in the woods during COVID.


To my surprise, no one opted out and they all painted a rock or even a few. We left them on a shelf to dry for the rest of the day.


Housekeeping

  • Make up work

  • Binder clean out 

  • Return library books


IF TIME:

  • Movie: We watched Legally Blond since it's a law movie. You would be surprised at how into this movie the kids were.


The cover of Legally Blonde

Day 20

Last Day of School


Icebreaker 


Independent Reading Wrap-Up (15 minutes)

  • Writing time: What injustice was the character in your book facing?


Just Mercy (10-15 minutes) 

  • Go hide rocks around school. 

Since it was the last day of school and my grades were already submitted. I decided to do games, puzzles, and movies for the last two hours.


Puzzle # 1 (Time?)

  • Give each kid a handful of puzzle pieces. 

  • Have them find the edges and put the edges together on the desk. 

  • Have them sort their pieces by color and then assign each kid a color that they need to put together. 


Game Stations:

  • Game # 1: Clue 

  • Game # 2: Scrabble 


Movie

  • Finish Legally Blond



I hope this free Just Mercy unit was helpful to you in some way!





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