Among the Hidden

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. What is propaganda and why is it used? Can you think of any historical instances in which propaganda was used to sway public opinion? Why might an entity like a government body or corporation use propaganda?

Teaching Suggestion: This question invites students to consider their interpretation of propaganda, probe their own knowledge for examples, and consider the implications of propaganda’s usage. If students have not learned about propaganda, consider first opening the National Geographic resource below or a similar resource to give them a definition and several examples. To follow up, you might use the National Archives gallery or a similar resource and view posters or materials while asking students to interpret the purpose of each. This question connects to the central theme The Impact of Propaganda.

• This National Geographic resource defines propaganda and provides examples of its uses.
• This National Archives online exhibit features a gallery of United States propaganda posters and explains the context of each one.

2. What does “dystopian” mean? How do dystopian stories like The Hunger Games, The Giver, and Divergent interpret the future? What makes a setting dystopian? Why might an author write a story set in a dystopian society?

Teaching Suggestion: This question allows students to explore their definition of dystopian literature and find common ground between several other young adult dystopian fiction novels. Some students who are not avid readers may need to connect the genre to movies or video games instead. Consider mentioning titles like WALL-E and Cyberpunk 2077 and the film versions of dystopian novels like The Hunger Games or Ready Player One. If this is students’ first exposure to dystopian fiction, you may want to first allow investigation into the term to provide students with a solid understanding. The NPR article may be used after the initial discussion to explore the appeal of the genre.

• This SuperSummary page explores common tropes in dystopian fiction and provides several examples of well-known dystopian media.
• This NPR article explores the appeal of dystopian stories to teen readers.

Personal Connection Prompt

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

Have you ever felt that things were unfair for you compared to other people? Have you ever been in a situation in which your friends, siblings, cousins, or peers have been treated better than you? Has there ever been a situation in which you noticed you had more or less than other people? Have you ever witnessed unfair treatment? What problems can privilege and inequality cause?

Teaching Suggestion: This question prompts students to consider their experiences with privilege. You may want to help them understand that privilege can come in many forms, from getting a higher allowance to being denied admittance to certain spaces, etc. You might also want to ask how common the students think unfair treatment is in society. This prompt connects to the theme of The Effects of Privilege.

Differentiation Suggestion: If students struggle to connect to this prompt, consider an activity where the class is divided and create an unfair competition between them. Ask students to compete to finish their work faster for a special reward but give one group a single question each while the other group has five questions each. Then explore the effects of the unfair treatment by asking students to write how the experience made them feel.