Lindsey+Chapter+Discussion

**Chapters 17-32** *The "essence" of each discussion question is **bold** and __underlined__


 * It is at the very end of chapter 17 that Emma realizes that Facebook could potentially impact **//all//** of the people in her life. She says, "It's such a powerful thought that Facebook isn't limited to Josh and me. I might be able to look up //anyone// and see what their future holds." (p. 97). This is a pivotal point in the novel, but Emma is still unaware of the impact that Facebook and changing the future will have on her life (and the lives of those around her). __**Knowing how the novel ends, would you keep playing with Facebook if you were in Emma's shoes? What if your future life looked as bleak as Emma's-- would you attempt to change it still? Pretend you don't know the ending, how would you respond then?**__


 * Josh finally reveals in chapter 22 the reason that he and Emma's relationship has been strained. Boy likes girl; girl thinks that boy is "just a friend." It seems like the classic teenage love problem, which is probably unrelatable to most of us now that we're adults. It seems like such a large problem to these characters, though, and will undoubtedly be an issue amongst our future students. __**Would you discuss this problem between Emma and Josh with your class as you teach this book? Or do you feel that it's ultimately irrelevant to the story line?**__

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 * There's several stories going on at once in this book. Tyson's story is an important one. Tyson's mother has died (as we learn in chapter 22), and Tyson is raised by his father. This seems like the perfect opportunity to discuss different types of families. __**This would be a good way to open students up to different ideas of what's "normal." How would you handle this discussion as a teacher?**__ Would you ask for students to talk about their own families? Do you think this is an important topic for a high school class?
 *  A topic that will be particularly relevant to a high school class (especially juniors and seniors) is teenage pregnancy. Emma suspects that Kellan is currently pregnant (or will soon become pregnant) because, in the future of Facebook, Kellan has a fourteen-year-old daughter. __**This subject of teenage pregnancy is a touchy subject, but could be the topic of an important discussion for students. Should teachers be in charge of raising awareness of teenage pregnancy? Should**__ __**// English //**__ __**teachers hold this discussion?**__ What if students are never given the opportunity to discuss teen pregnancy in a controlled environment? All of these questions depend totally on your teaching philosophy; I'm just interested in your opinions.
 * I'm interested in __**teaching in themes**__ in my classroom. __**One major theme throughout "The Future of Us" is change, and how one small moment in the present can have a major impact on the future.**__ This would be the perfect chance to combine your English curriculum with the Social Studies curriculum. __**Discuss historical events and the impact they had on the world we live in today. Also, make this relevant to students by having them analyze their own lives for moments that will impact their future.**__

Discussion:

--This is an interesting question because I recently talked about this at a training session I had to do for work. I would open the discussion by asking the students, “What does a normal family look like?” I would alter this question depending on what we are talking about. This would definitely get them thinking and open the room up for discussion. I would let the students govern the discussion and their learning but I would be there to guide the discussion along or back on track. With this type of discussion, students can see similarities and differences in their thinking. Our society is changing and has definitely changed over the years—women now work, higher divorce rate, single parent homes, families with stepparents and gay families. Generations also think differently. Some feel that is not right for gays to become parents and others feel that they have just as much right as anyone else as long as they are caring parents. It would definitely be an interesting discussion.

--Teen pregnancy is a touchy one and I do believe teachers should have some responsibility in raising awareness, especially with sex education. I have recently read stories where parents are in an uproar cause a school nurse will have condoms and birth control in her office. Am I thrilled about this? No, if my child was thinking of having sex then I wish they would come tell me but I live in the real world and know that there’s not a high chance of that happening. And let’s face it teens are at that age where their hormones are raging. They are probably too cheap to buy protection at a store (not to mention the stares they’ll get) so if my teen is having sex (though I hope they aren’t), I would rather he/she use protection no matter where they get it, just as long as they are protected! Some parents don’t discuss sex and the consequences that come with it such as STDs and teen pregnancy because it’s too uncomfortable. Teens need to be in the know of these things because it affects their life in a big way. Having a baby could mean no college and it certainly means no partying, drinking (not that they should be doing that), etc. Teen pregnancy is not something you can just brush off as nothing. And somehow students need to get this information whether it is from parents or school. I think Health Ed teachers should hold this discussion but I think it is possible for an English teacher to discuss this because you can find teen pregnancy in young adult literature (like this book for example) and maybe it’ll help connect better to the students rather than listening to an adult lecture them about it.

