Stargirl
Who decides what is "normal?" Have you ever felt like you did not fit in? When do you follow the crowd? In this expedition students will read Stargirl and explore the conflict between conformity and individuality that we all face.
Introduction
We will engage in meaningful conversations about when conforming is a necessity of life and what challenges we face developing and expressing our individuality. Throughout this expedition we will be reading and discussing the novel,
Stargirl
, which showcases this conflict at a high school that prides itself on conformity. This novel will help us reflect on how we see ourselves and how we are seen by others. We will also investigate how others have expressed this conflict in a variety of ways such as through poetry, music, artistic expression, and others.
Essential Questions
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Why do we yearn for acceptance as a species?
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How far do we go to be accepted?
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Is conformity good or bad?
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How can we define ourselves?
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Why should we strive to “stay true” to ourselves?
Learning Objectives
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Express their conflict between conformity and individuality.
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Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text.
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Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
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Analyze how point of view helps a reader develop understanding.
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Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.