Process of Information
Introduction|Task|Evaluation|Conclusion|Credits
Process
and Resources
Everyone in your group will have a number between 1 and 4. Divide the following topics among your task force members as assigned by number:
Being different from others isn't a bad thing. (1)
Boys and girls can do the many of the same things. (2)
Bullies are a part of life we must face, but understanding what they are can help. (3)
Losing a loved one to death is a terrible thing, but it is possible to move on with our own lives. (4)
Once you've passed out your topics, it is time to do your research. Find your number below and follow the guidelines to learn something worthwhile about your assigned topic.
(1) One of the first things that Jesse learns about the Burke family is that they are very different from his own. They are considered to be strange by those that don't get to know them, but as Jesse accepts them with an open mind, he discovers that being different wasn't bad at all. In fact, these differences were some of the things he liked about them.
The Burke family doesn't have a television. How does this make them different from most people? What are their reasons for not having a television?
Find two other things in the book that make the Burke family different. Answer the above questions for each.
Now that you've explored the differences of the Burke family, think of a group of people you know in your life that is very different from your own. Find three specific examples of different customs or behavior. Do you know why it is that the group does things differently, or is it a mystery to you?
Look over the following websites and try to get a feel for different cultures around the world and near home. Pick one thing you learn from this research to share with your group.
(2) As the only boy in the Aarons family, Jesse is expected to behave a certain way. His parents expect him to act like a boy and to grow up to be a man, all by their own traditional ideas of what that is. Jesse, however, has other interests. Leslie Burke is a girl that does not conform to most things expected of a girl of her time. She teaches Jesse the value of being oneself, whatever that is, despite what society expects of you.
Leslie can run faster than any boy in the 5th grade. Is it a big deal to Leslie that she does a "boy" thing better than the boys? How does Jesse react to being beat by a girl? How do the other boys react?
Find one example of something else Leslie does that is normally thought of as an activity or trait of boys. Find one for Jesse that might be looked at as something a girl might normally do.
Now that you've looked at the interests that Jesse and Leslie have, think of some things you might like to do that are traditionally belonging to the opposite gender. Find something that a sibling or friend might do this way. How do others react to these interests?
Look over the following websites and gain an understanding of gender issues and why they shouldn't matter. Pick one specific example to share with your task force.
(3) Sometimes, people will do mean things to others. Most students have to deal with bullies at one time or another. Janice Avery is one example of a girl that is mean to those that appear weaker. Jesse and Leslie look at Janice as their enemy, until a scene in the book where they find her crying in the girls' bathroom. Leslie goes in while Jesse waits outside, and the friends learn a valuable lesson about Janice, and why she is the way that she is.
What is it that Janice tells Leslie in the girls' bathroom about herself? How did Leslie react, and what did she say to Janice?
When Leslie reported back to Jesse, what did the two friends have to say on the matter? Did this change their opinion of Janice Avery? How?
Think of your own time in school. Have there been any bullies that you've had to deal with? Did you ever learn something about them that might explain their behavior?
Look over the following websites and see what you can learn about bullies. What makes them act that way? Share your findings with your task force.
(4) Have you ever had to deal with the loss of a loved one or a friend? Death can be a scary thing, especially when it happens to somebody that we love. Jesse had to deal with death at a young age when Leslie drowned. She had helped Jesse learn so much about life and himself, and suddenly she was gone. This was the most difficult lesson Jesse had to learn, and it is one that stuck with him.
How did Jesse react when he heard the news about Leslie? What had he been doing at the time she had her accident?
Explore the feelings Jesse experienced as the tragic news sank in. Examine how he goes through denial, anger, sadness, and finally, acceptance.
Have you ever lost someone that was close to you? Do you know anyone else that had to deal with the loss of a loved one?
Explore the following websites that investigate coping with death. Bring back something valuable to your task force from your research.