--Historical events and the impact they had on the world we live in today is a very interesting topic and definitely one topic I would discuss in my classroom. September 11th, 2001 had a major impact on our world. In my intercultural communications class, we talked about the terrorist attacks and how more people in America are racist towards Muslims, associating them all to be terrorists. We hold people in Guantanamo Bay even if they are not terrorists but just because they look like one. Airport security of course is much tighter. But I think it brought us together as a country. Though New Yorkers suffered worse because it was their city, we all went through this and remember this painful event and therefore can connect with one another on that level. Another significant historical event is World War II. After Hitler killed millions of Jews, the world didn’t want this to happen again and the United Nations created the Declaration of Human Rights. This prevents another Holocaust from happening, entitling that all humans have a right to be free. I think another interesting way to discuss this in class, is not only have them analyze the moments in their life that impacts their future but how would our world be different if things turned out differently? What if America never entered WWII? What if 9/11 never happened? What if men were the ones who stayed at home while women worked and fought for their rights? I think this would be an interesting concept and a fun paper to write (Rewrite History).

**Sammi: ****-It is hard to say what I would do if I were in Emma's shoes. A part of me while reading the book was angry at her for knowing how much damage she was causing, however, I would be just as curious too. The only exception is that I believe in whatever is meant to be will happen, so it would be hard for me to act the way Emma did. I would've tried to realize that that is what her future is right now, but things may change that future once she encounters more steps in her life. **
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff00d9; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">-I think the problem between Emma and Josh is relevant to the story and provides more character development throughout the story. If that problem didn't exist, the ending of the story would not be so successful. Therefore, I would discuss that aspect of the book. **
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff00d9; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">-I'm not sure how I would handle that discussion about Tyson's family. I think I would let the class start discussing it, without my opinion. I would not necessarily make it a huge discussion in relation to the rest of the book, however. **
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff00d9; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">-I think the topic about the teen pregnancy would be a hard one to discuss, but then again I feel that it is very relatable to students in high school and that an ongoing argument on having YA literature in the schools is so students can relate, so therefore I believe it should be discussed. I think, however, it would be more beneficial to discuss it as how it happens in the book, rather than in general. **
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #ff00d9; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">-Historical events that had impact the world today would be September 11, the rise of aspiring technology, and the US having its first African American president. I think the best theme to teach is how drastic your life can change by making the littlest mistakes today. Maybe it would be a good lesson in preventing crimes. **

I probably would keep playing around with Facebook; it’s just the kind of person I am. If Doc Brown from //Back to the Future// taught me anything, it’s that you can mess with the past and the future as long as it makes your life better. If my future was as bleak as Emma’s, of course I’d try to change it- it’s exactly like //Back to the Future//- where Marty’s future is a disaster, and he changes it so his family isn’t broken.

I think I would approach the idea of what is “normal” under the assumption that anything could be considered normal, it’s just if it works for the family or not. I would open the floor to my students so they can discuss their families, if they feel comfortable in doing so. I think that this could be a very important topic for High School students, especially with how high the current divorce rate among Americans is, and how many of these students come from divorced parents or will be experiencing a divorce in the near future.

I feel that an English teacher could reasonably hold a discussion about teenage pregnancy if a book or other work, such as this one addressed it. I think that teachers unfortunately have to address the issue of teen pregnancy, as many parents don’t feel comfortable discussing the issue with their children, and with shows like //16 and Pregnant// and //Teen Mom// being broadcast so often, the issue will not go away. The thought of sexual education being summed up as “don’t have sex.” With the birth control debate currently raging, it’s kind of a pertinent topic.

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