A COMPREHENSIVE TEACHING GUIDE TO THE WORKS OF GAYLE FORMAN DISCUSSION QUESTIONS, WRITING PROMPTS, AND EXTENSION ACTIVITIES ALIGNED TO COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS FOR GRADES 9-10. DEAR EDUCATOR: In our multi-layered, multi-connected society, the books teens are choosing to read are not only more likely to have an impact on their thoughts and actions, they are also more likely to share those thoughts and express those actions than ever before. Gayle Forman’s books are wonderfully vivid, layered, and rich with the sort of emotions that today’s teen feels. The content in her novels is perfect for a small or large class discussion, an independent reading assignment, or a creative writing task. The questions and activities in this guide align with Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts for grades 9-10, but Standards for other grades may also apply. Gayle Forman’s books are usually rec- ommended for ages 14 and up, but most of these questions and activities can be easily adapted for middle school readers. Gayle Forman’s books are popular with teens due to their themes of love, romance, heartbreak, friendship and fate. Using discussion questions, writing prompts and activities, this guide helps educators use her books to encourage students to dig deeper: to read closely, to evaluate what they’ve read, to participate in class discussions and to complete individual writing and creative projects. About the Author Gayle Forman is an award-winning author and journalist whose articles have appeared in numerous publications, including Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, The Nation, and The New York Times. She lives in Brooklyn with her family. For more about her, visit her website at www.gayleforman.com. Photo © DENNIS KLEIMAN 2014 THIS GUIDE ADDRESSES THE FOLLOWING COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS FOR GRADES 9-10: Reading: RL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.2, RL.9-10.3, RL.9-10.5, RL.9-10.9 Writing: W.9-10.1, W.9-10.2, W.9-10.3, W.9-10.4, W.9-10.5, W.9-10.9, W.9-10.10 Speaking and Listening: SL.9-10.1, SL.9-10.4, SL.9-10.6 Language: L.9-10.1, L.9-10.2, L.9-10.3 Visit the Common Core State Standards website to read about the individual standards: www.corestandards.org/the-standards. 2 I Was Here presents a difficult subject—suicide—in a realistic way; a suspenseful narrative emerges from the questions, emotions and reactions of those left behind. Exploring the book together as a class offers opportunities for investigating theme, conflict and character. The following questions can facilitate class discussion, or alternatively, be used as individual writing prompts. However used, students need to provide reasons and note evidence from the text to support all answers. I WAS HERE This gritty, powerful new YA novel follows Cody Reynolds in the months following her best friend Meg’s shocking suicide. Delving into Meg’s secret life as she searches for answers, Cody discovers both her strengths and her vulnerabilities, testing her ability to love, to protect, and to forgive. H “As she did in If I Stay, Forman offers an introspective examination of the line between life and death, and the courage it takes to persist.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review I WAS HERE: QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION/WRITING Wondering why Scottie, Meg’s 10-year-old brother, tells Cody he thinks it’s odd that Meg’s note said, “the decision was my own to make.” He says, “It’s almost like she’s protecting someone.” How does this observation initiate Cody’s investigation? What are her reasons for wanting to find out more? Do you think that is an understandable reaction to Meg’s suicide? Discuss how knowledge can make you feel more in control when facing harsh realities. Uncovering the truth Each of the characters reacts differently to reading the encrypted file and discovering Meg’s involvement with the suicide support group (Cody, Harry, Alice, Ben). Whose reaction feels most natural to you? How do you think you would have reacted? Do you agree with Cody’s decision not to tell Meg’s family? Is she protecting them, or protecting herself from more pain? Getting to know Meg Readers learn a lot about Meg from her posts on the suicide support boards, her college friends and roommates, Ben, and Cody’s memories and thoughts. Use this information to construct a character sketch of Meg. Do you think the author did a good job of including Meg as a major charac- ter, even though she is not present and interacting with other characters? Can you think of other books or movies where this is true of an important character? Cody + Meg The character of Cody is largely defined by her reaction to, and investigation of, Meg’s suicide. Describe how Cody gets caught up in Meg’s secret and how it affects her. As she finds out more, what are her thoughts and emotions? Besides Meg, which other characters show us more about Cody by their interaction with her? Finding forgiveness Do you agree that one of the major themes of the book is forgiveness? Why or why not? Which characters are in need of forgiveness and why? What is the role of forgiveness in the characters’ being able to stop grieving and move on? Do any of the characters think that Meg’s suicide is unforgive- able? Do you? It’s a mystery Much of the action in the book stems from Cody’s desire to find out why and how Meg killed herself. The author engages readers’ curiosity from the very beginning by providing Meg’s suicide note. What writing techniques does the author use to add suspense and mystery to the rest of the narrative? Chart the clues Cody is given and the path she takes to solve the mystery. Did you feel that Cody solved the mystery in a satisfactory way? Did the answers help Cody to a place of understanding? Did they help you? Misery loves company One result of Meg’s suicide is that Cody grows closer to Ben. What part does fear and anger play in Cody and Ben’s relationship? How do they sup- port each other? What place does this have in their growing relationship? Is Ben a nice guy? Are you glad they are together at the end of the book? Does it seem like a realistic ending? I WAS HERE: RESOURCES FOR LEARNING MORE To learn more about suicide prevention, visit: • ActiveMinds.org/PreventSuicide (a mental health nonprofit organization geared toward supporting and educating teens) • AllianceofHope.org (helping those grieving loss by suicide) • Save.org (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education) • AFSP.org (American Foundation For Suicide Prevention) 3 If I Stay and Where She Went are companion novels; exploring them together as a class offers extensive opportunities for investigating theme, character, structure, point of view and plot across both volumes. The following questions can facilitate class discussion, or alternatively, be used as individual writing prompts. However used, students need to provide reasons and note evidence from the text to support all answers. IF I STAY In the blink of an eye, everything changes. Seventeen- year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces—to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heartwrenchingly beautiful, this book will change the way you look at life, love, and family. H “Both brutal and beautiful, this thought-provoking story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.”—School Library Journal, starred review IF I STAY: QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION/WRITING What’s it all about? What are the themes of the book? (Possibilities: choice, sacrifice, grief and loss, family, music.) Which of the themes are “major” and which are “mi- nor”? Choose two themes and analyze them over the course of the novel. How are these themes connected? Do they apply to a single character, or to multiple characters? When do they emerge and how do they develop as the story progresses? Mia’s voice Discuss the use of point of view in the story. To continue the first person, present tense point of view that’s introduced in the opening scene, the au- thor has Mia narrate the story in an unusual way. Why might the author have chosen this technique instead of writing the entire story from the third person point of view? How different would the story have been if someone else had been telling it? Choose an important passage from the book and rewrite it from another character’s point of view. What about Adam? Discuss Adam’s feelings about asking Mia to stay. Is Adam’s request the reason she decides to live? Is Adam’s request selfless? Find passages that describe Adam’s character and his relationship to Mia. Mia’s world What do readers learn about Mia and her relationship with her family, and with Adam, in the pages before the accident? How are these initial obser- vations confirmed in the rest of the book? How does the author use the other characters to reinforce what we believe about Mia and her family and friends? Do you feel Mia’s choice more difficult because of what you know about her family? Who’s in charge? When Gran and Gramps are at the hospital, a nurse tells them that Mia is “running the show.” Is it Mia’s choice to live or die? Does Mia believe this? What do other characters believe? Explain how the flashback scenes help us understand Mia’s thoughts about living or dying.