Use these activities to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity. 

ACTIVITY 1: “Talk Show Host”

Falling Leaves follows Adeline’s formative years as the unwanted daughter. Her story centers on the actions and feelings of those around her. If these characters were to appear on a talk show, what might they say? What questions would the host ask them?

• Part 1: As the talk show host, what questions would you ask of the characters in Falling Leaves? Questions should address character traits and/or motivation.
• Part 2: Choose one character and gather as many details about their backstory as possible. Answer the talk show host’s questions from that character’s point of view.

Teaching Suggestion: The main goal of this activity is to allow readers to fully inhabit the story, interpreting it from the inside by becoming part of the story’s world. If given enough time, this activity can be performed with the teacher taking on the role of the talk show host and interviewing students after assigning each student a character.

Paired Text Extension

Students can compare “Cinderella” by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm to Falling Leaves, examining the similarities in characters, situations, and motivations.