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. Why do we have story time? Why are stories important for remembering? What do they tell us about our society?

Teaching Suggestion: Daniel uses Storytelling as a Way of Remembering and Surviving. He recounts stories from both his past and from Iranian myths and legends. Getting students to think about their relationship with stories is another way of drawing attention to this narrative structure, and it can also help them to think more broadly about how stories are a part of culture.

• “The Importance of Storytelling and Story Creation” by Kate Hurst describes how stories are critical to understanding others, which is much like how Daniel uses them in Everything Sad Is Untrue.
• “Storytelling and Cultural Traditions” is a resource from National Geographic that explores different cultures and their traditions, giving examples of stories that matter to different groups of people.

2. Let’s test your memory! Name some of the world’s major religions and faith traditions. What are some of their key characteristics? What practices do they include?