The School Story

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. Do you think age matters when it comes to achievements like writing a book, making a website, or inventing a product? Are kids capable of great accomplishments? Generally, young people might see the world differently than adults; does this perspective affect the ability to create? What barriers do kids face when participating in an adult-dominated world?

Teaching Suggestion: This question is designed to get students thinking about what they can accomplish at their age and the obstacles young people face when having to rely on adults to recognize or aid their accomplishments. You might follow up by asking what your students would like to accomplish and how they would plan to go about it at their age.

• This article about children and teens who have done amazing things shows how age does not necessarily limit one’s ability to achieve. (Content Warning: This article contains references to mature subjects like the Holocaust and the Taliban, which may be sensitive for certain age groups.)
• This 11-minute video interviews kids who have come up with inventions about their thought processes and ideas.