Nimona

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. What is a fairytale? What do you associate with this genre in terms of tropes, character, conflict, structure, and literary devices? Can you think of any media that makes use of the fairytale genre or retells a specific fairytale with a twist? How did it work and which do you prefer—the straight genre or the twisted version? Why? What benefits do both provide in terms of storytelling?

Teaching Suggestion: These questions can be used before, during, and after reading the following resources to activate prior knowledge, guide reading, and reflect in discussion afterwards.

• This subject guide from Missouri Southern State University provides an extensive overview of the subject of fairy tales for reference.

2. What are social norms and where do they come from? What kinds of norms are you familiar with and what are the consequences of both meeting and not meeting these norms? How might norms relate to stereotyping? What evidence supports the idea that norms are socially constructed?

Teaching Suggestion: These questions can be used before, during, and after reading the following resources to activate prior knowledge, guide reading, and reflect in discussion afterward.

• This short document from UNICEF offers an overview of the term “norms,” including gender norms, for reference throughout the reading. Potential Sensitivity Issue: This document briefly mentions the practice of female genital mutilation as an example of a cultural norm.
• This article bridges the concepts of gender norms, gender fluidity, and fairytales in anticipation of the novel.  

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

Reflect on the following questions in writing. What is morality? Why do people adopt and follow moral codes? Why might these codes differ from person to person? What are your views of morality and the nature of good and evil? What influences shape your views on the topic?

Teaching Suggestion: After reflecting independently in writing, it could be beneficial to have a whole-class or small-group discussion, based on your class’s needs. Whole-group discussion allows students to hear a wider variety of opinions, while small-group discussion allows more in-depth discussion between students. If students seem reluctant to share to whole class, it could be better to have them share with a partner or smaller group. It could be beneficial to review discussion protocols related to respectful discussions before having a whole-class discussion.