Consider the theme of Honor and Deception throughout the novel. How does Joel’s concept of honor evolve over the course of the story? How does his initial understanding of honor transform and deepen once he has behaved dishonorably?

Teaching Suggestion: Students might review their response to the Personal Connection Prompt before addressing the question and consider the ways in which their own thoughts on honor have evolved since starting the novel. As Joel struggles with the idea that he lost his honor by disobeying his father and not revealing the truth immediately, he begins to see the connections between honor, truth, disobedience, and fault.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who benefit from strategies for locating text evidence, a graphic organizer or chart for summarizing each chapter’s contents might be helpful. Small groups might jigsaw this task, with each group focusing on one chapter summary and sharing with the larger group. Then, students can address the prompt individually, using the summary organizer to guide their finding of examples and evidence.

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Alternate Ending”

In this activity, students will write an alternative ending for Bauer’s story.