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 is a “coming-of-age” story? Define this term in your own words. What are some novels you have read that you would categorize as “coming-of-age” stories?

Teaching Suggestion: If students are unfamiliar with this term, the resources listed below might be helpful in preparing them to answer the question. You might use these sources to prepare a brief presentation for students or simply ask students to refer to these sources on their own.

• This entry from Literary Terms gives a succinct definition and several clear examples.

2. You are about to read a book in which a young protagonist moves in with some relatives in an unfamiliar place and has a surprising adventure there. The book is a coming-of-age story. Write a paragraph that predicts what some of the features of this story are likely to be.

Teaching Suggestion: This prediction-based question might be addressed as a journal entry, an entrance or exit ticket, or a class brainstorming activity.

Short Activity

Watch the short film your teacher provides. Then explain in a brief journal entry the ways in which it displays the elements of a coming-of-age story.