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. At the turn of the 20th century, farm life in America looked a lot different than it does now. Imagine a day in the life of a rural teenager back then. What are some of the primary differences in how they lived their lives when compared with modern-day teens?

Teaching Suggestion: While The Silent Boy is primarily a coming-of-age story that deals with a loss of innocence, it is also a work of historical fiction set in rural America. As such, students will be able to better understand the book’s core themes—particularly those related to the violence and turbulence associated with farm life at the turn of the century in America for working-class Americans like Katy’s neighbors, the Stoltzes. 

• The Library of Congress’s “Rural Life in Late 19th Century” provides a snapshot of farm life at this time.
• Iowa PBS’s “Rural Midwest Farm Life in the Early 20th Century” is a 1-minute video that discusses the challenges for early 20th century rural families.