Schooled

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 does it mean to live “off the grid”? What are some benefits of a lifestyle that is mostly isolated from contemporary society?

Teaching Suggestion: Capricorn and his grandmother Rain live away from society, so exploring and discussing this lifestyle choice before reading can offer students necessary background. Students might begin by listing potential benefits and questions they have, utilizing these and similar resources for additional context. They could categorize these benefits and questions based on topic (e.g., impact on an individual’s education). As they read the novel, students can pause and compare and contrast their ideas and novel details. Students could return to these resources later and discuss what Rain, Capricorn, or other novel characters might say about these choices at various moments in the novel. Students could even write a dialogue using character voices as they discuss these ideas.

• In this article from Time, Joshua Spodek explains how and why he lives off the grid in the middle of New York City.
• In this 5-minute listen from 2022, NPR talks with a family who decided to live off-grid.

2. What is peer pressure? How can one avoid being pressured into doing something they don’t want to do?

Teaching Suggestion: The main characters face peer pressure, a world new to Capricorn as he begins attending public school. Students might focus initially on personal examples, so beginning this topic as a journal or discussion could be helpful in building engagement. These articles offer ideas that can help in standing up to peer pressure. Taking notes on the ideas here can provide students tools that can help them in their own lives and that they can apply to the novel as they read. During reading, students might pause to discuss ways a character does or could use these tools in different scenes. If time permits, students might conduct additional research on this topic. The class might take an action like creating posters or delivering presentations to help stop negative peer pressure.

• “Peer Pressure (for Teens)” from Nemours Teens Health explains peer pressure, when it can be helpful, when it can be harmful, and how to handle it.
• This resource from Talk It Out describes six types of peer pressure. (Teacher-appropriate; not student-facing without teacher guidance; some mature content)

Personal Connection Prompt

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

How are differences treated in middle school? Your response can reference personal experiences or observations, or you may use examples from appropriate literature, film, or TV.

Teaching Suggestion: Due to the potentially sensitive nature of the prompt, a private, individualized response in a journal might be the most appropriate strategy. At first, Capricorn is ostracized for being different, but by the end of the novel, his differences are celebrated. Recognizing differences as important can build classroom community throughout the reading of the novel. Returning to this topic as a culminating activity can be a powerful bridge for the ideas to extend beyond the book. For a discussion component, students might work with a partner or small group and brainstorm the ways in which different groups (e.g., classrooms, clubs, teams, and groups outside of school) address differences. Ultimately, readers might try to detail responses to the questions, What does acceptance look like? What does it mean to celebrate differences?

Differentiation Suggestion: To encourage student agency and musical and artistic talents and learning styles, students might create a song, painting, collage, or other musical or artistic response.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who might benefit from service learning projects might develop the idea of this prompt into a longer project. They might research topics such as bullying, diversity, or school community, then complete an activity utilizing their research, such as a series of PSAs or brief podcasts for inclusion on the school or classroom website.