Teaching Dead End in Norvelt

Instructions for You

Objective: There is obviously a bit of marital discord in Jack's parents' relationship—they can't seem to agree on much, and they have really different views on the role of the government. In this lesson, your students have an opportunity to explore what they believe the role of a government is. Won't you sleep a little better knowing that your students (a.k.a. the people who will run the government someday) actually understand how it operates? Phew.

This lesson should take about two or three class periods, and is best done once you're finished with the book.

Materials Needed: Computers; paper and pens to draw Venn diagrams

Step 1: Let's jumpstart these noggins, shall we? Start by having your students brainstorm what they already know (or think they know) about our government. They may struggle getting started—it isn't every day they take a critical look at the system in which they live—so here are a few thought-provoking questions to get them thinking:

• What is the purpose of our government?
• What do you think the government should provide for citizens?
• What do our taxes pay for?
• What do you think the government should pay for?

Ready to take their thinking to the next level? Try having them share their lists with someone sitting close to them—this is their chance to add the "Gee, I never thought about that" stuff to their own list. You may also want to mention that while their views may differ, the point is to share and listen to others. Now is not the time to get into a huge political debate about what our current administration has (or has not) screwed up.

Step 2: Now that you have your class thinking governmentally, it's probably a good time to bring their focus back around to the actual novel. Remember all the references the characters make to what a government should or shouldn't do? Reviewing some of the characters' quotes about government is a good place to start. Don't worry—this isn't a pop quiz for you. We have them compiled for you in two handy lists here and here. Keep these around as you toss the following questions your students' way:

• How do Jack's dad's feelings about the government and their community differ from those of Jack's mom or Miss Volker?
• Whose comments make the most sense to you?

Step 3: Are you ready to really dive into communism? While communism may be a dirty word to some of your students, so long as you stick to the facts and stay close to the text, keeping your political views to yourself, you'll be fine. How about starting with pages 54-56 and having your class try to explain how our government and communism differ. Make it clear to them that the goal here is to think, not to be correct, so any relevant ideas are totally cool. Make notes on the board as you all talk.

Step 4: At this point, your students probably know that they have a little (or a lot) more to learn about communism and our own government. And that means it's time for them to do a little reading. Here are some articles you can share with them to help them hone their understanding: 

• "How Communism Works"
• "How Capitalism Works"
• "Difference Between Communism and Democracy"
• "Capitalism vs. Communism"

Have your class draw Venn diagrams, with capitalism on one side and communism on the other. As they read, they should make notes on their diagram—let them know this will be followed by a class discussion, in which you'll expect them to participate. Dun dun dun…

Step 5: After your students have calmed down from the gut-wrenching excitement of Venn diagrams, it's time to get your group togetherness on. Draw your own Venn diagram on the board, and have students fill it in with the juicy 4-1-1 they found on their own. (While they're going, they should be sprucing up their own diagrams, too.) To propel their thinking even further, you can hit them with some of the following questions:

• What are some of the key differences between communism and our current system?
• Do they have anything in common?
• What are the benefits/drawbacks of each system?
• Why does Jack's dad refer to Norvelt as a "Commie" town and Mrs. Roosevelt as a "Commie woman"?

Step 6: Okay, time to link all this useful knowledge to your students actual lives. How so? By interviewing someone (think: a parent, not a classmate) about their beliefs. Before they go and get their journalist on, though, come up with a list of interview questions together—here are a few to get your started:

• How involved should the government be in our lives?
• Should the government help out the poor, unemployed, disabled?
• What is the purpose of our government?
• Do you think our government should be more/less involved in our lives?
• What is something the government does that you think is good? How about bad?

Make sure they know they will have to take good notes as they interview, because after their Q and A session, they'll be taking what they've learned (from both the interview and their Venn diagram research) and composing an analytical essay explaining whether or not they agree with Jack's mom or dad more, and why.

Step 7: And now the moment you have been waiting for: your student's chance to demonstrate what they have learned. What could be better than having them compose an enlightening analytical essay exploring communism and our current system? They'll share which system they believe is best, and whom they tend to agree with in the epic Norvelt battle: Jack's mom or dad. To get them on track, simply share our writing lab link with them—they'll totally thank you.

Instructions for Your Students

Objective: Whoa… Jack's mom and dad really don't agree on anything. One of their major differences, though, is how they view the government and society. Why should you care about their differences? Well, one day soon you will be a voting citizen in this country and you should probably have a grasp on how our government operates, as well as an opinion about what the government should provide for and how it should treat its citizens. It really comes in handy inside the voting booth.

Step 1: First up, you're going to do some free-writing about our government. Jot down everything and anything that comes to mind when you hear the word government—this is free-writing, after all, so lay it all on the page. It may help to think about what our government actually does, what its purpose is, what it provides us with, and why we even need it in the first place. You have about five minutes for this before you will share with a partner… so get going!

Step 2: The characters in Dead End in Norvelt sure have some differing opinions about government, right? And the question you will eventually have to answer is: With whom do you agree? But before you can do that, you need to really "get" the differences. As your teacher guides you through a class discussion about this, here are some questions to help you follow along and contribute to the conversation:

• How do Jack's dad's feelings about the government and their community differ from those of Jack's mom or Miss Volker?
• Whose comments make the most sense to you?

Step 3: You've dipped your toes into Norvelt, but now it'stime to really dive into the novel by checking out pages 54-56 and exploring how differently Jack's mom and dad see things—after all, in the end, you're going to have to identify which of these character you most agree with. If you're feeling like you're not quite ready to pick a side, though, have no fear: By the time this activity is done, you'll have a pretty solid understanding of the differences between communism and capitalism. So hang tight.

Step 4: On a piece of paper, draw your finest Venn diagram, then label one side capitalism and the other side communism. As you read the following articles, keep track of the information you come across in your Venn diagram. Pro tip: The better notes you take now, the easier your work will be later on in this activity. No start reading:

• "How Communism Works"
• "How Capitalism Works"
• "Difference Between Communism and Democracy"
• "Capitalism vs. Communism"

Step 5: Now is your time to shine. As a class you will be chatting about your Venn diagrams and sharing the differences as you see them. Make sure to add anything you missed to your own diagram—again, this will only serve you well down the road. Also, test your knowledge by attempting to answer these questions:

• What are some of the key differences between communism and our current system?
• Do they have anything in common?
• What are the benefits/drawbacks of each system?
• Why does Jack's dad refer to Norvelt as a "Commie" town and Mrs. Roosevelt as a "Commie woman"?

Step 6: Ready to take these ideas and explore them in your own life? Whether the answer is yes or no, for this next step, you'll be interviewing your parents (or some parental type—the point is, not your BFF or the kid sitting next to you). As a class, you will compose a list of interview questions, so get your pen and contribute any ideas you think might help out.

Once you have your list, your next stop is a quality time conversation with your mom (or dad, or grandma, or sweet little old neighbor…). Take careful notes during your interview—as with your Venn diagram, this research will help you write an essay exploring how you think a government should work.

Step 7: It's time to get your analytical essay on—but before you grown, consider this: You will inherit this world someday, and this is your chance to chime in about how you think things should operate. This is the overarching idea you're your essay, so as much as it's analytical, it's also pretty personal. Remember, though: A key part of this is explaining whether you agree more with Jack's dad or mom. Need a little guidance? Head over to the Shmoop writing lab to brush up on your essay skills.