The School Story

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Do you think age matters when it comes to achievements like writing a book, making a website, or inventing a product? Are kids capable of great accomplishments? Generally, young people might see the world differently than adults; does this perspective affect the ability to create? What barriers do kids face when participating in an adult-dominated world?

Teaching Suggestion: This question is designed to get students thinking about what they can accomplish at their age and the obstacles young people face when having to rely on adults to recognize or aid their accomplishments. You might follow up by asking what your students would like to accomplish and how they would plan to go about it at their age.

• This article about children and teens who have done amazing things shows how age does not necessarily limit one’s ability to achieve. (Content Warning: This article contains references to mature subjects like the Holocaust and the Taliban, which may be sensitive for certain age groups.)
• This 11-minute video interviews kids who have come up with inventions about their thought processes and ideas. 

2. What does it mean to be honest? Are there times when it’s better to stretch the truth, or is complete honesty always the best policy? What are the problems that come with dishonesty?

Teaching Suggestion: This question will prompt students to think about the benefits and drawbacks of dishonesty and create a bigger dialogue about the importance of telling the truth. Encourage students to think about scenarios where small lies might be a better route than telling the truth (if a friend asks how a new haircut looks) and discuss how lying can often have negative outcomes.

• “The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf” – A quick read of Aesop’s classic fable might aid discussion.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

How do you prefer to express yourself? Do you find you enjoy talking about yourself and your emotions, or do you prefer to put your feelings and thoughts into writing? What are the benefits of talking versus writing? How can each one be used to communicate different things?

Teaching Suggestion: With this exercise, students might have the choice between discussing their answer in front of the class or writing their answer and reading it aloud. This flexibility is designed to provide both “talkers” and “writers” with the best avenue for expressing themselves while also illustrating the differences between these means of communication.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who might benefit from expressing their responses in an artistic or creative way, they might consider drawing, acting out, or miming their answer.