Found

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. How does a person define who they are? What is identity?

Teaching Suggestion: The main characters in the novel face events and revelations that drive them to question their identities. Perhaps before approaching the texts here, students can free write or brainstorm about different aspects of identity as a class. The article and speech can provide ways to continue reflecting on and discussing this large and important topic. Then, after studying the paired resources here, students could return to the question to write or discuss again, adding new insights from the texts offered. These questions could expand to additional activities. For instance, students could create identity charts as described here by Facing History.

• This Psychology Today article explores different aspects of our lives that build our identities.
• This 7-minute TEDx video presents Olivia Vinckier’s perspectives on identity and the importance of recognizing that who we are does not fit inside a box.

2. How do beliefs shape realities? How do discoveries shift realities?

Teaching Suggestion: Jonah, Chip, and Katherine experience events that shift their worldviews. To varying degrees, they resist these revelations. The following texts can build an understanding of how people react to changing understandings of the world. It might also be helpful to consider focusing a follow-up discussion on other examples from science or current events.

• In “Why Facts Don’t Change Our Minds,” research.com explores how some beliefs persist despite information to the contrary.
• This National Geographic article presents huge scientific discoveries between 2010 and 2019 that shifted views of the world.

Personal Connection Prompt

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

What magical idea, superpower, or imagined discovery do you wish were real? Why?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt allows students to think about science fiction elements before reading. Students may then discuss magical beliefs they had or still have. For a more robust activity, students could incorporate visuals into their responses and present them to the class.

• “I Believe in Magic. Do You?” is a 6-minute TEDx video where Daeun Lee explores the power of magic in her life.
• Dali’s The Persistence of Memory presents a magical world of melting clocks that offers students a visual representation of a world shaped by different rules.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who are visual learners might benefit from creating a drawing, painting, or other form of artistic expression. For kinesthetic learners, acting out their ideas could be powerful. For interpersonal students, small-group discussions or skits could offer a chance to collaborate and build on each other’s ideas.