Furia

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 are some of the benefits to women and girls who play organized sports? Do they have the same opportunities as men and boys?

Teaching Suggestion: While students might not have any preexisting ideas about women playing soccer in Rosario, Argentina, they almost certainly have opinions about women in organized sports in general. This prompt provides an entry point into what may be an unfamiliar world. If students are discussing aloud, you can offer them some guidelines in advance about having a respectful discussion of women’s sports.

• This article from the Women’s Sports Foundation discusses the many benefits of sports participation for women and girls.
• This article, also from the Women’s Sports Foundation, discusses the barriers to women and girls’ participation in sports.

2. What impact might culture have on a girl or woman’s opportunities to participate in organized sports?

Teaching Suggestion: Students may already be thinking about cultural barriers to women and girls’ participation in organized sports as a part of their discussion of the greater availability of these opportunities to men and boys. Many will be aware of the cultural barriers faced by women and girls in patriarchal cultures with strong beliefs about female modesty; if students’ discussion seems limited to only this aspect of the prompt, you might encourage students to consider how even cultures that claim to provide equality for women erect barriers to women’s participation in certain sports contexts and can create an unwelcoming atmosphere for female athletes from minority cultures.

• This article by Sanjyot P. Dunung discusses cultural barriers to girls and women’s participation in sports.
• This article by Hannah L Spacey discusses the ways in which school cultures can disadvantage female students’ participation in sports.

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 had to go against the beliefs of family, friends, or your community to participate in an activity that you love? If yes, how did you feel about your decision? If no, under what circumstances can you imagine making such a choice?

Teaching Suggestion: In Furia, Camila experiences significant stress over her decision to go against the beliefs of her family—and many in her community—to play soccer. This prompt is intended to build empathy for her experiences and get students thinking about what it means to stand up for your own needs against the competing demands of family and community. Students may find this prompt too personal for whole-class discussion, and it is probably better suited to small group discussion or written responses.